What Causes Psoriasis and How to Treat It!

There are many factors for what causes psoriasis. There are likely to be days when your skin is clear and other days when you may have come into contact with some kind of “trigger” that may cause psoriasis. Skin afflictions like psoriasis have special skin care products designed just for them.  Daily cleansing and moisturizing with a gentle product is important. The next step is to use the medicated creams and ointments which can help to normalize the skin cell production and reduce inflammation on your skin.

If you have serious skin problems like psoriasis or eczema then you should make sure that you know what causes psoriasis and also carry your prescriptions with you at all times. These sorts of skin problems tend to flare up in the winter when the air is drier so it is important that you take you medicine around with you.

What causes psoriasis can include:

• Infections  such as strep throat or thrush
• Injury to the skin
• Koebner’s phenomenon
• Cuts and scrapes
• Bug bites
• Sunburn
• Stress
• Cold weather
• Smoking
• Heavy alcohol consumption

Also certain medications like these can be what causes psoriasis:

• Lithium
• Beta blockers
• Antimalarial drugs
• Indomethacin
• Some corticosteroids

What Causes Psoriasis?

So what causes psoriasis and how will it affect you? Psoriasis is a non-contagious skin disorder which can occur on the skin anywhere on the body, but most often affects…

• Elbows
• Knees and other parts of the legs
• Scalp
• Lower back
• Palms of the hands
• Soles of the feet

Psoriasis is a relatively common skin condition affecting millions of people. It typically causes red scaly patches to appear on the skin. Scaly patches caused by psoriatic plaques,  are areas of inflammation. Skin cells grow and divide to quickly, causing the plaques to form on the skin.

How Long Does Psoriasis Last?

Psoriasis is a chronic long-lasting re-occurring (comes and goes) condition. It is an immune disorder, and often runs in families. However, the causes of psoriasis is not known. Recent findings suggest there may be a relationship to the abnormal function of certain white blood cells that trigger inflammation in the skin. Due to this information, the skin grows and sheds to rapidly, example, every three or four days. Normally this process would take about a month.

There are several factors that aggravate skin to cause psoriasis. These aggravates are called triggers. So when it comes to what causes psoriasis it is important to identify these triggers that cause flareups so that you can learn to avoid them. Talk to your doctor about common triggers and those that may be specific to you.

What causes psoriasis treatments are available?

Topical treatments-These are treatment such as creams and ointments that are applied directly to the skin and may improve its condition. Some topical’s are stronger than others, and while weaker ones may be soothing, they are not strong enough to improve the skin. They are usually combined with stronger therapies.

Light therapy (phototherapy)
light therapy uses natural or artificial ultraviolet light. The simplest form of light therapy involves exposing your skin to controlled amounts of natural light. Artificial forms of light therapy include:

• Ultraviolet a UVA light
• Ultraviolet B UVB light

These are used either alone or in combination with medications and can stop what causes psoriasis.

Systemic treatments- Systemic treatments are usually reserved for severe cases of psoriasis. Systemic treatments are usually administered by mouth, in pill form, or through the veins by injection.

Combination therapy-Depending on a person’s specific circumstances, different treatment approaches may be used together in order to optimize results.

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Taking Care to Prevent and Minimize Psoriasis

Skin care tips
In addition to taking your medication, there are number of things you can do to help improve your control of psoriasis.

What to avoid-Avoid trauma to your skin, whether it’s from tight fitting clothing, chemicals (harsh detergent), bruises, burns, etc.

• Try not to scratch. Scratching removes scalp/plaques and this can worsen your psoriasis.
• Don’t smoke – research shows a link between psoriasis and smoking.
• If you drink alcohol, drink in moderation – heavy drinking can trigger psoriasis.

What to do-Eat a balanced diet, drink plenty of water, and get enough sleep.

• Moisturize your skin to help combat dry skin and itching. Your physician or pharmacist can advise you on specific brands.
• Know your triggers – knowing what to avoid can reduce flareups.
• Use sunscreen – while sunlight can be good for your psoriasis, a sunburn is not.

What Causes Psoriasis Resources and Useful Websites:

Canadian Dermatology Association
dermatology.ca

Canadian Skin Patient Alliance:
skinpatientalliance.ca

National Psoriasis Foundation
psoriasis.org

Psoriasis Society of Canada
psoriasissociety.org

There are lots of issues to be considered psoriasis and those that are heavily into the subject are likely to know more. Even if this article serves no more than an introduction, nothing stops you from putting the information to good use and learning more about what causes psoriasis.

What Cause Psoriasis Related Articles

• Skin Care Routine That Works
• Skin Care Answers and Tips
•  Paducah Dermatology, PLLC Video | Dermatology in Padaucah (whatcausespsoriasis.org)