The term  skin disorders  is used to describe different skin problems- from widespread rashes to red small bumps on certain portions of the skin. While some conditions can be harmless but unsightly, others may be infectious and even life-threatening in rare cases.

Some skin conditions have a genetic component, while others may result from allergic reactions. Allergic skin problems occur when certain allergens stimulate an immune response such as itching or redness. Bacteria, fungi, viruses can also lead to skin problems. The most common types of skin problems are psoriasis, eczema, acne, rosacea, warts etc. Let s take a closer look at these disorders-

Psoriasis- This is an autoimmune chronic skin condition which causes a rapid increase in the number of skin cells. Due to this rapid accumulation of cells, the surface of your skin becomes dry and flaky. The white scales are usually seen in the joints of your knees and elbows. You will most likely notice redness and inflammation around the scales.
Eczema- Eczema is a medical condition that causes your skin to turn red and become inflamed and itchy. Eczema occurs in many forms, the most common among which is Atopic dermatitis. This condition begins usually in childhood, and gradually fades away or becomes milder as you age.
Acne- This is perhaps the most common skin problem particularly prevalent between the ages of 15 and 35. Almost every other person develops small raised bumps known as acne breakouts due to infected or blocked hair follicles. When the skin pores become clogged due to excess oil secretion or accumulation of dirt and dead skin cells, acne can appear anywhere in the skin. Most commonly, these are noticed on the face- cheeks, chin or the nose.
Rosacea- Rosacea is often mistaken as acne because it induces acne-like inflammatory symptoms. But this particular skin condition can occur due to a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Rosacea produces red, pus-filled small bumps on the skin, and usually affects fair-skinned middle-aged women. Visibly broken blood vessels, swollen skin, itchy dry eyes, rough patches on the skin- all these signs indicate you may have rosacea.
Warts- These are slightly raised bumps or patches on the upper layer of your skin caused by the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infection. Warts come in different shapes and sizes and can occur in any part of your body- hands, palms, feet, knees, or face.
Role of Ayurveda in curing skin disorders-
The Ayurveda school of treatment aims to restore your body s doshic balance- kapha, vata and pitta. Treatment methods include self-care practices such as a balanced lifestyle, healthy diet, exercise and meditation. There are several Ayurvedic therapies including Abhyanga and Panchakarma that are designed to promote healthy skin.

The Panchakarma vidhi uses medicated herbs, natural ingredients like rice, sand, medicated powder on your body to soothe your senses and flush out the toxins from your body. Once your body is detoxified, your skin feels rejuvenated and nourished.
Essential rosemary oil and olive oil act as excellent moisturizers, especially for dry flaky skin resulting from psoriasis.
Ashwagandha, one of the most essential, powerful herbs packed with anti-inflammatory properties, helps remove rosacea puss. To fetch best results, apply or drink extracts of this wonder herb every alternate day.
Fenugreek seeds, or what is more commonly known as  methi , are rich in essential vitamins like C and K, folic acid and iron. This medicinal plant helps remove dry red patches on the skin. It also prevents the formation of rosacea puss and helps reduce itching.
Skin problems can be mild or severe. Sometimes a conventional treatment method that may work for one condition, may not work well for the other. Ayurveda is a holistic approach to treatment and uses natural ingredients to cure the root cause behind the apparent condition.

Psoriasis And Skin Disorders - What All Should You Know

What is Psoriasis? 

Psoriasis is a common skin disease characterized by thickened patches of inflamed, red skin covered with thick, silvery scales. The elbows and knees are the most common areas affected by psoriasis. It will often appear in the same place on both sides of the body. The patches can range in size from smaller than a dime to larger than a hand. 

Description of Psoriasis-

Normally, skin cells mature and shed after about a month. In psoriasis, the cell maturation speeds up, taking only three to four days. Because the lower layer of skin cells divide more rapidly than normal, dead cells accumulate in thicker patches on the skin's outermost layer called the 'Epidermis'. 

Forms & Classifications-

Psoriasis occurs in a variety of forms that differ in their intensity, duration, location, shape and pattern of scales. The most common forms are: 

Plaque Psoriasis: Plaque psoriasis is the most common form of psoriasis. It is characterized by raised, inflamed, red lesions covered with a silvery-white buildup of dead skin cells (scales). This is found primarily on the Body, elbows, knees, scalp and finger or toe nails. 
Guttate Psoriasis: Guttate psoriasis occurs most frequently in children and is characterized by numerous small, red, drop-like scaly macules that develop rapidly over a wide area of skin. This may appear following an infection, most frequently strep throat. 
Inverse Psoriasis: Inverse psoriasis occurs in the armpit, under the breast, in skin folds, around the groin, in the cleft between the buttocks and around the genitals. It is usually pink and irritated but lacks the thick scale seen in other forms of psoriasis. 
Pustular Psoriasis: Pustular psoriasis is a rare form characterized by small pustules (whitehead-like lesions) found all over the body or confined all over the body or confined to the palms, soles and other isolated areas of the body. 
Palmoplantar Psoriasis: This type of Psoriasis are most likely to show up on the palms and soles. It can also appear on the tops of your feet, backs of your hands, and on knuckles and nails. It may be triggered by an injury to the skin, an infection, or another skin condition such as hand dermatitis. It may first occur during a period of psychosocial stress. Lesions are like cuts which bleed.
 Psoriasis - Homeopathic Treatment

The patient should be encouraged to expose maximum to sunlight and avoid trauma during the active phase.

Homeopathic treatment of psoriasis   Homeopathy is one of the most popular holistic systems of medicine. The selection of remedy is based upon the theory of individualization and symptoms similarity by using holistic approach.

This is the only way through which a state of complete health can be regained by removing all the signs and symptoms from which the patient is suffering. The aim of homeopathy is not only to treat psoriasis but to address its underlying cause and individual susceptibility. As far as therapeutic medication is concerned; several well-proved remedies are available for psoriasis treatment that can be selected on the basis of cause, location, sensation, modalities and extension of psoriasis. For individualized remedy selection and treatment, the patient should consult a qualified homeopathic doctor in person.

Homeopathy For Psoriasis!

Psoriasis is a disorder which is characterized by rapid multiplication of skin cells on the skin s surface. These extra skin cells develop into silvery scales, which are often dry and itchy. It may also lead to formation of painful red patches on the skin. This disorder might produce symptoms, which flare up and reduce periodically. There is no cure for psoriasis; treatments however can make the symptoms manageable. 


Symptoms
The symptoms of psoriasis include red patches on the skin and scaly and dry skin. The red patches might be itchy and one might often experience a burning sensation around the area. The joints in your body may also become stiff and swollen. 


Causes
The exact cause of psoriasis has not been ascertained. The accepted theory is that psoriasis occurs when the immune system attacks the healthy skin cells. There is a type of white blood cell called the  T cell , whose function is to combat harmful virus or bacteria in the body. With Psoriasis or any other autoimmune disorder, these T cells start attacking the healthy (skin) cells. 


Overactive  T Cells  may trigger other responses in the body, thus, leading to excess production of skin cells and white blood cells. The excess cells move to the skin surface and end up causing the red painful patches.


Treatment options to manage psoriasis
Although there s no cure for psoriasis as such, the symptoms can be controlled. The treatment options for psoriasis are:
1. Topical treatments: Topical treatments involve application of creams and lotions. They have been mentioned below:
I. Corticosteroids: Corticosteroid creams or lotions reduce the excess skin cell production, thus, reducing inflammation. They are generally not used as a long term treatment as they cause skin thinning.
II. Vitamin D analogues: A synthetic form of Vitamin D, it helps in slowing down skin cell growth. 
III. Salicylic acid: This treatment is used to reduce scaling on the skin, caused due to psoriasis. It is usually administered along with other medications.


2. Light therapy: Light therapy involves using sunlight or artificial light to reduce inflammation and scaling. It helps in reducing the activity of T cells in the body. 


3. Oral medications
In case of severe symptoms, oral medications are prescribed. Medications such methotrexate helps in reducing the excess production of skin cells. Cyclosporine is a drug that is used to suppress the erroneous immune system response. 

Psoriasis - 3 Easy Ways You Can Get them Treated

When you think of organs of the body, the mind goes to internal organs like the stomach, liver etc. However, the largest organ of the body is the skin. Given its size and the amount it interacts with external stimuli, the skin is susceptible to a number of infections. One of the common issues to affect skin is known as psoriasis. This is typically seen as a rash that can make the skin dry, thick and flaky. It can make the skin feel very itchy and make the person unconsciously scratch his or her skin so hard that it bleeds. Although, even modern medicine does not have a way to cure psoriasis but can manage the symptoms. In contrast, homoeopathy can help treat the factors triggering this infection and hence keep it from recurring.

Homeopathy is a holistic form of medication that treats not only the symptoms exhibited but also the issues triggering the infection. Homeopathic medicines are usually prescribed in the form of sweet pills, powders or liquids. This form of medication has negligible side effects and can be prescribed to children and adults of all ages. If needed, it can be prescribed along with other types of medication as well. However, homeopathy does not follow a one size fits all approach. This means that a remedy that suits one person may not be effective for another. This is because the ideal homeopathic prescription depends on the symptoms being exhibited by the patient, his or her overall physical and mental health, family history, personality etc.

There are a number of homeopathic remedies that may be prescribed to treat psoriasis. Some remedies can treat psoriasis that is passed on genetically from one generation to another while others can treat psoriasis caused by exposure to warm or cold conditions. Homeopathy can be used to treat psoriasis that makes the skin dry as well as psoriasis that leads to oozing lesions. It can also be used to treat chronic cases of psoriasis. In many cases, two or more remedies may be prescribed simultaneously.

When taking homeopathic remedies one must follow the prescribed schedule. Medicines must be taken half an hour before or after meals. When taking two or more homeopathic medicines, they must be spaced at least 5 minutes apart. The ideal time to take the morning dose is as soon as one wakes up. Similarly, the best time to take a night dose is just before going to bed.

Psoriasis And Homeopathy - What All Should You Know?

Psoriasis can be defined as a skin condition, which is caused due to autoimmune disorders within the body. This is a condition where the skin on the body develops raised and dry areas which are reddish in colour while also being bordered by silvery scales. 

Treatment of psoriasis in ayurveda
Ayurveda has a different slant to conventional medicine with regards to the treatment of psoriasis. According to ayurveda, it is the impurities in the blood, which cause the immune system to react adversely and cause this condition. Ayurveda concentrates on treating the underlying problems through the combination of changes in diet, home remedies and certain medications to treat this disorder. Some of them are mentioned below:

Changes in diet which will help purify the symptoms: 
Some advice that is usually given to patients to clean up their diet and include certain other items are as follows:
1. Avoid spicy food and try to eat food, which can be easily broken down within the digestive system
2. Inclusion of more fruits and fruit juices in your diet
3. Also include vegetables and also have a mix of boiled vegetables daily.
4. It is better to avoid animal products such as animal fats, eggs, canned and processed foods from your diet.
5. Regular consumption of butter milk and curd are known to be very good in blood purification and thus should be consumed in large quantities. 

Some ayurvedic tips and ingredients, which can help treat psoriasis: 
Other tips that can be implemented as skin applications to treat psoriasis are as follows: 
1. Use avocado oil to rub on the affected areas as it is known to be an effective treatment when applied long term.
2. Ensure that the skin is always moisturized by applying a soft, cream or gel.
3. Periodic baths in sea water if possible is also good for lessening the symptoms of psoriasis.
4. Aloe vera cream applied specifically on the patches is known to also lessen them overtime.

Few other tips to follow
1. Get into deep breathing and meditation to ensure that your body and mind are relaxed as this is very important during the healing process
2. Expose the affected areas of your skin to mild sunlight for about half an hour daily as it is known to improve symptoms. 


Ayurveda and Psoriasis

Psoriasis is a chronic skin disease where the skin cells form a mass of scales. These patches of skin are dry, red and itchy. It is an autoimmune disease which usually occurs on the skin of the back, scalp, palms, knees, elbows and around the fingernails and toenails, but some people have the diseased patches of skin all over the body. The patches may also crack, flake and bleed. The condition has no definite cure but the symptoms can be treated and managed.

Causes of psoriasis

The following factors are proven to have contributed to cases of psoriasis:

1. Genetics
More than 32% of the cases of psoriasis have been linked to genes. In case of identical twins, if one twin has the disease, the other has a 70% chance of getting it too. There are several genes associated with the disease and most of these genes are related to the immune system. T cells (lymphocytes which affect cell specific immunity) can also cause psoriasis.

2. Hiv
Human immuno-deficiency virus adversely affects the immune system and increases susceptibility of all kinds of infections and diseases. Hiv-positive individuals have been found to have an increased risk of psoriasis than hiv-negative people.

3. Other diseases
Diseases like strep throat, chronic infections, skin infections and stress may be responsible for the condition. Other factors like obesity, alcoholism, skin dryness and smoking can also lead to psoriasis.

4. Medication
Anti-malarial, anti-inflammatory and blood pressure medicines can cause psoriasis as a side effect. The disease is also an effect of withdrawal from topical steroid creams and other steroid-based medication.

Symptoms of psoriasis

The symptoms of psoriasis may vary from patient to patient. However, if more than two of the following signs are seen, it is likely that psoriasis is the causative condition:

1. A whitish and silvery mass of scales surrounded by red patches of stinging, itchy skin
2. The appearance of blisters or rashes on the dry scaly skin and also along the nails
3. Bumps on the folded skin like back of the knees, armpits etc.
4. Diseased patches of skin can crack, peel and bleed
5. A sharp and localized pain in the joints accompanied by stiffness
6. Soreness in the throat
7. Tiny depressions in the nails or large brown patches under the nails
8. Swelling and tenderness of the limbs
9. Dental plaque
10. Muscle pain due to the swollen bands of connective tissue


Causes and Symptoms of Psoriasis

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