Mild psoriasis can often be treated without the need for the
harsh drugs which can lead to severe side effects and even extra medical
conditions to deal with. Psoriasis is fundamentally incurable, although there
are incidents of guttate psoriasis clearing up on its own accord. What can be
achieved is a lessening of the symptoms and the living of a normal life.
A large part of the problem in coming up with a permanent
cure is that science has not yet identified what causes the immune system to
react in the way it does. Until this is known, there is little to work with.
Understanding psoriasis can be the first important step in trying to lessen the
effect it will have on your life. It is known that a malfunctioning of the
immune system causes the attacks to happen, but it is also known that avoiding
factors which aggravate the immune system can lessen the incidence of attacks.
The immune system is one of the most vital systems of the human body, and it is
not known why it can suddenly mistake the human skin for something hostile. A
similar phenomenon happens with food allergies, but at least these are
triggered by an outside factor.
Psoriasis is a condition which is sub-divided into many
different types, and each of these types can have varying degrees of severity.
The guttate psoriasis which afflicts young people can go one of two different
ways. It can either clear up without any known reason, or it can worsen and
become another case of plaque psoriasis. Plaque psoriasis is the most common
type of the disease, and it is often difficult to control. A mild case,
though,will often respond to lifestyle changes, and these should always be
implemented before anything else is done.
A case of mild psoriasis may never need drug treatments, if
it is looked after properly from the start. The first essential factor in this
is to avoid anything which is likely to trigger an attack. An injury to the
skin is the most obvious trigger of all, and this is likely to be easy to avoid
unless you happen to be working outside doing hard physical labor. Even if you
are not working that hard, you can still trigger an attack if you spend too
much time in strong sunlight. Stay out of the sun when it is at its strongest,
protect yourself properly when you do go outside, and get air to the skin at
less dangerous times.
Once the obvious threats to the skin are eliminated, it is
time to work on your lifestyle. Try first of all to avoid anything which puts
extra pressure on the immune system and the rest of the body. The greatest risk
factor is cigarette smoking, so give this up if you possibly can. Late nights,
excessive mental stress, alcohol, drugs which are prescribed for other
conditions, and an unhealthy diet can all increase the likelihood of you
becoming the victim of another psoriasis attack.
The dietary factor is one which must be made right, as
everyone has to eat food to survive. Start by eliminating the excesses of
saturated fat, refined sugar and salt which the body has difficulty dealing
with. Try to make sure that you take in enough of the essential vitamins and
minerals by eating a lot of raw fruit and vegetables. Vitamin C is the main
vitamin which the immune system uses when it is trying to fight off an illness,
and the most important mineral is zinc.
When you have optimized your diet to deal with mild
psoriasis, you will probably find that you can cope with daily life without
much trouble. If you can avoid overworking and keep yourself mentally calm and
peaceful, you will also find that your life becomes easier to cope with. Any
attacks can be made less painful by using soothing creams and lotions on the
skin when the pain starts. Many of these creams and lotions are made from
derivatives of vitamins in any case. The mildest cases of psoriasis can be kept
under control with just these measures, and will not need any drug treatments
which will carry the risk of severe side effects.
There will be times when mild psoriasis will appear to be
turning into something more serious, and there is no doubt that these will be a
cause of worry. The worry can obviously exacerbate the condition, so try to
stay as calm as possible. The best way to approach this possible situation is
by knowing in advance what you will do. If you can keep the body as relaxed as
possible, apply soothing cream to the external skin, and continue to follow a
sensible diet, you may never need to do anything more than keep dealing with
occasional attacks of mild psoriasis.
Psoriasis pictures