Friday, September 9, 2011

Scalp Psoriasis



How does a doctor tells the difference between scalp psoriasis and seborrhea dermatitis of the scalp. Scalp psoriasis usually responds to the same treatments used for psoriasis elsewhere on the body. Scalp psoriasis can often extend beyond the hairline down the forehead onto the face, and the backs of the ears are often involved.  Psoriasis typically looks like red or pink areas of thickened, raised, and dry skin. It has been reported to affect approximately 2% of the world's population. Scratching also injures the skin, which tends to worsen the psoriasis which causes many people to feel uncomfortable and embarrassed. The treatment of psoriasis depends on its severity and location. Some people have such mild psoriasis small, faint dry skin patches that they may not even suspect that they have a medical skin condition. Others have very severe psoriasis where virtually their entire body is fully covered with thick, red, scaly skin. In some severe cases of scalp psoriasis, there may be temporary. However, hair usually grows again after psoriasis is cured.  Heavy creams and ointments are usually too difficult and messy for scalp application, so liquids, foams, shampoos, or oils are recommended. There are numerous options both over-the-counter and by prescription to help people treat scalp psoriasis. It may take someone a few tries to find something that works, but most people can find at least partial relief if they have persistence. Some people find relief with salt or oatmeal baths, and some can loosen the scales by gently combing them away. Most treatments will need to be used regularly for several weeks before a benefit is seen.  Many treatments are often combined and rotated because a person's psoriasis may become less responsive to medications after repeated use. Systemic treatments are not commonly used just for scalp psoriasis but may be used if psoriasis is present elsewhere on the body and/or the psoriasis is moderate to severe. If you have a more severe case of scalp psoriasis, you may need to try different treatment plans before you find the one that works for you.  You'll notice their are different kinds of treatments that can be effective for your psoriasis. SCAT (Short Contact Anthralin Treatment), is a very old remedy for psoriasis but because it stain skin and clothing brown or purple it became unfavorable. No diagnosis should be made or treatment undertaken without first consulting your doctor. If you have scalp psoriasis, you may also have mild psoriasis on your elbows, knees, hands or feet or may notice subtle nail changes. If you have a more severe case of scalp psoriasis, you may need to try different treatment plans before you see any results.
                    

Have you ever wondered is psoriasis hereditary?


Well, if you have you have been harping on stuffs that are pretty tricky. Several researches have been carried out to find out the exact reasons behind psoriasis but nothing has been properly ascertained. However if you ask is psoriasis hereditary- yes is the likely answer. This is because studies have revealed some broad reasons behind the occurrence of this skin disease and these include hereditary, genetics and malfunctioning immune system. However, some researches claim that environmental reasons are also responsible for psoriasis. In children infections and respiratory troubles also cause psoriasis.So why exactly is psoriasis hereditary? This skin disorder is thought to be hereditary because it has been noticed that if one parent suffers from psoriasis about 10% kids get affected. And if both the parents suffer from psoriasis almost 50% of the kids fall victim to it. This is why your answer to the question is psoriasis hereditary is a yes. Children inherit certain genes from parents who suffer from psoriasis and these genes are predisposed to psoriasis. If your ancestors suffered from psoriasis chances are pretty high that you too will be affected by psoriasis. Around 50% of psoriasis patients suffer due to hereditary reasons. When you are gathering knowledge about is psoriasis hereditary there is something you will need to understand clearly. Though psoriasis is inherited it is not passed on from parents to their children in a simple manner like that of hair color. When you get your answer to is psoriasis hereditary you will also understand this inheritance involves multiple genes. This is why is becomes almost impossible to understand the source of the gene. If you inherit psoriasis you will start experiencing the flare-ups during older childhood or younger adulthood. Inherited psoriasis can also be triggered by strep throat or any kind of infection. You will also need to consider a different aspect when you ask is psoriasis hereditary- this aspect is the non hereditary psoriasis. Apart from hereditary, immune and genetics are also important causes of psoriasis. The non hereditary type of psoriasis first makes it appearance during the middle ages. They change far more rapidly than the hereditary type of psoriasis. It varies with the extent of skin involved-and that too unpredictably. This time of psoriasis may come and go, changing in intensity. Your query about is psoriasis hereditary will never be complete if you do not understand the non hereditary type.After you have got an answer to the question is psoriasis hereditary you will need to know the treatments that are available for the same. There are quite a few medical treatments that you can adhere to. These are phototherapy, photochemotherapy, topical treatment, systematic treatment and cognitive behavior therapy. There are several home remedies that can effectively treat psoriasis and you can try them out. Ayurveda can provide a very effective treatment for psoriasis of almost all variants. Once you know is psoriasis hereditary and its treatments you can effectively combat the skin disorder.



What Causes Psoriasis?


There are many treatments for psoriasis both those that are effective and those that are not and one of the best psoriasis treatments involves implementing a psoriasis diet. Making changes to your diet will not only improve your health but also works as an effective way to control psoriasis. While a psoriasis "cure" does not exist per se, there are definitely many ways that can help you deal with current psoriasis flare-ups or eliminate the occurrence of flare-ups or keep them to a minimum without resorting to drugs which may come with their own side effects.

What Causes Psoriasis? Knowing what causes psoriasis begins with the understanding that this is a chronic skin condition with no known cure at the present time. There continues to be continuing research into what causes psoriasis since doctors have no idea what causes psoriasis. Doctors and research has shown that it tends to run in families with a family history of the condition however one may develop this condition even in the absence of a family history. In addition, simply having a family history does not automatically mean that that one will develop the disease. This disease continues to remain a mystery in term of what causes psoriasis and why the immune system then functions abnormally leading to the skin regeneration occurring more frequently than normal in someone with psoriasis. Normal skin regeneration when old skin cells are discarded making way for new skin cells, takes place in about 30 days. With psoriasis, this process takes place in a matter of a few days leading to dry, round, scaly patches of that are silvery, gray or white in color in most cases of psoriasis. A few other cases of psoriasis produce smooth reddish skin, pus filled bumps, etc. Psoriasis Diet Psoriasis flare-ups can be triggered by a variety of reasons such as stress, a skin injury, certain infections especially bacterial infections, certain drugs, surgery, etc. Various herbalists also believe that flare-ups can be caused by having a toxic liver or anxiety. Today's agricultural practices are not what they used to be which means that our foods are not as nutritious as they could be and our bodies in addition to our skins bear the brunt of this change in the way food is produced. If you suffer from skin conditions including psoriasis, this makes it doubly important to follow a proper diet. Our bodies are also filled with toxins from various sources such as the environment in addition to the food we consume. In order to rid our bodies of these toxins, it is better to do this through urine and not through our skin especially if you have psoriasis and a proper psoriasis diet will help you get rid of toxins naturally. Getting a psoriasis diagnosis means that one of the effective measures you need to adopt is to adopt a psoriasis diet immediately which will help you control or eliminate flare-ups. The first step with a psoriasis diet is to eliminate or significantly reduce processed foods. Include more whole foods such as whole grains in your diet. Look for organic foods which do not contain pesticides. These whole foods will help your body greatly with the process of elimination since they contain a lot of fiber and they also contain various nutrients that are not only good for the body but also good for the skin. A diet that is rich in vitamins A, B, C, D, E, and zinc comprises an effective psoriasis diet. For sulfur content, consuming garlic and onions is beneficial. Keeping sodium consumption to a minimum is important for psoriasis. Sodium contains dehydrating properties and one of the main ways to fight psoriasis is to keep the skin properly hydrated. Dry skin will only lead to psoriasis flare-ups. Including good fats in your body while eliminating bad fats such as saturated fats and trans fats is important on a psoriasis diet. Good fats include omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids commonly found in certain fish such as salmon or tuna, certain nuts, oils such as olive oil or canola oil, etc. Fatty acids are great to reduce inflammation. Supplements containing these fatty acids may also be added to a psoriasis diet if you have difficulty included the actual foods on the psoriasis diet. Other supplements such as those containing evening primrose oil, borage oil, etc are also great for a psoriasis diet.
                    

Clinical Review of Psoriasis


Like any other disease, has a number of general character and some particular aspects of each patient, "There is disease, there are sick." Elementary lesions typical is plaque: well demarcated, round-oval, of varying sizes, red (erythematous), covered with scales ("shells"), pearl white, easily removable. Motherboard is located generally on the extension areas (elbows, knees, lomboscascrat). However, to describe a wide variety of skin lesions of psoriasis, there are practically no two patients with psoriasis lesions showing identical.Can be classified in exudative psoriasis and psoriasis (erythrodermic, pustular, arthropathy). In addition,can be classified as: The size and shape of lesions, Region-affected predominantly palmar-plantar psoriasis, nail psoriasis, psoriasis of the scalp (hairy skin of the head), inverted psoriasis (affecting the body folds). For the assessment of psoriasis severity index to use different methods of which may be mentioned: the index of PASI, effects on quality of life (questionnaires), caused by psoriasis, incapacity, etc.. Although psoriasis has certain preferential sites (elbow, knee, lumbar, scalp), there are some patients with psoriasis lesions and in other areas of the body, with special features determined by regions: palmar-plantar, facial, mucous membranes, nails, etc. . There are some patients with psoriasis lesions only in the palms, or nail plants without plaque psoriasis in areas considered to be characteristic of psoriasis. The existence of localized lesions of psoriasis with "private" (hands, nails, etc.) in addition to therapeutic issues raised, lead to the development of differential diagnoses of these special locations. Within the pages of this site you will find a particular localization of presentation, differential diagnosis and topography of these specific treatments tailored to each affected area."The complexity of the psychological ramifications, social and cultural aspects of psoriasis is impressive if not frightening, "said Iona Ginsburg in the article "Psychological and psycho-physiological Aspects of psoriasis" published in 1995 in the specialist journal Dermatology Clinics. The association between psoriasis and psychological factors is known for many years and numerous studies have shown links between stressful events of life and clinical disease onset or manifestation. In patients with psoriasis meets a high level of anxiety and depression and reported association between depression and anxiety awareness of the disease, care. On the other hand, depression was associated with suicidal ideation evidenced in patients with psoriasis. The specialty items was highlighted that psoriasis patients have a decrease in physical and mental functions comparable to those seen in cancer, arthritis, hypertension, heart disease, diabetes and depression.



Psoriasis - A dermatologist's perspective


Dermatologists have suggested many methods to ease the symptoms of scalp psoriasis. Sufferers of psoriasis would be advised to try some of these methods in order to better control their condition.
Those who suffer from psoriasis eventually need to recognize the triggers that spark a flare-up. These can be personal circumstances. A number of individuals may suffer worse from stress and dry cold weather. Others can be worse due to infections, medications and injuries to the skin. Those who indulge in excessive alcohol consumption and smoking may also notice increased aggravation. There are circumstances where you just cannot avoid an event that will trigger psoriasis. A stressful situation you can't manage comes to mind. But, it would be prudent to identify your personal triggers and manage them to the best of your ability.
It goes without saying a healthy diet will go a long way to easing the symptoms of scalp psoriasis. It has been observed in the course of psoriasis treatment that patients on weight-loss diets exhibit progress with their lesions. Green vegetables, fruits and carrots will give marked results in a few of weeks. These foods are rich in antioxidants and energize the immune system. Foods rich in Omega 3 fatty acids also demonstrate great outcomes in the healing of psoriasis. Stay hydrated and attempt to keep to a regular sleep pattern. Simply by following these tips will give you fantastic results.
We all know smoking is detrimental to your health. It is also harsh for psoriasis. It has been detected that giving up smoking can, in some cases, clear up pustular psoriasis. Acute cases of psoriasis have been associated with smoking in some studies. Nicotine patches are not advisable if you want to quit smoking. They have been known to aggravate psoriasis.
Some quick and simple treatments suggested by dermatologists that can help ease the itching connected with this disease. Some of these are:
1. Use a cold compress to ameliorate inflammation.
2. Stress reduction. This can be accomplished in an assortment of ways. Exercise, support groups, meditation and counseling can be effective.
3. Calendula gel or prescribed topical medications can help ease the itching associated with psoriasis.
4. Moderate or eliminate your alcohol usage. Alcohol, especially beer, is known as a psoriasis trigger. It is also a natural antidote to many medications, both allopathic drugs and herbal treatments.
5. Try not to abrasive clothing. Cotton is the best fabric to dress in because it should minimize the irritation.
6. Try to keep a journal of your flare-ups. This will help you identify your particular triggers. Often it can take 1-2 weeks for eruptions to appear after they have been triggered. This is why a journal can be very helpful.
7. Use moisturizers to prevent cracks and excessive dryness. What is especially successful is placing three drops of calendula tincture into your favorite moisturizer. Using moisturizers after bathing with Epsom salt is also helpful.
Some other helpful tips to attain relief are to avoid scratching, soak in warm water using fragrance free soaps (there are soaps available explicitly for psoriasis), pat yourself dry after bathing, and continue to use emollients and moisturizers. All of these tips will aid you to control scalp psoriasis flare-ups and ease your discomfort.