What Is Psoriasis?

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What Is Psoriasis?

A guide to this common and treatable skin condition

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Between 5.8 million and 7.5 million people live with the skin disease psoriasis, yet almost half with moderate to severe cases are not getting treatment and others are receiving out-of-date treatment. Why? Because the condition is still widely misunderstood—people who live with it can be subject to prejudice and discrimination—and treatments have not been very good until now.

“Just a few years ago, we didn’t have such great options,” says Steven Feldman, MD, PhD, professor of dermatology at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, NC. “That’s changed! Treatments are now more effective, safer, and easier to use than ever.”

Psoriasis is an often painful and itchy chronic skin condition that produces red, inflamed patches on the skin. The patches, which are not contagious, are usually covered with a white buildup of dead skin cells. Scientists are not sure what causes it, but they do know that psoriasis involves a genetic dysfunction that triggers an inappropriate immune response, leading to the rapid production of new skin cells.

A Healthy Diet for Psoriasis?


There are five types of psoriasis: plaque (the most common form), guttate, inverse, pustular, and erythrodermic. Psoriasis can appear anywhere on the body and up to 30% of people with psoriasis will develop psoriatic arthritis, a painful condition in which joints are inflamed and stiff.

“Psoriasis is largely an inherited condition, but it involves multiple genes and possibly some environmental factors to bring the disease on,” says Dr. Feldman. Common triggers include stress; skin trauma, such as sunburn or wounds; some medications, including antimalarial drugs; and, in the case of guttate psoriasis, strep infection.

Because psoriasis manifests itself on the skin, living with it can have a profound psychological impact. Some people with mild cases may be able to cover up or successfully control outbreaks so that they are not obvious to other people. Those with more severe psoriasis are subject to the sometimes-ignorant reactions of others. In many ways, this can be the hardest thing about living with psoriasis.

It’s important for psoriasis patients to find the support and treatment they need so they can control their psoriasis as well as possible and can live as comfortably—emotionally and physically—as possible.

This guide to psoriasis will explain how to get the right diagnosis, find the best care, learn about the new and highly effective treatments, seek out support, and learn to live a healthier and happier life with psoriasis.


http://www.health.com/health/condition-article/0,,20278880,00.html

 

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[h=1]Can a Healthy Diet Help Psoriasis?[/h]

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[h=2]Losing weight may help[/h] Though many patients find that certain diets help clear their skin, or that certain foods aggravate it, no studies have established a definitive link between nutrition and psoriasis, says Neil Korman, MD, clinical director of the Murdough Family Center for Psoriasis in Cleveland Heights, Ohio. “There’s no ‘Psoriasis Diet,’ but people with psoriasis should try to eat a healthy diet,” he says. “We do know that people who are obese are at increased risk for psoriasis, and that losing weight may help improve your psoriasis.”

“Achieving a healthy weight and eating more healthfully in general” are the goals when working with psoriasis patients, says Brenda Walsh, RD, an outpatient clinical dietitian at the Murdough center. Psoriasis is an inflammatory disease, she says, and “we know that weight loss can decrease levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), which is produced by the body in response to inflammation.” Increasing activity levels and dropping pounds can help lower CRP levels.

 

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[h=2]Can a Healthy Diet Help Psoriasis?[/h]

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[h=1]What should you eat?[/h] Emphasizing foods that contain antioxidants, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and beans, which can reduce inflammation, may also help, says Deirdre Earls, RD, a dietitian in private practice in Austin, Texas.

A chronic psoriasis sufferer herself, Earls says she has had minimal outbreaks since she started following a diet based on the University of Michigan Integrative Medicine Clinic’s Healing Foods Pyramid six and a half years ago. The diet has also helped her patients, Earls reports.

Even if you can’t make all the changes, small tweaks (eating more vegetables, trading white bread and rice for whole grains, eliminating processed food) can improve your health. “Proceed at your own pace and focus on the positive choices you make,” advises Earls.

 

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[h=2]Can a Healthy Diet Help Psoriasis?[/h]

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[h=1]Fruits and vegetables[/h] How much: Two to four servings of fruits and a minimum of five servings of vegetables (or more if you want) every day.

Why: Fruits and vegetables are loaded with antioxidants that help control inflammation naturally, says Earls.

“I recommend my patients select a variety of deeply pigmented fruits and vegetables when choosing antioxidant-rich foods,” says Walsh. “Some examples are red bell peppers, pineapple, spinach, raspberries, blueberries, and carrots. I always recommend obtaining antioxidants from food, rather than in supplement form. This allows you to obtain all the benefits available in that food, not simply what happens to be extracted and packaged into a pill.”

What's a serving: One apple, orange, or medium banana; 3/4 cup of berries; 1/2 cup of raw or cooked vegetables.

 

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[h=2]Can a Healthy Diet Help Psoriasis?[/h]

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[h=1]Grains[/h] How much: Four to 11 daily servings of grains, preferably whole grains (whole-grain bread, cereal and pasta, oatmeal, and brown rice).

Why: Whole grains contain a variety of inflammation-fighting antioxidants, says Earls. They are also high in fiber, which is associated with decreased inflammation levels.

What’s a serving: One slice whole-grain bread, 1/3 cup pasta, 3/4 cup cereal, 1/3 cup rice.

Beans and lentils
How much: One to three servings a day of beans, peas, lentils, or peanuts.

Why: They are all great sources of protein, and also contain tons of antioxidants and have high levels of fiber.

What’s a serving: 1/2 cup cooked beans or lentils.

 

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[h=2]Can a Healthy Diet Help Psoriasis?[/h]

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[h=1]Soy[/h] How much: One to two servings a day of edamame, soy milk, soy nuts, and tofu.

Why: A number of studies have linked decreased inflammation with eating soy, says Earls. In addition, soy is an excellent source of protein and contains isoflavones, which are thought to help reduce inflammation.

What’s a serving: 1/2 cup edamame, 1 cup soy milk, 1 ounce soy nuts, 1/2 cup tofu.

Fats
How much: Three to nine daily servings of olive oil, peanut oil, canola oil, nuts, avocado, seeds, or nut butters.

Why: Good fats can help the body fight inflammation. But avoid margarine and shortening that contain trans fats, which can have the reverse effect.

What’s a serving: 1 teaspoon of oil, 1/2 tablespoon nut butter, 2 walnuts.

 

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[h=2]Can a Healthy Diet Help Psoriasis?[/h]

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[h=1]Fish and seafood[/h] How much: Two to four servings per week, with an emphasis on fish with a high omega-3 fatty acid content (salmon, anchovies, mackerel, tuna, and sardines, especially wild varieties).

Why: There is strong evidence that omega-3s help reduce inflammation, says Earls. If you’re not a fish eater, you may want to consider an omega-3 supplement. She recommends two high-quality brands: Pharmax and Nordic Naturals.'

What’s a serving: 4 to 6 ounces of fish.

 

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[h=2]Can a Healthy Diet Help Psoriasis?[/h]

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[h=1]What should you limit?[/h] Foods that may contribute to inflammation should be eaten in more limited quantities or eliminated. These include processed and fast food, foods that are high in saturated and trans fats, and refined starches and sugar.

"When you have an inflammatory condition, it's especially important to avoid fatty meats and fried foods, which promote inflammation," says Michael Traub, a naturopathic physician in Kailua Kona, Hawaii. "If you’re eating them once a month, that's probably OK. But once a week is not."

 

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[h=2]Can a Healthy Diet Help Psoriasis?[/h]

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[h=1]Meats[/h] How much: Eat up to three 2- to 3-ounce servings per week, choosing lean cuts such as white-meat chicken or turkey, flank steak, sirloin, or pork loin. Higher-fat cuts contain more saturated fat, which may contribute to inflammation.

Sugar
How much: Try to avoid sweets as much as possible. “Sugar promotes inflammation in the body,” says Traub.

Alcohol
How much: Limit your intake as much as possible, at least until symptoms clear. Although the exact mechanism remains unknown (inflammation is one possibility), alcohol is believed by some to trigger psoriasis outbreaks.

 

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[h=2]Can a Healthy Diet Help Psoriasis?[/h]

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[h=1]The gluten connection[/h] Some researchers believe that there may be an increased frequency of celiac disease among people with psoriasis, explains Earls. People who have celiac disease cannot properly digest a protein called gluten that’s found in wheat, rye, and barley. Eating these foods can damage the lining of the small intestine, often resulting in chronic diarrhea as well as malnutrition. (Some people with celiac disease have no symptoms, though.)

If you believe that gluten intolerance may be an issue for you, ask your doctor if you should be screened for celiac disease. If you are gluten intolerant, your psoriasis may improve if you follow a super-strict gluten-free diet (avoiding anything containing wheat, rye, or barley). “It does take real commitment,” says Earls. “But what was disabling psoriasis (for me) has been in remission for six years without any negative side effects."

 

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[h=1]How Managing Stress May Help Your Psoriasis[/h] Though there is no research definitively showing that lowering stress can improve your psoriasis, many patients swear by the strategy. Try these techniques to see if reducing stress will reduce your flare-ups.

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[h=2]The psoriasis-stress connection[/h] “There are some people for whom stress is clearly a trigger [for psoriasis outbreaks],” says Mark Lebwohl, MD, chairman of the medical board of the National Psoriasis Foundation. In a 2004 survey conducted by Scandinavian researchers, more than two-thirds of the respondents reported that their psoriasis was exacerbated by stress, and 35% said that the onset of the disease had occurred during a time of worry and stress.

Though there is no research definitively showing that lowering stress can improve your psoriasis, many patients swear by the strategy. Lori Leyden, PhD, who has had psoriasis for 30 years and is the author of The Stress Management Handbook: Strategies for Health and Inner Peace, is one of them. “[My psoriasis] has been under control for the last 20 years, every since I started practicing stress management.”

Try these techniques to see if reducing stress will reduce your flare-ups.

 

[sngilani]

Are you opening a medical school lol ?

 

[jagga007]

Roza main tang mat karo yaar............

 

[Night_Hawk]

Are you opening a medical school lol ?

Information only:)

 

[Technocrat]

My father has it, and it does have a psychological impact on a person where people do not understand what the person has and show mixed results in physical contact like shaking hands. Best way to treat so far is to use as much skin moisturizer as possible 5-6 times a day with the application to be quite thick.

 

[KHANA DIN AKA]

Modern medicine have no answer for Psoriasis....the reason is some what deep rooted psychological, and physiological disorders.
The skin is the only demonstrating organs.
Treatment of local lesions of psoriasis is just hitting around the bush.

 

[blatant]

psoriasis has autoimmune origins. In other words, any abnormal triggering of one's immune system can result in a number of conditions, psoriasis one of them.
But that's not one of the most common or rampant conditions in a country like Pakistan. In fact developed countries may have more prevalence because of environmental, dietary and other factors. Its the more processed food that can trigger unusual responses of our immune system.
Stress is one known precipitant of any autoimmune disorder, just like alopecia (there was a thread on alopecia as well few weeks ago around).
Keeping stress levels down certainly helps.
Meditations are one great way of handling your stress levels, or in other words your body's response to stresses. I can't think of anything better then that in the long term effective cure with no side effects. Of course meditational state in itself is one of the hardest things to achieve given how far and distracted we have been from being in control of our wary and wondering minds.

 

[TruPakistani]

Thank you for posting such informative articles on the forum.