Some experts implicate genetics or an inherent tendency for its development and progression. What’s obvious is the presentation — red patches or plaque on skin, covered by silvery scales.
Psoriasis is not infectious. It may also not be violent enough to affect general health. But, any which way you look at it, psoriasis is more than a clumsy glitch; it is a major social stigma.
Psoriasis affects about two per cent of the population. If both parents are affected, their children have a 60 per cent chance of developing the condition. Interestingly, those with mild symptoms of psoriasis may be blissfully unaware of its existence. All the same, the scaly problem affects people of all ages — even though it has an unmistakable propensity to affect youngsters around age 20 and/or people in their fifth or sixth decade.
Causes
This may range from stress to depression — they fuel the condition in predisposed people. Other offending causes include throat infections, skin trauma, such as cuts, bruises or burns, certain medications, psychological trauma, smoking, and high alcohol intake. Psoriasis is more likely in people with a family history, all right, but it does not, in any way, show mercy for others.
Signs & symptoms
Psoriasis is multi-faceted. What is, however, universal is its typical outward expression — thickening and reddening of patches of skin. These may be present on the elbows, knees, scalp, lower back, lower extremities etc., with thick silvery-white scales of dead skin that may also cause itching. In a majority of cases, psoriasis may fade and reappear, for no obvious reason. The viciousness of each outbreak may possibly differ, along with generalised illness. Psoriasis may sometimes be associated with arthritis (joint pain).
Diagnosis
A tiny skin sample may also be used for tests in a laboratory to substantiate the diagnosis.
Self-help
*Do not scratch, or pick at the skin. This may lead to bleeding and infection. Worse still, psoriasis may expand with a vengeance.
*Do away with powerful soaps that give a dry feeling — wash with an aqueous herbal cream. After washing, allow the skin to dry.
*Don’t rub the skin forcefully.
*Sunlight may be soothing — but, avoid the sun if you experience pain during exposure.
*Cotton clothing is ideal wear.
*Reduce stress through relaxation techniques, meditation, or yoga.
*Eat a balanced diet; avoid fast- or junk-food. Avoid the use of refined carbohydrates, along with caffeine, alcohol, and tobacco.
*Exercise regularly; reduce weight, if you are overweight
*Make sure your bowel functions well. Take natural fibre (e.g., flaxseed); drink plenty of water.
Healing with homeopathy
Homeopathy aims to treat the individual affected by psoriasis, not just the problem from the outside. In treating psoriasis, homeopathy lays the greatest emphasis on the individual’s psychological make-up, or what triggers, aggravates, or eases the condition, including stress or emotional distress, environmental factors, food sensitivities and/or preferences
Clinical research studies conducted in the UK and Germany show that 81-97 per cent of psoriatic cases treated with homeopathy showed distinct improvement, with no side-effects. A study published in The Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, a conventional medical journal, also reported that psoriasis patients experienced significant improvement in their quality of life and reduction in their psoriasis symptoms with homeopathic treatment.
For people who have lost hope, thanks to the disturbing, or somewhat “unremitting,” blemishes of psoriasis, homeopathy comes like a breath of fresh air. It provides a gentle, non-invasive approach to treating the scaly glitch from the root, not just from the exterior. Result: a whole new confident you, with a freshly transformed, healthy, natural skin.