Psoriasis

Psoriasis is a common, chronic and recurrent skin disease. There are many myths and stigmas associated with psoriasis. The most important point to remember is psoriasis is not an infectious disease and does not spread from one individual to other by skin contact or contact with the exfoliating skin. Repeatedly, patients ask for cure for psoriasis but unfortunately on cannot guarantee cure as the course of psoriasis is unpredictable. Psoriasis has a chronic persisting nature and has a tendency to recur. Most people have mild disease with usually onset of lesions over scalp or elbows. Some may have disease just localized to scalp or palms and soles for many years, while few may have only nail involvement. But unfortunately, some patients may have extensive and severe disease and sometimes even associated joint disease.
Psoriasis patients may have relatives with the disease but not necessarily inheritance in every generation since psoriasis has polygenetic inheritance. Psoriasis can occur anytime from newborn to seventies but commonly affects young individuals. Severe emotional stress, alcohol intake, smoking, cold climate, infection and certain drugs exacerbates psoriasis. Psoriasis lesions may occur at sites of trivial trauma like scratches, incisions, burns, etc and thus one should avoid trauma to skin. Individuals with psoriasis over scalp should avoid harsh combing with sharp toothed comb and rather use a blunt tooth comb gently. In case of lesions over palms and soles, one should avoid walking barefoot and always use protective footwear as very trivial trauma while walking barefoot may trigger new lesions of psoriasis or worsen the pre-existing ones. If there are psoriasis lesions on beard area, then one should avoid shaving rather trimming may be tried in order to avoid exacerbation of psoriasis lesions. Similarly people with psoriasis lesions over scalp should avoid tonsuring. Regular moisturising of skin with coconut oil or other moisturizers should be done. The oil should preferably be applied immediately after bath over mildly wet skin followed by 10-15 minutes of sunlight exposure in the morning.
Starting an early treatment for skin lesions is beneficial. Limited skin disease usually responds to ointments and light therapy. Extensive skin disease requires oral tablets and sometimes injections and after the skin lesions respond well then treatment is gradually tapered and stopped. Self-medication should be avoided. Even though psoriasis has an unpredictable course and cure cannot be guaranteed but psoriasis can be managed well giving a good quality of life. Obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, high lipid levels and heart disease are the bad companies of psoriasis. One should adapt a healthy active lifestyle to keep the bad companies away as they worsen psoriasis. Balanced diet, regular exercise, meditation or yoga or other relaxation methods are beneficial and in people taking non vegetarian diet, intake of oily fish may be beneficial. It’s not worth worrying about cure instead start early treatment for psoriasis.