A common skin condition, psoriasis can affect anyone causing their skin to itch severely and get inflamed. It is not your typical skin disorder, but an autoimmune disease that usually affects certain areas of the body such as the scalp, elbow, lower back, knees and face. The lack of knowledge about this skin condition usually makes matters worse. Therefore, we spoke to two skin specialists Dr. Nitika Arya (M.B.B.S DD) and Dr. D.G.P. Sastry (M.B.B.S DD) to know more about this disease.
What is psoriasis?
Rapid build-up of skin cells cause the surface of the skin to scale faster than it should. A skin cell typically takes a month to grow and finally shed off, however, in people with psoriasis this process happens in a matter of few days leading to skin cells build up.
What are the common causes of psoriasis?
While the exact cause of psoriasis is still unknown, “genetic predisposition and altered immune system play a major role. It is also aggravated by environmental factors, infections, trauma and certain medicines” says Dr. D.G.P. Sastry (M.B.B.S DD). “Stress is another triggering factor for this chronic autoimmune skin condition to flare up,” adds Dr. Nitika Arya (M.B.B.S DD) Skin Specialist & Dermatologist Sai Child & Skin Care Clinic Chandigarh.
Do's and don'ts for those suffering from psoriasis
If you notice signs of psoriasis visiting a skin expert should be on the top of your to-do list, in the meanwhile here are a few do’s and don’ts from Dr. Nitika Arya (M.B.B.S DD) and Dr. D.G.P. Sastry (M.B.B.S DD) that will help.
Do’s
- Avoid undue stress.
- Physical, mental & emotional stress should be avoided.
- Have a healthy and balanced diet.
- Keep the skin clean, moisturised and protected.
- Maintain a healthy weight.
- Meditate, relax and do moderate exercise.
- Maintain an active social life and be a member of psoriasis support groups.
- Go for regular medical check-up and follow up with dermatologist.
Don’ts
- Avoid scratching the itch.
- Sometimes excessive scratching may cause bleeding from plaques leading to infection of the skin and scalp.
- Avoid excessive stress.
- Avoid alcohol intake.
- Avoid trauma to sites of injury as it may lead to psoriatic lesions.
- Avoid aggravating cold weather and infection.
- Avoid aggravating medicines such as β blockers, Lithium, Antimalarial and NSAIDS.
Written by Sanya Hamdani on Apr 22, 2019