Psoriasis is one of those things whereby if you do not live with it yourself, you could be forgiven for believing it to be the same skin condition as eczema or even an allergic rash.
However, psoriasis is an entirely different skin disease, and whether you have only recently discovered you have one or more rashes recently developed on your body or else have been living with psoriasis for many years, continue reading to learn how to help prevent future flare-ups.
What is Psoriasis?
Approximately three percent of the population of the United States suffer from psoriasis in one or more areas of the body, which currently equates to around seven and a half million Americans across the country.
Basically, psoriasis is a disease who no clear cause (otherwise known as an immune-meditated disease) and is typically categorized by inflammation of the skin. Usually, patches of psoriasis begin in drier areas of the body, such as on the knees, the elbows, behind the ears, and on the forehead.
Even if you have had numerous medical appointments with a dermatologist to discuss your skin and various flare-ups, never be afraid to talk to a medical doctor at nhsgp.net if either your current treatment plan is not working or else your psoriasis has worsened.
As psoriasis is caused by an overactive immune system, there have been numerous studies that have indicated that when a person with psoriasis attempts to keep their levels of stress to a minimum, their flare-ups tend not to be so severe.
Non-Medical Treatment
As previously mentioned, maintaining your levels of stress and anxiety to a more manageable level and avoiding situations and even people, who tend to aggravate you is a good way to begin managing the condition.
At the time of writing, there is still no decisive cure for psoriasis, so regardless of the severity of your individual condition, treatment is always geared towards management rather than eradication.
Non-medical treatments include deep and meditative breathing (to lower aforementioned stress levels), exposing the affected areas to UV light (always in the safe and monitored setting of a doctor’s office or hospital), and the ancient art of acupuncture.
Medical Treatments for Psoriasis Sufferers
There are several tried and tested and, for many people, proven-to-be effective medical treatments for psoriasis, which may or may not be applicable to your own individual situation and should be discussed with your medical doctor.
The severity of your psoriasis outbreaks usually dictates the form of medical treatment you will be given, with the three main categories being light therapy, oral medication, topical treatments, and injected medications.
The most frequent topical medications prescribed for psoriasis sufferers are corticosteroids, which come in the form of either an oil or cream which is applied directly to the outbreak. For people with patches of psoriasis on their face and neck, it may well be the case that you will only be able to use such steroid creams for a short time, as the thin skin in such areas can be damaged over time.