What Causes Psoriasis, Exactly?

From prevention.com

When your body's covered in the thick, dry, red patches that are the hallmark of plaque psoriasis, it's only natural that you may want to pinpoint exactly why you've developed them. Thing is, despite how common psoriasis is—it impacts nearly 7.5 million Americans—the causes aren't fully understood. (Though let's get one thing out of the way: psoriasis isn’t contagious, so you can't catch it by coming into contact with someone who has it.) But experts have some theories.

Your immune system likely plays a role

“It used to be thought of as a problem where the skin just produces ‘more scale’ and gets thicker than normal skin,” explains Jason Reichenberg, MD, associate professor of dermatology at the University of Texas-Austin’s Dell Medical School and chief of dermatology at Seton Healthcare Family in Austin. “Now we know this is caused by an overactive immune system.”

Translation: When you have psoriasis, your immune system goes a bit haywire, causing your white blood cells to attack the healthy tissues in your body. These signals cause your skin cells to grow faster than your body can shed them, and as a result, they pile up on the surface of your skin—commonly on your scalp, knees, elbows, buttocks, and lower back—resulting in scaly patches called plaques.

You can probably blame an out-of-whack immune system on your genes

Doctors aren’t sure why some people have these faulty immune systems and others don’t, says Dr. Reichenberg, but genetics seems to be a driving force behind psoriasis. In a recent meta-analysis published in Nature Communications, University of Michigan researchers linked 16 genetic markers to psoriasis—bumping the genetic regions linked to the condition to 63—after analysing data from more than 39,000 people.

But not everyone who has the psoriasis gene actually develops the condition

Still, even if you have the genetic markers for psoriasis, you may never develop symptoms. Only 2 or 3 percent who have the right combo of genetic markers may actually develop the disease, according to the National Psoriasis Foundation. So even if your parents have psoriasis, that doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll get it, too, says Dr. Reichenberg.

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Researchers suspect that other factors besides genetics must cause psoriasis. For instance, people with psoriasis are also more likely to experience other serious diseases, like heart disease, obesity, diabetes, cancer, and even depression. It’s still unclear whether psoriasis could lead to those diseases or if those diseases could lead to psoriasis, according to preliminary research from the AAD.

Psoriasis triggers to know

There are also other day-to-day triggers that don’t necessarily cause psoriasis, but might make it worse or spark a flare-up:

• Infections
• Stress
• Certain medications
• Dry skin
• Skin injury or sunburn
• Smoking
• Drinking a lot of alcohol
• Vitamin D deficiency

“About half of patients with psoriasis experience a flare in their disease with stress. It can be mental stress or a physical stressor,” says Dr. Reichenberg. “Another common cause of flares is infections. We think that when a person’s body starts to get the immune system ready to fight an infection, it also makes the part of the immune system responsible for psoriasis get over active.”

https://www.prevention.com/health/health-conditions/a19872160/psoriasis-causes-triggers/

Controlling Your Psoriasis

By Jenetta Haim

Psoriasis is a condition that affects your skin it can just affect parts of your skin or, if allowed to spread, cover your whole body. If you are suffering from psoriasis it is important to have a healthy balanced diet as it will help get rid of it although psoriasis is hard to get rid of and you need to constantly monitor it. Changing your diet is one way that you can help ease the symptoms and once you have a new eating plan in place it will be easier to stick to it.
People who suffer from psoriasis have a higher risk of serious health issues like heart disease, diabetes and strokes and by having a healthy well-balanced diet the risk of these are also lowered. If you want to be sure which foods affect you personally have a test done for inflammation by your naturopath. That is totally different to the allergy tests your doctor can do.

However, as a general rule some of the foods that may be causing your psoriasis symptoms to get worse can include dairy products, tomatoes, potatoes, fried foods, processed food, sugar, gluten and alcohol. In short, denatured foods or foods that are mostly genetically modified or packaged in some way. However some vegetables may also affect some people. Always begin to cut foods out slowly and rather than cut them out replace them with other non-packaged, organic foods.
Foods that may help keep the psoriasis at bay can include things like fish and sea food which is high in Omega 3 fatty acids. These help inflammation and your immune system: lean meats like chicken and turkey; blueberries, which have anti-inflammatory properties as well as vitamin C, manganese and fibre; carrots and squash, sweet potatoes, spinach, kale, and broccoli all have anti-inflammatory properties; nuts and avocados, which are full of good fat and grains which have anti-inflammatory antioxidants and are also high in fibre.

Eating these foods may help ease your psoriasis symptoms as well as lower the risk of developing other health issues like the above-mentioned heart disease, diabetes and strokes. Everyone is different and that is why its is not only important to maintain a healthy well balanced diet but to also find which foods are affecting your symptoms the most by slowly eliminating one food at a time to see if it has any effect and if so stop eating them.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Controlling-Your-Psoriasis&id=9939649

Psoriasis Negatively Affects Patient Sleep Quality

From dermatologyadvisor.com

HealthDay News — Patients with psoriasis commonly report poor sleep, with itch being the main predictor, according to a study published online in the British Journal of Dermatology.
Peter Jensen, M.D., Ph.D., from the University of Copenhagen in Denmark, and colleagues examined the prevalence of sleep disturbance in 179 patients with plaque psoriasis compared to 105 controls.
The researchers found that 25 percent of patients with psoriasis reported clinical insomnia (based on the Insomnia Severity Index), compared with 10.5 percent of controls.

Based on the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, 53.9 percent of patients with psoriasis were poor sleepers versus 21.9 percent of controls. Itch symptoms were significantly associated with all sleep-related outcomes.
"A higher proportion of patients with psoriasis suffer from poor sleep than controls from the general population. Itch was the main predictor of impaired sleep," the authors write. "Improved control of psoriasis with decreased itch may improve sleep disturbance in psoriasis."

https://www.dermatologyadvisor.com/psoriasis/psoriasis-insomnia-sleep-quality-itching/article/764004/

May is Psoriatic Arthritis Action Month

From PRNewswire.com

PORTLAND, Ore., April 26, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- May is Psoriatic Arthritis Action Month and the National Psoriasis Foundation (NPF) wants to ensure people living with the disease understand the best way to live, work and play with PsA.

Affecting as many as 2.4 million Americans, Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is a chronic, inflammatory form of arthritis that can cause swelling, stiffness and pain in and around the joints. Roughly, one in three people with psoriasis may develop PsA, and studies show that delaying the treatment of PsA for as little as six months could result in permanent joint damage.
"Education around how to best manage psoriatic disease is the number one priority of PsA Action Month," said Randy Beranek, president and CEO, NPF. "Our goal is to provide people living with psoriatic disease the resources needed to take steps towards better health outcomes."
NPF has launched a dedicated web page (www.psoriasis.org/PsA-Action-Month) featuring resources such as a psoriatic arthritis education booklet, information for managing chronic pain, and an interactive quiz that helps people identify the early signs of PsA. Tips and hacks for everyday tasks such as cooking and exercise are available, and a workplace resource guide to help patients advocate for themselves and talk with employers and colleagues about PsA is available from the NPF Patient Navigation Centre. Videos created from the Psoriatic Arthritis Awareness Project that feature real patients sharing their experience of living with PsA will premiere on Tuesday May 15, 2018 at www.psoriasis.org/the-psa-project.
The second annual issue of PsA Active, a special supplement of the Psoriasis Advance, that focuses exclusively on psoriatic arthritis highlights patient stories and a feature about working with a combined Dermatologist and Rheumatologist care team for treating psoriatic disease. Become a NPF member today and receive your free copy of PsA Active!
Ways to Participate in Psoriatic Arthritis Action Month
Go to http://www.psoriasis.org/PsA-Action-Month to access educational information, resources and to take the interactive quiz on signs of PsA.
Follow the National Psoriasis Foundation on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to connect with the psoriatic disease community and to find information on managing psoriatic arthritis. Share NPF social posts and updates with friends using the hashtag #PsAActionMonth
Get Active and meet others living with psoriatic disease! Find a Team NPF Cycle, Run or Walk event and help raise awareness. Join us in person or as a virtual participant.
Help advance psoriatic arthritis scientific research by participating in Citizen Pscientist.
Donate to NPF to help support advancements in psoriatic arthritis disease research and NPF programs and services.
Advocate! NPF has a strong advocacy and government relations strategy, but nothing resonates better with lawmakers than hearing from their own constituents on the challenges and barriers of living with a chronic disease.
If you believe you may have psoriatic arthritis, consult your health care provider and a Rheumatologist for a formal diagnosis and get started on a treatment plan. To answer questions, or for help finding a specialist in your area, contact the National Psoriasis Foundation Patient Navigation Center at: http://www.psoriasis.org/navigationcenter
Serving its community through more than 50 years of patient support, advocacy, research funding, and education, the National Psoriasis Foundation (NPF) is the world's leading nonprofit fighting for individuals with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. The NPF mission is to drive efforts to cure psoriatic disease and dramatically improve the lives of more than 8 million Americans affected by this chronic immune-mediated disease. As part of that effort, NPF created its Patient Navigation Center to offer personalized assistance to everyone with psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis. To date, NPF has funded more than $17 million in research grants and fellowships that help drive discoveries that may lead to more and better treatments and ultimately a cure. Learn more at www.psoriasis.org.

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/may-is-psoriatic-arthritis-action-month-300636969.html

Beware, smoking can affect your skin and worsen psoriasis

From hindustantimes.com

While quitting smoking doesn’t cure psoriasis, smoking aggravates the symptoms and may make the disease significantly worse, say experts.

There is growing evidence that people living with psoriasis ought to be extra careful before lighting up a cigarette. While quitting smoking doesn’t cure psoriasis, smoking aggravates the symptoms and may make the disease significantly worse.
According to Dr Abir Saraswat, National Coordinator, Special Interest Group — Psoriasis, Indian Association of Dermatologists, Venereologists and Leprologists (IADVL), “Smoking, in general, is a huge risk factor for developing psoriasis, affecting the onset of psoriasis and its clinical appearance. Moreover, many psoriasis patients tend to smoke to cope with the emotional and mental implications of the disease — such as stress or anxiety — which negatively affect psoriasis. This vicious circle of stress and smoking triggers the disease even further.”
According to a study, smoking doubles a person’s risk of developing psoriasis which eventually increases with the number of cigarettes smoked per day. This number is higher in women than men. The risk for psoriasis in women who smoke more than 20 cigarettes per day is about 2.5 times greater than that in non-smokers. For men, the risk is about 1.7 times greater than non-smokers.

Things to know
• Apart from nicotine, nickel (another ingredient in cigarette smoke) can also contribute towards psoriasis worsening as a result of heavy metal toxicity in your body.
• While dealing with psoriasis, a person goes through emotional stress and habits like smoking can stretch the stress period and worsen the situation.
• Smoking can reduce the level of moisture in your skin, making it dry and itchy.

The bottom line
• If you don’t smoke, don’t start, especially if you are a woman. You have a higher risk of developing psoriasis than men.
• If you do smoke, consider quitting — you may have a higher likelihood of remission.
• Focus on positive, healthy ways to cope with stress and anxiety. Try meditation, counselling, sleep adequately, eat healthy and exercise. It’s never too late to stop.

It is not easy to quit smoking or tobacco, but it’s definitely worth trying to improve your health. The study that found smoking increases risk of psoriasis also showed that giving up significantly reduced the risk of psoriasis — after 20 years it was at the same level as people who had never lighted a cigarette in their life. In fact, one may see an improvement in the skin in a matter of weeks as blood flow improves, and levels of nutrients are restored.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/fitness/beware-smoking-can-affect-your-skin-and-worsen-psoriasis/story-wNR6Zz44sJjzwgVXfQkHEM.html

The Newest Psoriasis Treatments Will Have You Wearing Short Sleeves Again

From rd.com

While there is still no cure for psoriasis, new treatments now allow millions of people who live with this inflammatory skin condition to sport short sleeves once again. One expert even called it "the most incredible time in the treatment of psoriasis." We've got the scoop on all of the latest psoriasis treatments and how they can get you clear.

"For the first time ever, the newest biologics can take someone from having psoriasis to no psoriasis. They are completely clear," says Mark Kauffman, MD, an associate clinical professor of dermatology at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City. Given by shot or intravenous (IV) infusion, biologics are reserved for people with moderate to severe psoriasis. In the past, biologic drugs tended to aim their bow and arrow at tumour necrosis factor-alpha, which plays a role in the inflammatory cascade known to cause psoriasis. The newest crop of biologics, however, gets even more specific in their aim, making them that much more effective and safe. They are even effective if someone has tried and failed or stopped responding to older biologics.

Bruce Strober, MD, chair of dermatology at UConn Health and professor of dermatology at UConn School of Medicine, with offices in Farmington and Canton, Conn. agrees. "The most exciting new treatments for psoriasis lately are Tremfya, Cosentyx, Siliq, and Taltz as they clear most patients who receive them and have very few side effects, and no need for blood test monitoring (except for a pre-treatment test for tuberculosis)," he says. Biologics do confer their share of risks namely infections because they work by suppressing your immune system. This new crop is thought to be more "skin-specific" which means there is less broad immunosuppression and thus a lower risk for infections.

Combo dream creams (or foams)

There is no cure for psoriasis, that said, there are some new combinations of topical steroids and vitamin D that pack a one-two punch against the inflammation and scaling of psoriasis and are helping people with moderate psoriasis get and stay clear. Taclonex ointment is a once-daily medication for psoriasis that is used for up to eight weeks to treat (and delete) scalp and body plaque psoriasis. (This is also the only FDA-approved treatment for teens with scalp psoriasis, and the once-a-day regimen means teens are more likely to use the ointment as directed.) It also comes as a foam and goes by the name of Enstilar®. The foam formulation may allow people to use it on larger body areas.

Weight loss

Is this a newfangled psoriasis treatment? Not exactly, but a growing body of evidence suggesting that psoriasis is more than skin deep has made weight loss a key part of therapy. Psoriasis can increase the risk of heart disease and diabetes so doing everything to lower these risks is essential, Dr. Farber says. "Losing weight is key as is regular exercise, which can be difficult if people also have psoriatic arthritis," he says. And weight loss works wonders. Danish researchers found that obese people with psoriasis who lost 10 to 15 percent of their excess weight saw lasting improvements in their symptoms, as reported in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology.

Phototherapy advances

Phototherapy has been a mainstay in psoriasis treatment for years, but today's therapies are more effective and safer, says Dr. Farber. In particular, narrowband ultraviolet B (UVB) devices and excimer lasers can help clear psoriasis and allow you to wear short sleeves again, he says. Both treatments use UVB light, which reduces inflammation, slows the abnormal skin cell growth that drives psoriasis, and minimizes the plaques. The excimer laser zaps psoriasis plaques with a wand-like device that emits high-intensity beam of UVB light, and it works really well, he says. These treatments can be combined with other therapies to boost results. The downside? Both involve multiple trips to the dermatologist's office for treatments.

Coming soon

There are even more treatments for psoriasis on the horizon: IDP-118 (halobetasol propionate and tazarotene) lotion is an investigational topical treatment for plaque psoriasis. Halobetasol propionate is a steroid that cools inflammation, and tazarotene is a topical retinoid that slows the rate at which skin cells develop. Both ingredients are approved to treat plaque psoriasis, but due to side effects, their use is limited to shorter durations. The new formulation may cut back on those side effects allowing people to use the cream for longer periods of time. Stay tuned.There are also new biologics being investigated that may be even more targeted, Dr. Kauffman predicts. Most available biologics are given weekly, biweekly or monthly. "It's plausible in next five years, we will have biologics that are given once a year and then you will have no psoriasis for rest of the year. It's the most incredible time in the treatment of psoriasis."

https://www.rd.com/health/conditions/new-psoriasis-treatments/

How I cured my Psoriasis and you can too

From bodyandsoul.com.au

Irene Prantalos discovered how a relaxed mind, healthy diet and Chinese medicine can help heal the skin condition. 

While many of us come back from holidays relaxed, de-stressed and with the greatest memories, Irene Prantalos’ trip to Greece with her mum when she was 11, was the complete opposite.
Feeling homesick, constantly crying and desperately wanting to go home, her mum noticed a few spots on her scalp appear, which then spread onto her arms when they arrived home. She was diagnosed with psoriasis.
Although her local GP simply gave her a cortisone cream and advised her that it would all disappear, Irene’s condition only began to worsen. And come Year 11 and 12, Irene’s stress level peaked and her psoriasis spread over her entire body.
“The shame of having the disease meant I often slouched and held my head down low. Outside of school I would wear hats to hide my face from people noticing - this was to avoid seeing their reaction to me as well, as this was very confronting when people either looked in horror or disgust,” she tells mybodyandsoul.com.au.
After been hospitalised twice and seeing no results from trying every ointment and treatment available, she eventually decided to give Chinese medicine a go, and within two months her skin cleared up.
But while things began to look positive, her psoriasis journey didn’t end there.
“During my time in University, I had many flare ups as I was always stressed about doing well in exams and other assessments. It never covered my entire body again but definitely was there and annoying me. It did make me question whether I could in fact complete this double degree I had set my sights on achieving.”
“My mum helped me with cooking meals that wouldn’t irritate my skin, changing my sheets daily so that it would reduce the itch in my skin, helping me through many rough times.

“I had friends come and visit to take my mind off things and many others who knew I was struggling but happily ignored the rash on my face and made me feel ‘normal’ even if I felt like a freak.”
But once she graduated from uni and had the time to invest in researching ways to alleviate psoriasis, Irene’s condition eased dramatically simply by making a few changes in her life and learning how to handle her condition.
“For me, most of the change was noticed with the Chinese medicine treatment, but with that I had changed my diet, and really reducing my stress helped my skin as well.”
Making sure I chose a partner who was supportive and didn't care if a flare up happened was very beneficial although I never thought that would have been possible. Making friendships that fed my soul was something I focused on later after I finished my studies. This was because the other elements where essential to be laid as the foundation and then other factors such as friendships came later.”
Now a Chinese Medicine Doctor, Irene is sharing her personal story and knowledge in hope to help others suffering from psoriasis.
“I would go to doctors with the hope they knew what to do and I wouldn't hear things like, 'your body is just not responding', 'you just need to accept this is your life and there isn't much you can do about it'. It was always negative and extremely scary that this actually was going to be my life,” she explains.
“Now, knowing that the body is in constant state of rejuvenation and in fact the immune system wasn't over reacting but in fact screaming at me about an issue I needed to address, gave me a completely positive respect for my body instead of a distain for it.
“Although I must say I often am reminded that I tell people to take herbs that perhaps don't taste great, forgetting the taste can be a little intense. The truth is it works and I think a few seconds of drinking herbs really isn't that bad if you feel great within your body.”
So her top tips for clearing psoriasis?
First up, reducing stress.
“I don't care if you can't - your body needs you to. If this means re-assessing your life, incorporating relaxation techniques, changing your perspective on your situation - do what needs to be done to reduce stress. If you’re studying, then it is only for a small moment so hang in there and then relax afterwards.”
She also advises to focus on eating a diet rich in nutrients and vitamins, and avoid inflammatory foods such as sugar, gluten alcohol, dairy and red met.
And her last tip involves a relaxing trip to the beach.
“Get into the salt water - the beach is amazing.
“If you are doing the above two recommendations, then the effect of sitting in beach water for 30 to 60 minutes as often as you can will be a super-fast way to eliminate inflammation from the skin.”

http://www.bodyandsoul.com.au/beauty/news-reviews/how-i-cured-my-psoriasis-and-you-can-too/news-story/5ade1fc1258bba241cfaea19dadd749b