It is a skin problem which is not contagious. Many people have suffered from this condition. There are five types of psoriasis, affecting different parts of your body. All these types of psoriasis have different symptoms. The area which gets affected becomes scaly with small red spots causing itchiness. It is a lifelong battle with this disease, as currently there are no cures for this skin problem. These are known to occur on any part of your body such as elbows, knees, lower back and scalp. As it is a common disease anyone can be infected by it.

Our skin goes through series of changes. The dead skin cells die and flakes off in the form of scales. During psoriasis this cycle of the skin is quickened. Instead of weeks the scales are formed within days. Even though it is not a grave problem, psoriasis can be very painful and with constant itching affecting your day-to-day life. The normal functioning of your life is turned upside down due to this condition.

You chances of getting infected by psoriasis increases, if it runs in the family. An injury done to your skin due to continuous scratching, skin inflammation and skin infection can cause psoriasis. Too much of sunlight tend to create further problems for psoriasis. Psoriasis infection worsens if the patient is HIV positive. In an advanced stage of HIV, psoriasis becomes less active. Having drugs like lithium, beta-blockers, anti-malarial, and NSAID often worsens psoriasis. It is also caused when you go through stress mainly emotional. Cigarettes and alcohol are another cause of psoriasis problem.

Home Remedies For Psoriasis

Apply good amount of moisturizers on your body after having your bath. This would help to keep your body soft and tender.

Buy a UVB sunlamp and treat the areas which have been affected by psoriasis.

Soaking yourself in Dead Sea salts is one of the better solutions.

Coal tar can be used directly on the skin. This is very good to soothe your skin even though it may sometimes be too strong for your liking.

It is always recommended that the patient suffering from psoriasis should have a well-balanced diet.

Having good amount of juices from grapes and other fruits can help you to have better immune system to fight this disease.

Have herbs in daily diet such as basil, ginger, cardamom, saffron, garlic, parsley, tomato, fruit vinegars, and homemade mayonnaise. This kind of diet may not cure this disease but can prove to be very important part of your health.

Warning: The reader of this article should exercise all precautionary measures while following instructions on the home remedies from this article. Avoid using any of these products if you are allergic to it. The responsibility lies with the reader and not with the site or the writer.

I hope this psoriasis article helps

Psoriasis is a chronic skin disease that causes skin cells to grow too quickly. In psoriasis, patches of red, thickened skin with silvery scales develop, usually on the elbows, knees, scalp, and trunk. These areas can be itchy and painful. The areas usually involved are the elbows, knees, and the skin behind the ears, the trunk, and the scalp. The disease may also affect the underarms and genital areas.

Psoriasis is a disease in which the skin cells run amok. Normally, skin renews itself in about 30 days—that’s the time it takes for a new skin cell to work its way from the innermost layer of skin to the surface. In psoriasis, that cell reaches the top in just 3 days, as if the body had lost its brakes. The result is raised areas of skin called plaques, which are red and often itchy. After the cells reach the surface, they die like normal cells, but there are so many of them the raised patches turn white with dead cells flaking off.

Using the power of light has brought relief to some psoriasis sufferers. A homeopathic physician can advise on the proper way to administer ultraviolet light treatments at home, including how to set up the necessary equipment and how long the treatments should last. UVB sun lamps are easy to find and purchase, but they do have to be operated with care. Too much exposure through multiple treatments in a short period of time may cause the psoriasis to worsen rather than alleviate the condition.

Necessary in improvement of both strength and range of motion, the right kinds of exercise can be very beneficial for psoriasis. As inflamed joints must be taken into account when talking about exercise, exercises that are gentle and non-impactive on the joints are preferred. Cycling, tai chi, and swimming (especially in heated water) are excellent forms of exercise for psoriasis. As stretching and range of motion are equally important in an exercise program, the practice of Tai Chi is especially beneficial, as it encompasses both of these elements.

Use moisturizer. Blot your skin after bathing, then immediately apply a heavy, ointment-based moisturizer while your skin is still moist. For very dry skin, oils may be preferable they have more staying power than creams or lotions do and are more effective at preventing water from evaporating from your skin. During cold, dry weather, you may need to apply a moisturizer several times a day.

Lecithin is also considered a remarkable remedy for psoriasis. The patient may take six to nine lecithin capsules a day-two or three capsules before or after each meal. If taken in the form of granules, four tablespoonfuls may be taken daily for two months. The dosage may be reduced thereafter to two tablespoons

Cabbage leaves can be used in form of compresses. They can be applied on the affected area after removing the thick veins and washing them thoroughly.

Bitter gourd is considered valuable in treating psoriasis. In 1-cup fresh bitter gourd juice, add a tsp of limejuice. Drink it sip by sip on an empty stomach everyday for about 4-6 months.

I hope this psoriasis article helps

Psoriasis is a common skin disease that comes in different forms and varying levels of severity. It affects up to 3 percent of populations worldwide. Most researchers agree that it is an auto-immune disease. It is a common skin disease characterised by thickened patches of inflamed red skin, sometimes accompanied by painful joint swelling and stiffness.This skin condition most often appears on the scalp, elbows and knees. Psoriasis affects between 1-3% of the population. It varies in severity from mild to severe. Psoriasis can start at any age. Areas of the skin grow much faster than normal and form red, scaling patches.

Research shows that the signs and symptoms of psoriasis usually appear between 15 and 35 years of age. About 75% develop psoriasis before age 40. However, it is possible to develop psoriasis at any age. After age 40, a peak onset period occurs between 50 and 60 years of age.

Basis Facts about Psoriasis

Psoriasis most often occurs on the elbows, knees, scalp, lower back, face, palms, and soles of the feet; diagnosis may be difficult because psoriasis often looks like other skin diseases. Doctors generally treat psoriasis in steps according to the severity of the disease or responsiveness to initial treatments. This is sometimes called the “1-2-3″ approach.

Care if you are suffering from Psoriasis

Avoid scratching or itching that can cause bleeding or excessive irritation. Soaking in bath water with oil added and using moisturizers may help. Bath soaks with coal tar or other agents that remove scales and reduce the plaque may also help. Cortisone creams can reduce the itching of mild psoriasis and are available without a prescription.Some people use an ultraviolet B unit at home under a doctor’s supervision.

A dermatologist may prescribe the unit and instruct the patient on home use, especially if it is difficult for the patient to get to the doctor’s office for phototherapy treatment.

Reports from people with psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis are mixed: Some say acupuncture helps their disease while others report no effect. People who try acupuncture and improve say it takes many treatments. Acupuncture has few known side effects.

Homeopathic remedies are usually so diluted that they will not cause major side effects. A consultation with someone trained in this practice will help guide the treatment and ensure your safety.

Psoriasis Treatment by Diet

People with psoriasis are individuals with different backgrounds, habits and medical histories, who respond to substances differently at different times. Moreover, people with psoriasis can have remissions that have nothing to do with changes in diets or treatments. These variables make it difficult to evaluate whether any specific dietary change is responsible for clearing or worsening psoriasis.

The addition or elimination of one substance from the diet can be the remedy for one person and the culprit for another. There is certainly no harm in exploring how diet impacts your psoriasis, as long as your overall health is not compromised.

Dietary supplementation with fish oil is said to have a variety of favorable effects on both the cardiovascular and immune systems in laboratory animals. Psoriasis is an immune-mediated disease, so it follows that fish oil if it alters immune reactivity could improve psoriasis.

I hope this psoriasis article helps

A chronic disease of the skin consisting of itchy, dry, red patches, usually affecting the scalp or arms and legs. A common chronic skin disease, more common in whites (2% of the population) than in other racial groups, in which red flaky lesions occuroften on the elbows and knees, or in the scalp. May cause nail abnormalities. A chronic skin disease that occurs when cells in the outer layer of the skin reproduce faster than normal and pile up on the skin’s surface. This results in scaling and inflammation. An estimated 10 to 30 percent of people with psoriasis develop an associated arthritis called psoriatic arthritis.

More than 4.5 million adults in the United States have been diagnosed with psoriasis, and approximately 150,000 new cases are diagnosed each year. An estimated 20% have moderate to severe psoriasis.

Causes of Psoriasis

The cause of psoriasis is not known, but it is believed to have a genetic component. Several factors are thought to aggravate psoriasis. These include stress, excessive alcohol consumption, and smoking. Individuals with psoriasis may suffer from depression and loss of self-esteem. When psoriasis develops, patches of skin thicken, redden, and become covered with silvery scales; these patches are also known as plaques.

Types of Psoriasis

Plaque psoriasis (psoriasis vulgaris) – is the most common form of psoriasis. It affects 80 to 90% of people with psoriasis.

Flexural psoriasis appears as smooth inflamed patches of skin. It occurs in skin folds, particularly around the genitals (between the thigh and groin), the armpits, under an overweight stomach (pannus), and under the breasts (inframammary fold).

Guttate psoriasis is characterized by numerous small oval spots. These numerous spots of psoriasis appear over large areas of the body, such as the trunk, limbs, and scalp.

Pustular psoriasis appears as raised bumps that are filled with non-infectious pus (pustules). The skin under and surrounding pustules is red and tender.

Nail psoriasis produces a variety of changes in the appearance of finger and toe nails.

Treatment of Psoriasis

There can be substantial variation between individuals in the effectiveness of specific psoriasis treatments. Because of this, dermatologists often use a trial-and-error approach to finding the most appropriate treatment for their patient. It has long been recognized that daily, short, non-burning exposure to sunlight helped to clear or improve psoriasis. Climatotherapy involves the notion that some diseases can be successfully treated by living in a particular climate. Several psoriasis clinics are located throughout the world based on this idea.

According to supporters of Ayurvedic medicine, managing disease and restoring health involve assessing the whole person to understand the nature of the imbalance. For psoriasis, a specific treatment regimen might involve topical application of certain oils, such as sesame or mustard; fasting and other dietary guidelines; elimination of stress; and regular physical exercise.

Naturopathic practice excludes major surgery and the use of most synthetic drugs. Naturopathic treatments can complement those used by conventionally trained doctors. How a naturopathic doctor treats psoriasis varies from practitioner to practitioner.

Herbal remedies are increasingly popular and mainstream. Many people dealing with chronic diseases such as psoriasis turn to these alternatives when Western medicine stops working.

I hope this psoriasis article helps