What is Psoriasis and What Can You do About It?

Skin rashes are very common, sometimes you get an allergic reaction to the food you eat or something in the environment can also trigger a skin rash. But, when that skin rash doesn’t go away and you have psoriasis, it can be bothersome. Unfortunately, you are not alone because 125 million people around the world have psoriasis too.

When you have psoriasis, your skin cells grow too quickly, resulting in thick, white, silver or red patches of skin. Normally your skin cells gradually flake off about every 4 weeks and new skin cells grow to replace those that fall off. When you have psoriasis, new skin cells grow more rapidly, as fast as just a couple of days.

The build-up of these skin cells is called plaques and they can range in size. Most of the time, they appear on the knees, elbows, scalp, hands, feet and even lower back. Many times, this skin condition can be hereditary and experts believe psoriasis occurs when the immune system overreacts, which causes inflammation and flaking of the skin. Psoriasis is not contagious, so you can’t catch it from someone.

What can you do?

If you suspect you have psoriasis, the best thing to do is visit your doctor. They can prescribe treatment, including a change in diet or medicated creams and lotions. Unfortunately, treatment for psoriasis may continue throughout your lifetime. One of the main goals for people with psoriasis is to keep their skin hydrated. There are things you can try, such as:

• Eat more fish, like salmon, albacore tuna or other fishes that have Omega 3 fatty acids, which will help reduce inflammation.
• Try a Gluten-free diet because gluten can actually cause inflammation in some people. Eliminating wheat, barley and rye make people feel better.
• Turmeric is a root just like ginger and it can be found as a yellow powder. It has anti-inflammatory properties, which help control psoriasis.
• Drinking plenty of water is important for everyone, but for people with psoriasis, it’s extremely important because it helps keep your skin stay hydrated.
• Tea tree oil has been used to treat skin problems and infections. For psoriasis patients, it helps remove dry, dead cells.
• Eating plenty of colorful fruits and vegetables is great for the skin. Colorful fruits and veggies contain disease-fighting antioxidants that are rich in fiber. When you have psoriasis it’s important to maintain a healthy weight so that the medication can work.

Many times, people with psoriasis have to try several things to see what works for them.