Overcome Psoriasis with these natural ingredients!

From kashmirmonitor.in

Psoriasis is the most stubborn and complicated form of skin disease that affects skin, hair, nails, and joints.
Many health experts believe that psoriasis in nail is the hardest to treat as the thick nail bed makes topical meditation difficult to penetrate. This chronic skin disease is not age-related and mainly caused by the problem with immune system.
Red, scaly skin and severe itching are some of its common symptoms. The condition also gives rise to other diseases like diabetes, heart problems, obesity, and depression, which is why proper treatment is very important.
Till date, no medical treatment is available for psoriasis but, there are some medication and natural treatments that can soothe the itchiness and slow down its progression. That is why, self-care and natural treatment is the best solution to get rid of this disease.
Here are some natural ingredients that can cure psoriasis
Tea tree oil:
These trees are native to Australia and is used as an anti-inflammatory agent that treats psoriasis. It is a powerful natural antifungal and antimicrobial that can also cures athlete’s foot, nail fungus, and acne.
Olive oil:
Ozonated olive oil is a powerful natural remedy for psoriasis. This oil acts as a moisturizing conditioner that reduces itchiness and redness. The ozone content of the oil helps in creating enzymes that regulates skin growth and healing.
Pine bark extract:
Using Pine bark extract is the most effect way to keep the progression of psoriasis under control. It improves blood circulation, cleanses arterial plaque and enhances health of blood vessels. It's antioxidant properties treats acne and reduces signs of aging.
Oatmeal:
Oatmeal bath therapy is a wonderful way to soothe psoriasis flare-ups. For this therapy, all you need is some oatmeal and Epsom salts and mix them in lukewarm water. This treatment moisturizes and soothes irritated skin.
Apple Cidar Vinegar:
Apple Cidar Vinegar is one of the traditional method to cure this skin disease. It eliminates itch and as well as flakes produced by psoriasis. Make a solution by mixing water and apple cidar vinegar in 2:1 ratio and then apply it on affected area. Avoid using it directly on cracked or bleeding skin.

http://www.kashmirmonitor.in/Details/116221/overcome-psoriasis-with-these-natural-ingredients

Living With Psoriasis: Causes, Treatments and Prevention For the Skin Disorder

By Sarah Cownley

Psoriasis is a common chronic inflammatory skin disease that may affect any area of skin. A staggering 7.5 million people suffer from the skin disease in the United States alone, and it affects more than 3% of the world’s population.
Psoriasis is a skin condition where the skin cells grow about five times faster than normal skin cells. The body cannot keep up with the new cells, piling up the old ones and creating thick, flaky, itchy patches. Researchers don’t know an exact psoriasis cause but have linked a combination of genetics and certain triggers to the skin ailment.
Not every person with psoriasis experiences the same symptoms, and in fact, symptoms can vary based on the severity and type of psoriasis. However, some of the common symptoms may include:
      Small, red, individual spots

Raised, red, inflamed lesions

Burning, soreness, or itching of the skin

Silvery scaly plaques

Dry skin that cracks or bleeds

Pitted nails or separation from the nail bed

The most common area for psoriasis include the knees, elbows, and torso. Psoriasis less frequently appears anywhere else on the body, including the face, hands, genitals, feet, nails, and in skin folds. If there is a pain, stiffness, or swelling of the joints, combined with skin irritation, can show a related condition called psoriatic arthritis.

Psoriasis Treatment

Psoriasis treatments can vary depending on the type of psoriasis, the severity, and the location. Some people find the itch more difficult to tolerate than visible redness and scales on their skin and seek treatment for that reason. Whatever the reason, there is no one treatment option for psoriasis. A doctor might prescribe a steroid cream or antihistamine to help calm symptoms.
Despite the fact that psoriasis is incurable, it does respond well to topical creams and prescription drugs. Even people with severe psoriasis can get relief during a breakout in about 85% to 90% of cases.
Topical treatments are creams or lotions that are rubbed directly onto the affected skin to provide relief without the amount of side effects of oral medication. Some of the most commonly prescribed ones for psoriasis include:
Salicylic acid – This treatment smooths the skin by promoting the shedding of psoriatic scales. When used in high dosages, however, the body could absorb too much of the medication, leading to side effects.

Steroid-based creams – The number one prescribed cream for psoriasis, it decreases inflammation, relieves itching, and blocks the production of cell that are Some of the stronger prescriptions can cause side effects such as burning, dryness, and thinning of the skin.

Calcipotriene – A topical ointment related to vitamin D that has been proven to be effective for treating psoriasis when combined with a topical corticosteroid cream.

Coal-tar – These ointments can help slow the rapid growth of skin cells and alleviate symptoms. The shampoo is especially helpful to those who suffer from the skin condition on the scalp.

Prescription retinoids – These topical prescriptions contain a synthetic form of vitamin A and can help improve a psoriasis outbreak.

Light therapy for psoriasis is one of the most effective treatments, however, it is used far less today because it has been shown to increase the risk of developing skin cancer. Some doctors will prescribe ultraviolet B light (UVB) treatment using a light box, which doesn’t carry as much risk of skin cancer.
For severe psoriasis, doctors may prescribe oral drugs to treat the skin disease. Many of these medications are mainly used for other ailments such as methotrexate, which is also used as a chemotherapy drug for cancer and rheumatoid arthritis. These medications have many side effects and should only be prescribed as a last effort to get psoriasis under control.

Psoriasis Prevention

Psoriasis prevention is the key to keeping the disease under control. Most people with psoriasis go through cycles where their symptoms may seem to almost disappear for a period of time, only to flare back up again. It may not be possible to completely control or prevent a flare-up of psoriasis, but staying away from certain behaviours that may worsen existing symptoms or cause flare-ups helps in the prevention. Making lifestyle changes that can help with prevention of outbreaks, including eating healthy, not smoking, avoiding cold weather, and limiting alcohol consumption.
Scientists have found that in people with psoriasis, there are approximately 25 genes that are different to those without the skin disease. With psoriasis, the genes that control the immune system signals get mixed, and instead of protecting the body from invaders, it promotes inflammation and turns cells onto overdrive.
Research in the genetics of psoriasis didn’t begin until the early 1970’s, but recently have seen an influx in scope thanks to improvements in genetic and medical technology, as well as increased funding.
Even with research being able to identify some triggers of psoriasis, not all are universal. What may cause one persons symptoms may not affect another. Some triggers may include;

• Stress – Being under stress can cause psoriasis to begin to flare up for the first time, or aggravate existing patches. Stress reduction techniques like meditation may help prevent stress from impacting psoriasis.
• Injury to Skin – Areas of the skin that have been injured or traumatized can develop psoriasis, called a Koebner phenomenon. This type of psoriasis can be treated if it is caught early.
• Medications – Certain medications are associated with triggering psoriasis including Lithium, Anti-malarial, Inderal, Quinidine, and Indomethacin.
• Infection – Any type of infection that affects the immune system can affect psoriasis. In particular, streptococcus infection (strep throat) is associated with psoriasis, but other infections including bronchitis, tonsillitis, or a respiratory infection can also lead to a psoriasis flare up.

Other possible triggers, although scientifically unproven for psoriasis, include allergies, diet, and weather.

Psoriasis on the Face

Those with psoriasis on the face often suffer from psychosocial problems due to the highly visible presence of the skin disease. It is extremely rare to have psoriasis occurring solely on the face. Most patients also have scalp psoriasis and may also have moderate to severe psoriasis on other parts of the body. When present on the face, the skin disease prevents a therapeutic challenge because facial skin is thin, sensitive, and more complicated to treat. This is the area where people turn to natural remedies such as aloe vera and fish oil.
Nail psoriasis can appear when there is a presence of the skin disease elsewhere on the body. It can cause nails to become discoloured, get thick, and can even become tender and hurt. Good nail care is the best way to treat and prevent psoriasis on this part of the body. Keep nails trimmed and short and wear gloves to clean or do other work with the hands, moisturize every day, and wear comfortable and properly fitting shoes.
It is important that people who have psoriasis learn as much as possible about their condition and understand that it is a medical problem and seek medical advice. Severe psoriasis has been associated with risks for developing comorbid conditions, such as hypertension, the metabolic syndrome, and liver disease to name a few. It is, therefore, important to both monitor and treat psoriasis closely and efficiently.

https://www.agein.com/living-with-psoriasis-causes-treatments-and-prevention-for-the-skin-disorder-14941

In search of a natural method to treat psoriasis

From seattletimes.com

Q: Has anyone come up with a natural method for treating psoriasis? I started with a little patch on my leg, and it has spread to many parts of my body. The scales itch and are ugly. They really bother me.
I was prescribed betamethasone ointment that doesn’t help that much. I hope there is some natural cure.

A: Psoriasis is a chronic condition in which the immune system attacks the skin and leads to rapid skin-cell turnover. This is what creates the red patches and silvery scales of psoriasis, and it also explains why “cures” are elusive. Most treatments must be maintained to be helpful.

Dermatologists often prescribe topical cortisonelike drugs to dampen the immune response and ease inflammation. That’s what betamethasone is. Many readers have found natural approaches that help their condition. Some report that sunlight and saltwater are beneficial. Light therapy is often used to treat psoriasis in the clinic (Dermatologic Clinics, January 2015).

Inexpensive topical glycerin has helped some patients, perhaps because it has moisturizing properties (Acta Derma-Veneraologica online, June 28, 2016). Research shows that glycerol improves skin-cell maturation, so that also may help explain its benefit (Journal of Investigative Dermatology, December 2003).
Other readers have found that ingesting the active ingredient curcumin from the yellow spice turmeric can ease the redness and itching from psoriasis.

http://www.seattletimes.com/life/wellness/in-search-of-a-natural-method-to-treat-psoriasis/

Top psoriasis news of 2016

From healio.com

Research finding that psoriasis had a strong association with type 2 diabetes and obesity in a nationwide study of Danish twins, indicating a common genetic etiology between psoriasis and obesity was among the most-read articles of 2016 on Healio.com/Dermatology.

Other widely read articles included study findings that patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis who were treated with Taltz reported improvement in work productivity between 12 and 60 weeks compared with patients treated with placebo and, in some incidences, those treated with Enbrel:

Psoriasis associated with type 2 diabetes, obesity in twin study

Psoriasis had a strong association with type 2 diabetes and obesity in a nationwide study of Danish twins, indicating a common genetic etiology between psoriasis and obesity, according to study results recently published in JAMA Dermatology.

Researchers in Denmark conducted a cross-sectional, population-based twin study that included 34,781 Danish twins born between 1931 and 1982, and aged 20 to 71 years.

New guidelines for psoriasis treatment goals established

Members of the National Psoriasis Foundation medical board established defined treatment targets for patients with psoriasis in a recent paper published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.

“This is a pivotal, groundbreaking effort that defines treatment targets for psoriasis patients in the U.S.,” April W. Armstrong, MD, MPH, National Psoriasis Foundation (NPF) member and dermatologist at of the Keck School of Medicine at University of Southern California, Los Angeles, stated in a press release.

Patients with psoriasis treated with Taltz reported improvements in work productivity

Patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis who were treated with Taltz reported improvement in work productivity between 12 and 60 weeks compared with patients treated with placebo and, in some incidences, those treated with Enbrel, according to study results.

Patients were randomly assigned subcutaneous placebo, or 80 mg Taltz (ixekizumab, Eli Lilly and Company) every 2 weeks or every 4 weeks in the UNCOVER-1 trial. Patients in the UNCOVER-2 and UNCOVER-3 trials had the same three treatment groups, plus a treatment arm of Enbrel (etanercept, Amgen) 50 mg twice weekly.

Psoriasis patients treated by lasers show no indication of koebnerization

Patients with plaque psoriasis who underwent laser treatment did not show evidence of subsequent koebnerization, according to recent research.

“Koebnerization did not occur on the face, neck, or scalp in patients with plaque psoriasis who underwent laser treatment, irrespective of the severity of their psoriasis and medication they were receiving at the time of their procedure,” Suzanne M. Sachsman, MD, from the division of dermatology at the University of California, Los Angeles School of Medicine, and colleagues wrote.

Patients with psoriasis effectively switch from Remicade to infliximab biosimilar

Patients with psoriasis being treated with Remicade had no significant change in clinical response and experienced minor adverse events when switching to an infliximab biosimilar, according to recently published study results.

Researchers studied two cohorts of patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis who were treated between July 1, 2015, and Jan. 20, 2016 at the University of Turin in Italy.

http://www.healio.com/dermatology/psoriasis/news/online/%7B6d0e03f0-8ca4-4395-aeda-0291215917ca%7D/top-psoriasis-news-of-2016

Weight loss can reduce psoriasis symptoms: Danish study

From egyptindependent.com

Psoriasis sufferers who are also obese can reduce their inflammatory symptoms by losing weight, a recent Danish study suggests.

According to researchers at the University of Copenhagen, obese or overweight people with psoriasis can reduce the severity of their symptoms and improve their quality of life by losing weight.

The scientists studied 60 obese psoriasis patients who each lost an average of 15 kilos over 16 weeks. At the end of that period, researchers found that the severity of their psoriasis had reduced. 

What's more, the results remained encouraging one year later. Participants had regained an average of five kilos, thus weighing 10 kilos less than their initial weights. But the beneficial effects of weight loss on the severity of their symptoms and general health were maintained, according to Dr. Peter Jensen.

A previous study, published in the journal Jama Dermatology, also observed clear improvements in the symptoms of obese patients with psoriasis after they lost between 10 and 15 percent of their starting weights. 

Reducing friction

The researchers consider that obesity is a stress factor for the body that exacerbates inflammation, and, in turn, the symptoms of psoriasis. It may lead to immune responses very similar to those triggered by psoriasis.

Excess weight also increases friction on the skin, which can aggravate psoriasis.

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory condition that notably leads to skin lesions (red scaly patches on the skin's surface). It is caused by a malfunction of the immune system. As well as skin lesions, affecting body to varying extents, psoriasis can cause itching and even debilitating rheumatism in 30 percent of cases.

The study was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

http://www.egyptindependent.com/news/weight-loss-can-reduce-psoriasis-symptoms-danish-study

Health Check: why swimming in the sea is good for you

From theconversation.com

If you live near the sea, make frequent trips to the beach, or are planning an island holiday this summer, chances are you’re getting more out of it than just enjoyment. It has long been thought sea frolicking has many health benefits.
Historically, doctors would recommend their patients go to the seaside to improve various ills. They would actually issue prescriptions detailing exactly how long, how often and under what conditions their patients were to be in the water.
Using seawater for medical purposes even has a name: thalassotherapy.
In 1769, a popular British doctor Richard Russell published a dissertation arguing for using seawater in “diseases of the glands”, in which he included scurvy, jaundice, leprosy and glandular consumption, which was the name for glandular fever at the time. He advocated drinking seawater as well as swimming in it.
To this day, healing and spa resorts by the seaside abound. They are thought of as places where people can not only let go of their troubles but, in some cases, even cure arthritis.
But does the evidence actually stack up? Does seawater cure skin conditions and improve mental health symptoms?

Skin conditions and wounds

Ocean water differs from river water in that it has significantly higher amounts of minerals, including sodium, chloride, sulphate, magnesium and calcium. This is why it’s highly useful for skin conditions such as psoriasis.
Psoriasis is a chronic, autoimmune (where the immune system attacks healthy cells) skin condition. People with psoriasis suffer often debilitating skin rashes made of itchy, scaly plaques.
Bathing in natural mineral-rich water, including in mineral springs, is called balneotherapy and has long been used to treat psoriasis. There is also evidence for climatotherapy (where a patient is relocated to a specific location for treatment) in the Dead Sea being an effective remedy for the condition.
Patients suffering from psoriasis have themselves reported feeling better after swimming in the ocean, but this may also have to do with sun exposure, which has been found to improve psoriasis symptoms.
Ocean swimming also has benefits for eczema, another immune-mediated condition. Swimming in the sea can be a good exercise option for those with severe eczema as they often struggle to exercise in the heat and chlorinated pools.
But the response of eczema sufferers to saltwater is variable: some find it soothing, others uncomfortable.
There is some evidence to support the idea magnesium absorption is beneficial for the skin of eczema sufferers – presumably because it makes it less dry – as those using Epsom salt baths will attest. This may happen because magnesium-rich seawater may improve moisture retention in the skin, making it stronger and more rigid.
Because it is rich in other mineral salts such as sodium and iodine, ocean water can be considered an antiseptic, meaning it may have wound-healing properties. On the other hand, swimming in the ocean with open wounds may expose you to potential bacterial infections.

http://theconversation.com/health-check-why-swimming-in-the-sea-is-good-for-you-68583

Weight loss can reduce psoriasis symptoms: Study

From talk921.com

COPENHAGEN, Denmark, Dec. 22 (UPI) — Researchers have found that weight loss has a significant and prolonged positive impact on psoriasis symptoms in adults.
A study, by the Herlev and Gentofte Hospital and the University of Copenhagen’s Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, showed improved psoriasis symptoms in participants who lost an average of 33 pounds over a 16-week period.
Researchers followed 60 test participants who lost between 10 to 15 percent of their body weight and revisited them a year later.
“When we revisited test subjects one year later, they had only regained five kilos [11 pounds],” Dr. Peter Jensen, senior resident, Ph.D., at Herlev and Gentofte Hospital, University of Copenhagen, said in a press release. “Thus, they remained 10 kilos [22 pounds] beneath their starting weights. This was impressive in and of itself, but it was even more positive that they had maintained the effects of their initial weight loss with regards to the diminished severity of their psoriasis and quality of life.”
According to Professor Lone Skov, senior physician at Herlev and Gentofte Hospital’s Department of Dermatology and Allergy and project manager of the study, “150,000 Danes suffer from varying degrees of psoriasis.”
“We know that both psoriasis and obesity are linked with an increased incidence of coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes,” Professor Arne Astrup, co-author of the study, said in a press release. “If we could get obese psoriasis patients to lose weight and keep the weight off, we could potentially derive positive effects on their overall health and quality of life.”
Results demonstrated that weight loss led to significantly better quality of life and reduced psoriasis symptoms in the long run.
“The results underscore the importance of focusing on weight loss as one element in a broad spectrum approach to effective psoriasis treatment for overweight patients,” Astrup said. “A by-product of weight loss might be a reduction of the complications associated with obesity. This results in a significant effect on the overall well-being of patients.”
The study was published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

http://talk921.com/weight-loss-can-reduce-psoriasis-symptoms-study/