Know The Psoriasis Triggers And Stop The Itch

14-year-old Natasha had psoriasis since age eight, following her father’s death. Her lesions covered more than 85 per cent of her skin area. She stopped going to school, owing to her ungainly psoriatic patches, and stayed at home with her grandmother. She had loved her father and now missed him deeply. She was given homeopathic medicine for psoriasis - Magnesium Carbonicum 200, based on her symptoms, which included “feelings of insecurity due to emotional separation.” After eight months of psoriasis homeopathy treatment, her skin was clear and free of psoriatic patches.

This case shows how emotions can trigger and activate autoimmune problems, such as psoriasis. It must be remembered that for skin diseases, there is often an underlying trigger which aggravates the condition. The tricky thing is that what causes a flare-up for one person may not affect another. There are several things that researchers have found to be common triggers for those suffering from psoriasis.

Let’s find out the common triggers of psoriasis –

• Stress - Stress can cause psoriasis to flare for the first time or aggravate existing psoriasis. Relaxation and stress reduction may help prevent stress from impacting psoriasis. This can be a tough one though because having psoriasis can also stress you out. Try meditating to beat stress in a healthy way. Exercise is an excellent stress reliever and can help control the other inflammatory effects of psoriasis, including high blood pressure and metabolic syndrome.

• Extreme temperatures - Cold and dry weather can cause dry skin, which makes the chances of having a flare-up worse. In contrast, warm, sunny weather appears to help control the symptoms of psoriasis in most people. Living in a humid climate is also better for psoriasis sufferers than living in a dry climate.

• Injury to the Skin - In some people with psoriasis, injury to the skin including cuts, bruises, burns, bumps, vaccinations, tattoos, and other skin conditions can cause a flare-up of psoriasis symptoms at the site of the injury. This condition is called "Koebner phenomenon." - Certain drugs, such as lithium, drugs for malaria, and some beta-blockers (used to treat high blood pressure and heart disease), can cause flare-ups of psoriasis symptoms.

• Alcohol - Drinking alcohol dehydrates the body and the skin, exacerbating the dry flaky patches and often making itching more prominent. Also, certain psoriasis medications should not be combined with alcohol, so before starting any psoriasis treatment, it is important to discuss your drinking habits with your doctor. Drinking plenty of water and avoiding heavy drinking can help you avoid this problem.

• Smoking – Smoking speeds up the hardening of the arteries and is a bad idea for anyone, but especially those who have psoriasis. Within hours of quitting, increased blood supply to the skin, heart and other organs is found, and the damaging effects of smoking can reverse, the longer you stay nicotine free- Many people who suffer from psoriasis condition have reported a significant reduction in outbreaks by eating certain foods and avoiding others. Certain people may find that reducing intake of dairy, fatty red meats, foods that promote immune health, and which protect against heart disease and cancer, such as those containing omega-3 fatty acids (salmon, flaxseed) and those rich in antioxidants (colorful fresh fruits and vegetables) are the foods you want to include in your diet.

• Infections - Anything that induces an inflammatory response can worsen psoriasis. In particular, strep throat often triggers the first onset of guttate psoriasis in kids and sometimes in adults. You may experience a flare-up following an earache, bronchitis, tonsillitis or a respiratory infection, too. Make sure you seek appropriate medical care for any infections with a fever promptly. - While warm and sunny weather can improve the symptoms of psoriasis for many, getting sunburn will almost always cause a flare-up. If you have psoriasis and enjoy spending time in the sun, remember to keep your exposure to a minimum and use sunscreen to avoid getting sunburn. An SPF30 broad-spectrum sunscreen reapplied every 2 hours is a good idea when outdoors. Also seek shade and avoid exposure during the peak hours of 10am-4pm.

• Still, if you don’t know - what are your triggers for psoriasis? Consult our doctors or any good homeopath and address your psoriasis symptoms to his/her. You can also chat with our doctors live and ask your queries.