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Plaque Psoriasis – Common Causes

Monday, December 14th, 2009

The most commonly experienced type of psoriasis is plaque psoriasis, which is what most people think of when conjuring up images of this unfortunate condition. This is a strain that commonly affects men and women equally, as well as people of all ages, from children to adults. Most will experience it for the first time in their early adulthood, between the ages of 16 and 22. They then can expect it to flare up again throughout their lifetime, as unfortunately there is no cure at this time. As anyone who has dealt with this disorder knows, however, there are certainly treatments available to lessen the impact of the symptoms and make life more comfortable.

Some of the causes or triggers of plaque psoriasis can include common lifestyle choices including sun exposure, alcoholism, or cigarette smoking. This is a hereditary disease, not one that is contagious. By avoiding these known triggers, it’s possible to reduce the incidence of outbreaks. These are only a few of the causes, however, and there are other reasons why a person may be afflicted with this form of psoriasis. Up to 55 million people are currently infected, with the reasons being many, but for most, the main cause is heredity.

Plaque psoriasis affects the immune system, and though it can remain dormant throughout a person’s lifetime, it never really goes away. Researchers have learned that in those people who have this type of psoriasis, the T cells that are a normal part of the immune system misfire and can trigger inflammation of the skin, which is a common symptom. While this isn’t a constant occurrence, it does lead to the types of symptoms including a silver scaly rash that are associated with this disorder.

The best way to avoid flare-ups if you have been diagnosed with plaque psoriasis is to avoid the common triggers that have been outlined above. These include alcohol and cigarettes, but can also encompass more emotional triggers such as stress or anxiety. There are a number of factors that go into the treatment of psoriasis, though the best overall method of reducing outbreaks is to practice a healthy and balanced lifestyle. This includes avoiding cigarettes and alcohol, as well as taking time out of the day to practice stress reduction techniques, which might include yoga or meditation. Even longtime psoriasis sufferers may find relief by following these basic methods of lifestyle changes.

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Recovering from Psoriasis from the Inside Out

Friday, October 2nd, 2009

From my limited experience experimenting with my daily lifestyle habits, I’ve discovered that it is possible to eliminate psoriasis either mostly or all the way with no drug treatments at all.  Granted, I have a mild case of psoriasis, but I suspect that this general rule works on a small to medium to large scale (a lot of other people have found this to be true as well).

I don’t stick with a healthy lifestyle because, honestly, it’s just not convenient for me.  When I’m tired I eat whatever’s within reach.  When I’d rather not sleep, I drink lots of caffeine.

But practically every aspect of my health, I’ve found, can affect the severity of my psoriasis at any given time.

Here are the main factors that will either improve or worsen my psoriasis symptoms at any given time:

  • Food choices
  • Drinking alcohol (causes flare ups)
  • Sleep — Less isn’t more.
  • Stress — Less is more.
  • Exercise — Regular exercise improves almost every aspect of my health, including how stressed out (toxins), happy (endorphins) or energetic (metabolism) I am.
  • Cleanliness — Clean is good, but not so clean that my skin dries out.
  • Climate — Not too hot or cold, not too wet or dry, not too much or too little sunlight.

I like the idea of having a “silver bullet,” or something I can take to instantly take away my psoriasis forever, because this gives me what I want all the while requiring minimal effort or lifestyle changes on my part.   Then again, if I was honest with myself, I’d have to admit that I’m better off living with a balanced amount of the elements listed above regardless of whether or psoriasis is plaguing my daily life… so maybe it’s working out for the best that this condition is inspiring me to take action and improve my overall health.

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How to Stress Less and Resist Psoriasis More

Friday, September 25th, 2009

Decreasing your stress levels is one of the best ways to battle psoriasis and improve your overall health.

Here are some basic steps you can take to deflate your stress levels as you sit at your work cubicle:

  • Take deliberate, deep, slow breaths of air
  • Drink water
  • Lay off the caffeine
  • Don’t rush your lunch break
  • Escape the air-conditioned confines of your workplace once or twice per day – get some natural oxygen/sunlight.

And finally, practice healthy self-talk.  Tell yourself that you can.  Healthy self-talk can be one of the most powerful factors in your physical and mental health.

Tell yourself: You can, you can, you can.

Like most things, battling psoriasis is a process.  It’s a work in progress.

Keep things in perspective.  You’ve got options.  One thing at a time.  If one thing doesn’t work, you can try something else.  Believe that you can beat psoriasis and you most probably will.

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Stress and Proper Digestion: How These Affect Your Psoriasis

Friday, September 25th, 2009

Effective digestion requires time and energy.  If you spend too much energy being stressed out, then you won’t leave enough energy for your digestive system process food and distribute the nutrients your body needs.  Lacking nutrition will lead to a deterioration of your overall health and thus open up the door for your psoriasis to worsen.

The way I see it, if you’re going to the trouble of eating food, you might as well allow your body to digest it.  Then, the more your body is able to assimilate and distribute the nutrients it needs, the better equipped it will be to battle off psoriasis (or any other disease for that matter).

This discussion about proper digestion goes along the general belief that, if you allow your bodily systems to run their course unhindered, then you may be able to eliminate psoriasis altogether.

Stress can be your worst enemy in your efforts to stave off psoriasis because it redirects your energy away from basic bodily functions such as digestion, healing or rest.

Much of this is related to unhealthy adrenaline levels, which will throw your body out of wack.   When your brain decides that it’s time to be stressed out, it signals the adrenal gland to start producing adrenaline (you’ve heard of that probably).  Adrenaline acts as a red-alert for the rest of your body, so that it drops everything and gets ready to fight or flee from some perceived threat.  Thus, with adrenaline coursing through your veins, your body gives up trying to digest food.

Just from the perspective of digestion, it is obvious how excessive stress is self-defeating — it weakens the body and doesn’t really help you to function any better in the long run.

But try not to stress about it.

Continued:   How to Stress Less and Resist Psoriasis More

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