Psoriasis
…a challenging disease?
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“Oh!
I am suffering from psoriasis for the past fifteen
years!
No
Cure! I tried all sorts of medicines!
Why
it recurs again and again? Permanent cure?
-
very
common queries from the affected victims
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| What
is psoriasis? |
Psoriasis
is a very common skin disease, distressing the sufferers
to experience low self-esteem because it is unsightly.
Psoriasis is often misunderstood by the public as
contagious, which can make social interaction awkward.
This may lead to emotional problems such as anxiety,
anger, embarrassment and depression.
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| How
does it occurs? |
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Psoriasis is a special type chronic skin disease
affecting the growth cycle of skin cells. Simply
it is understandable that the skin cells replicate
at an extremely rapid rate than the normal formation
of skin layer. Normally the new cells take between
21 and 28 days to produce the outermost layer then
they die and flake off , but in psoriasis the affected
part the process is accelerated and lasts only a
few days, usually 2 – 6 days.
The affected areas switch from normal
growth pattern. More cells are created and pushed
to the surface very fast. The skin cannot shed
as fast as growth occurs. The excessive skin cells
builds up and form elevated scaly lesions. The
white scales that usually cover the lesion is
a component of dead skin cells. The redness is
caused by the increased blood supply to the affected
area. Psoriasis is a skin disorder rather than
a disease. Although the lesions can occur at any
part of the body, the common places are elbows,
knees, lower back and scalp. |
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Psoriasis symptoms |
Psoriasis symptoms can range
from a small pin point to large areas. The lesions mostly
painless, but is painful, disfiguring and disabling with larger
one’s .Clinically many patient present the lesions on
the scalp usually like a dandruff. Most types of psoriasis
go through cycles, flaring for a few weeks or months, particularly
in winter, then improving or going into complete remission
but eventually returning in most of the cases.
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| Plaque
Psoriasis |
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Pustular
psoriasis |
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| Guttate
psoriasis |
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Erythrodermic
psoriasis |
Psoriasis comes in different forms and
degrees of severity, medically receiving the diagnostic labels
on different names. The lesion may be presented as red patches
of skin covered with silvery scales , small scaling spots
,dry, cracked skin that may bleed. Itching is not a prevalent
symptom in psoriasis, however it can occur in few cases with
burning and soreness.
Few individual’s nails undergo psoriatic changes and
present as thick, pitted or ridged nails. Psoriatic arthritis
is a specific type of arthritis that occurs in a few patients
of psoriasis, they complain swollen and stiff joints.
| What
causes it? |
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Psoriasis
is an auto-immune disease, in which the immune
system is staying on "high alert"
and stimulating our skin cells to multiply too
fast to the impulse produced by the white blood
cells to “attack our own tissue"
T-cells, a type of white cells trigger the inflammation
and excessive cell reproduction
The disease tends to run in families. Genetic
predisposition seems to play an important role
in the development of Psoriasis and study of
a significant excess of HLA-Antigens has been
found in patients with psoriasis
Clinically, this disease may be associated with
some other ailments such as diabetes mellitus,
thyroid disorders, AIDS and endocrine disorders.
It may flare up with climate, infection, stress
and drugs.
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| Diet
and psoriasis |
Fat
metabolism has some influence on fat metabolism in
psoriatic patients; however study Omega 5 polyunsaturated
fatty acids are beneficial in psoriasis. There are
several opinion that flare ups with protein and carbohydrate
foods also. Non vegetarian food could accelerate auto
immune process and many suggest that psoriatic patients
live happily as vegetarians.
Itching is a rare symptom of psoriasis, when it is
found along, better skip the allergic foods by elimination.
Low sodium diet is recommended to avoid much exfoliation
and itching.
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What
is the treatment ?
Modern medicine will be the first choice for the sufferers
and they satisfied with the topical applications, medications
for sometime. They usually fed up with the palliative
measures and choose an alternate therapy to eradicate
permanently. Psoriasis is a puzzle to all physicians
because the treatment that works for one victim will
have no effect or benefit on another.
Mostly patients choose homoeopathy because the system
offers the drugs without side effects and administration
is palatable. Another advantage of Homoeopathy does
not advice external applications. Deep understanding
and detailed study of the patient is necessary rather
than the psoriatic lesions. Simply administering on
the name of the psoriasis will not help or benefit the
patient. Individual characteristic of the lesions in
relation to body and mind will complete the study of
the patient as a whole.
A dynamic remedy which is based on the constitution
of the patient will arouse the natural defense mechanism
to fight against the immune system and gradually over
come the lesions. Many wondered with correct choice
of a homoeopathic remedy had vanished the symptoms within
a couple of months. Many patients do not follow up after
for years together and appear before when there are
few remissions after very long time.
Collectively homoeopathy has rendered great service
to the sufferings of the psoriasis patients.
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