PSORIASIS AND ITS HOMEOPATHY MANAGEMENT…….

PSORIASIS

Psoriasis causes symptoms such as scaly, dry, or itchy skin. There’s no cure, but identifying your triggers, taking medications, and making lifestyle changes can all help you manage your symptoms.

Psoriasis is a chronic autoimmune condition that causes the rapid buildup of your skin cells. This buildup of cells causes scaling on your skin’s surface.

Inflammation and redness around the scales are fairly common. Typical psoriatic scales are whitish-silver and develop in thick, red patches. However, on darker skin tones, they can also appear more as purplish, dark brown with gray scales. Sometimes, these patches will crack and bleed.

Psoriasis is the result of a sped-up skin production process. Typically, skin cells grow deep in your skin and slowly rise to the surface. Eventually, they fall off. The typical life cycle of a skin cell is 1 month.

In people with psoriasis, this production process may occur in just a few days. Because of this, skin cells don’t have time to fall off. This rapid overproduction leads to the buildup of skin cells.

Scales typically develop on joints, such as elbows and knees. However, they may develop anywhere on your body, including the:

hands
feet
neck
scalp
face

Less common types of psoriasis affect the:

nails
mouth
area around the genitals.

commonly associated with several other conditions, including:

TYPES…..

There are several forms of psoriasis. The sections below will look at some of these in more detail.

Plaque psoriasis

About 80–90%Trusted Source of people with psoriasis have plaque psoriasis. On light skin, this usually shows as raised, inflamed, red lesions that are covered by silvery-white scales. On dark skin, it presents as purple or dark brown patches with gray scales.

Plaque psoriasis occurs most often on the elbows, knees, scalp, and lower back.

Inverse psoriasis

Inverse psoriasis is a variant of psoriasis that develops in skin folds. It commonly affectsTrusted Source:

the armpits
the groin
the areas under the breasts
other skin folds, such as those around the genitals and buttocks

Inverse psoriasis typically produces lesions without the scales that occur in plaque psoriasis. The lesions might be smooth and shiny.

Irritation from rubbing and sweating can make this type of psoriasis worse due to its location in skin folds and tender areas. It is more common among people who are overweight and those with deep skin folds.

Erythrodermic psoriasis

Erythrodermic psoriasis is a type of psoriasis that can cause large areas of inflammation across the body. The condition is rare and affects around 1% to 2.25%Trusted Source of people with psoriasis.

In addition to severe inflammation, a person with erythrodermic psoriasis may experience severe itching, pain, and large-scale skin shedding.

Erythrodermic psoriasis also disrupts the body’s chemical balance. This interference may cause protein and fluid loss that can lead to the person developing severe complications such as pneumonia and congestive heart failure.

Edema, or swelling from fluid retention, may also occur, especially around the ankles. The body may also have difficulty regulating its temperature, which can cause shivering.

The complications of erythrodermic psoriasis can be dangerous. Anyone with any symptoms of this condition should contact a doctor right away. A person with erythrodermic psoriasis may need to spend time in the hospital if the symptoms are severe.

Guttate psoriasis

Guttate psoriasis is more common in children and adolescents than adults. It accounts for less than 30%Trusted Source of all cases of psoriasis.

It appears as small, individual spots on the skin. The spots are not usually as thick or as crusty as the lesions in plaque psoriasis.

A range of conditions can trigger guttate psoriasis, including:

upper respiratory infections
streptococcal infections
tonsillitis
stress
injury to the skin
certain medications, including antimalarials, lithium, and beta-blockers

Guttate psoriasis may resolve without treatment and never return. However, it may clear up and reappear later as patches of plaque psoriasis.

Pustular psoriasis

Pustular psoriasis is a rare formTrusted Source of psoriasis that appears as white pustules, or blisters of pus, surrounded by inflamed skin. It can affect specific areas of the body, such as the hands and feet, or present more generally. It is not an infection, and it is not contagious.

Pustular psoriasis tends to have a cycle in which the formation of pustules and scaling follows the discoloration of the skin.

Although psoriasis can form anywhere on the human body, below are some of the most common areas.

Pustular psoriasis (generalized)

Generalized pustular psoriasis — Pustular psoriasis (generalized)

Serious and life-threatening, this rare type of psoriasis causes pus-filled bumps to develop on much of the skin. Also called von Zumbusch psoriasis, a flare-up causes this sequence of events:

Skin on most of the body suddenly turns dry, red, and tender.
Within hours, pus-filled bumps cover most of the skin.
Often within a day, the pus-filled bumps break open and pools of pus leak onto the skin.
As the pus dries (usually within 24 to 48 hours), the skin dries out and peels (as shown in this picture).
When the dried skin peels off, you see a smooth, glazed surface.
In a few days or weeks, you may see a new crop of pus-filled bumps covering most of the skin, as the cycle repeats itself.

Anyone with pustular psoriasis also feels very sick, and may develop a fever, headache, muscle weakness, and other symptoms. Medical care is often necessary to save the person’s life.

Nail psoriasis

While many people think of psoriasis as a skin disease, you can see signs of it elsewhere on the body. Many people who have psoriasis see signs of the disease on their nails. With any type of psoriasis, you may see changes to your fingernails or toenails.

When psoriasis affects the nails, you may notice:

Tiny dents in your nails (called “nail pits”)
White, yellow, or brown discoloration under one or more nails
Crumbling, rough nails
A nail lifting up so that it’s no longer attached
Buildup of skin cells beneath one or more nails, which lifts up the nail.

Psoriatic arthritis
Psoriatic arthritis
When psoriasis affects the joints, it causes a disease known as psoriatic arthritis. If you have psoriasis, it’s important to pay attention to your joints. Some people who have psoriasis develop a type of arthritis called psoriatic arthritis. This is more likely to occur if you have severe psoriasis. Most people notice psoriasis on their skin years before they develop psoriatic arthritis. It’s also possible to get psoriatic arthritis before psoriasis, but this is less common.
When psoriatic arthritis develops, the signs can be subtle. At first, you may notice:
- A swollen and tender joint, especially in a finger or toe
- Heel pain
- Swelling on the back of your leg, just above your heel
- Stiffness in the morning that fades during the day

CAUSES….

Although the cause of psoriasis is still unclear, scientists believe that it is an autoimmune condition. Autoimmune conditions affect the immune system, which produces T cells to protect the body against infectious agents.

In people with psoriasis, triggers can lead to their genes instructing the immune system to target the wrong cells. T cells respond to a trigger as if they are fighting an infection or healing a wound. They produce chemicals that cause inflammation.

In psoriasis, this autoimmune activity leads to the excessive growth of skin cells. Typically, skin cells take about 1 month to replace themselves. However, in people with psoriasis, they take around 3–4 days to do this.

Triggers will be different in each individual with psoriasis, but some common triggersinclude:

stress and anxiety
skin injuries
infections
hormonal changes

Medications that can trigger a psoriasis flare include:

lithium
antimalarials
quinidine
indomethacin

Importantly, psoriasis is not contagious. Knowing and remembering this can help people with the condition cope with the parts of socializing that they may find difficult.

SYMPTOMS….

Psoriasis plaques can range from a few spots of dandruff-like scaling to major eruptions that cover large areas. The disease’s symptoms and appearance vary according to the type and severity of psoriasis.

Some common signs and symptoms include:

Discolored patches — classically, they’re red on fair skin and purple on dark skin — or raised plaques of skin that are covered with scales
Dry or cracked skin that bleeds
Burning, itching, or soreness near the affected areas
Pitted or thickened fingernails or toenails
Swollen joints

DIAGNOSIS

Physical exam. It’s usually easy for your doctor to diagnose psoriasis, especially if you have plaques on areas such as your:

Scalp
Ears
Elbows
Knees
Belly button
Nails
Your doctor will give you a full physical exam and ask if people in your family have psoriasis.
Lab tests. The doctor might do a biopsy -- remove a small piece of skin and test it to make sure you don’t have a skin infection. There’s no other test to confirm or rule out psoriasis.

RISK FACTORS…..
Genes: Little bits of your DNA, called genes, carry instructions for your cells. They control your eye and hair color, your ability to taste certain things, and the other ways your body works. Some genes are active only at certain times.
When you have psoriasis, the genes that control your immune system’s signals get mixed up. Instead of protecting your body from invaders, as it's meant to do, it promotes inflammation and turns skin cells on overdrive.
Scientists have found about 25 genes that are different in people with psoriasis. They think it takes more than one gene to cause the disease, and they're looking for the main ones.
About 10 in every 100 people have genes that make them more likely to get psoriasis, but only two or three of them actually do.
Alcohol: Heavy drinkers are at a higher risk, especially younger men. Moreover, alcohol can make treatments less effective.
Smoking: Lighting up can double your risk of getting psoriasis. If you also have relatives with the condition, you're nine times more likely to get it. And smoking makes it harder to get rid of symptoms. It's closely linked to a hard-to-treat type called pustular psoriasis, which affects the palms of your hands and the soles of your feet.

HOMEOPATHY TREATMENT……
Sepia
Sepia is used by some people who practice homeopathy for widespread psoriasis and dry skin. However, there’s no scientific evidence that it’s an effective treatment.
Arsenicum album
Anecdotal evidence suggests that arsenicum benefits people with dry, scaly skin made worse by itching and better by applying heat. There’s no scientific evidence that it helps with psoriasis.
It’s also arsenic-based, so it can be dangerous if it contains more of the active ingredient than stated.
Graphites
Graphites are used in homeopathy for people with long-term skin disorders and leathery, cracked skin. There’s only anecdotal evidence that it can help psoriasis symptoms.
Sulfur
There’s anecdotal evidence that sulfur reduces skin lesions and itching. Although using sulfur alone as a homeopathic treatment is unproven, it may be mixed with proven psoriasis treatments, such as coal tar or salicylic acid.
Petroleum
Anecdotally, petroleum helps people whose physical problems are made worse by stress. Ingesting petroleum, even in small amounts, can be very dangerous. But petroleum jelly, such as Vaseline, can help seal moisture into your skin and reduce itching, flaking, and irritation.
Calcarea carbonica
Calcarea carbonica, which is made from shells, is used in homeopathy to treat many illnesses, particularly in people who are often cold and get tired easily.
Research shows that people with psoriasis have low levels of calcium in their blood, but there’s only anecdotal evidence supporting the use of calcarea carbonica for this condition.
Staphysagria
An animal study has suggested that staphysagria may be anti-inflammatory, but there’s only anecdotal evidence of it being effective for people with psoriasis. It’s mostly used in homeopathy for scalp psoriasis.
Mercurius solubilis
Mercurius solubilis is a type of mercury, which is toxic to ingest or put on your skin. High exposures can even cause kidney failure, respiratory issues, and death. There’s no scientific evidence that mercurius solubilis is a safe or effective treatment for psoriasis.
Rhus toxicodendron
Rhus toxicodendron is poison ivy. There’s mixed evidence that it helps with arthritis and, therefore, psoriatic arthritis. However, there’s only anecdotal evidence that it can help with other symptoms of psoriasis, under the theory “like cures like.”
Mezereum
Mezereum is a flowering shrub used in homeopathy for thick, crusty plaques. It’s poisonous to humans when ingested or put on the skin. There’s no scientific evidence that mezereum is a safe or effective treatment for psoriasis.

Do’s
Include suitable nutritious foods in your diet that possess no medicinal properties
Stay in hygienic conditions
Live a physically active life and involve activities like walking in your routine
Don’ts
Do not drink beverages like coffee, liquors made with medicinal spices, or drinks with a strong odour
Do not eat spicy food and also avoid roots and stems of plants with medicinal properties
Avoid extreme feelings such as anger or grief or any feelings that may lead to physical or mental exertion.
DR. KIRTI
BHMS

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