SHEDDING SOME LIGHT ON PSORIASIS

Far from being a simple skin condition, psoriasis is a non-contagious autoimmune disease, whereby the body’s natural defence mechanism misreads a threat and begins to attack itself. With psoriasis, this outwardly manifests as inflamed patches of skin, typically covered by translucent scaling.  

While the normal skin cell rejuvenation process is fairly slow, in psoriasis patients it’s on fast-forward. Old skin cells don’t have time to shed naturally, which causes buildup. This is why psoriasis patches often look raised and bumpy. In severe cases, they may crack and bleed, but practically all instances of psoriasis involve uncomfortable itching, burning and soreness.

Like most autoimmune diseases, psoriasis can affect anyone, though some people are genetically predisposed. Psoriasis cannot be cured, but it is absolutely possible to live with it, and to keep flare-ups under control. Psoriasis can show up anywhere, from your head to your toes. It often appears on joints, but can also make its presence known in other areas, including the face, mouth, nails, and genitals.  

No psoriasis is the same

There are five main types of psoriasis:

1.     Plaque (the most common form)

2.     Guttate (most prevalent during childhood)

3.     Inverse (generally shows up in areas with folds)

4.     Pustular (more localised)

5.     Erythrodermic (rare, widespread and potentially fatal)

The body’s reaction to stressful events often brings on autoimmune conditions like psoriasis, so we’re not in the least bit surprised that—more than a year into the pandemic—many of our patients have recently been experiencing harsh flare-ups.

More in the mortar

Although psoriasis has long been associated with psoriatic arthritis, which is similar to rheumatoid arthritis, but accompanied by the hallmark of inflamed skin, recent studies have closely linked the condition to the presence of cardiovascular disease. We therefore recommend that anyone with acute psoriasis should have their heart health evaluated, as psoriasis is by no means limited to a skin condition; we must treat it as more of a systemic disease.

Psoriasis has also been found to be connected to other serious diseases, including Type 2 diabetes, Crohn’s disease, and—because of the social exclusion that often happens as a result of the disease—anxiety and depression.

Treatment

At Serpentine Dermatology, we diagnose the condition through a biopsy and treat it holistically—including doing a lot of listening and offering you techniques to support mental and emotional well being. Although psoriasis is still quite a misunderstood disease with connections to other health conditions, medication has come a really long way over the past 10-15 years. This is great news for anyone living with psoriasis, because it translates into a much better quality of life.

The first step, as in the case with other autoimmune conditions, is to avoid triggers that make psoriasis worse. This means controlling your stress levels, avoiding alcohol, maintaining a health diet and body weight, and ensuring that whatever medications you may be taking are not contributing to flare-ups. Physical injuries, which are often unavoidable, can also exacerbate the condition.

Recommended meds typically run the gamut from topical creams to pills, though the latter is reserved for more serious cases, as they have side effects and are not ideal for long-term use. Occasionally, flare-ups may be so intense as to require treatment by injection, the results of which are more immediate. The classes of medications that we use to treat the condition all work either by regulating your immune system or trying to curb the production of skin cells.

 Light therapy also yields good results, since ultraviolet light curbs the activity of overprotective white bood cells that attack the body. We have a light box that delivers narrow band wavelengths of UVB 311nm, which are very helpful in controlling the condition, especially in less chronic cases.  

For us, though, the best treatment approach is always custom-designed to suit your lifestyle and personal experience of the disease. Just remember: as discouraging as a psoriasis diagnosis may be, it’s worse to ignore it. Taking control of the condition early means that you have a much better chance of living well with it. If you have any questions or concerns, schedule a consultation with us.