Here at Bamboo Bubby we spend a lot of time researching eczema and looking at both the causes and treatments that relate to it. Bamboo Bubby was actually born out of a need to make life more comfortable for the people who deal with eczema, and a bit easier for their bodies to heal – but there’s a growing demographic of people who I’ve been connecting with lately who are using Bamboo Bubby items for something other than eczema – psoriasis. While eczema and psoriasis don’t very often come up in conversation together, we’re starting to think they should. They have more in common than they have differences, and the way in which they affect the lives of people who live with them are strikingly similar. Today, we’d like to look closer at psoriasis and explore what it is, what may cause it, what treatments seem to be most effective, and what we can look forward to as research continues in the future.

What Is Psoriasis?

Like many of the issues that affect the skin, psoriasis is caused by an issue of the immune system. As the body tries to protect and then over-protect itself due to the auto-immune issues psoriasis causes, the skin thickens and creates lesions called ‘plaque’. These lesions are usually thick, scaly, and very uncomfortable for the people who have them – and they can be very difficult to cover up meaning that there are usually psychological pains that accompany the physical ones.

When psoriasis begins, skin cells can grow at up to five times their usual rate, and instead of falling off as people move through their daily routine, they simply stay in place and stack up causing thickness and inflammation.

While most of the people who deal with psoriasis are adults, it can affect people of any age and begin at any point in life.

One interesting point about psoriasis is that individuals who deal with it are at a higher risk for developing other inflammatory issues like arthritis and heart disease, as well as issues like depression.

The Symptoms Of Psoriasis

Like most auto-immune diseases, no two cases of psoriasis are exactly the same. Environment, genetic makeup, diet, overall health, and even state of mind may all play a role in the severity or occurrence of psoriasis. Of those who have been diagnosed with this issue, these are the most common symptoms:

• Itchiness on the skin
• Thickening of skin, changes in texture and suppleness
• Inflammation, redness, swelling, and heat
• Skin that is red, white, silver, or shiny

In many cases several of these symptoms appear at the same time.

The Possible Causes And Triggers Of Psoriasis

While there is no definite agreement among experts about what causes psoriasis, one theory stands out among them all. Leading research has found that it is most likely a genetic issue that gets activated by a trigger that leads to a full manifestation of psoriasis.

Over time, doctors have found that patients who were given an immune suppressing drug after a transplant showed no signs of their otherwise aggressive psoriasis. This points to the immune system being at the root of the issue – and to genetics playing a big role in how the immune system takes a wrong turn.

Many of the people who have psoriasis share a specific genetic issue that may play a role in how the disease gets started, but many of these same people don’t report other members of their family struggling with psoriasis. This means that the genetic issue and how it causes problems with the immune system is likely genetic but not necessarily handed down from one person to another. Experts are still working to isolate the specific genes that may lead to a predisposition for psoriasis, but new findings are being made all the time.

As far as triggers are concerned, there are as many possibilities as there are people with psoriasis. Food, stress, chemicals, environmental issues, and even growth cycles in the body could all be triggers that start a flare up or cause the immune system to start creating skin in an abnormal way. As more people with psoriasis work with medical specialists, more information and patterns will be investigated which will lead to more information over time.

Treating Psoriasis

While psoriasis is still considered a disease without a cure, new breakthroughs are being made all the time that are helping people live a healthier, happier life. Here are some of the most popular and most effective methods being used right now to treat psoriasis cases:

Topical Treatments

Salicylic acid is one of the most common topical treatments for psoriasis. This ointment helps break down the skin cells that build up over time so that the skin has a better chance to catch up and heal itself properly.

Steroid creams are by far the most popular of all topical treatments for psoriasis. Steroids help the skin fight off inflammation while relieving itching and pain. They also help stop the production of skin cells that cause most of the damage in psoriasis cases.

Calcipotriene is a substance related to vitamin D that shows a great deal of promise in treating psoriasis cases.

Coal Tar is a very popular over the counter product that many people with psoriasis swear by. It’s added to everything from creams to shampoos to help slow the production of skin cells that cause the plaque and inflammation of a flare up.

Believe it or not, regular old sunshine in consistent but safe doses can help psoriasis cases dramatically. Many people find that short sunbathing sessions, far less than would lead to a sunburn, can help clear up outbreaks or slow down those already happening. Many people also use a more controlled light therapy that uses sun-like rays to help cleanse and heal the skin.

Internal Treatments

One of the most common drugs prescribed to people with severe psoriasis that doesn’t seem to respond to other treatments is methotrexate. This drug is most commonly prescribed as part of chemotherapy treatment in cancer and severe arthritis, and it has been shown to be very helpful for many problem cases of psoriasis, as well. While chemotherapy drugs are helpful, they come with a variety of side effects that make them a drug chosen only in severe cases.

Concentrated doses of vitamin A can also be helpful in the treatment of psoriasis, but their side effects require patients to be closely monitored.

Natural Remedies For Psoriasis

In addition to the treatments above, many people supplement their topical or internal medications with natural remedies to help healing go even further. Aloe vera gel, fish oil, and sea salt baths have all been popular psoriasis treatments for many years, and those who use them find them to be quite helpful.

Bamboo Bubby products have also been a popular choice among people of all ages who are dealing with psoriasis. When the skin is left free from scratching and harsh fabrics, it is more likely that it can heal itself and benefit from topical ointments being used. Bamboo Bubby products help give the skin a break – even in small children! See them all here: http://www.bamboobubby.com.au/

Resources:

http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/psoriasis/understanding-psoriasis-treatment

http://www.psoriasis.org/about-psoriasis/treatments

http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/psoriasis/features/causes?page=2

http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/psoriasis/

http://www.cpn-rcp.com/what-is-psoriasis/