December 18th, 2009

New Psoriasis Treatment – Does It Work?

Psoriasis is a non-contagious but often chronic, life time autoimmune disease that appears on the skin and affects over 7 million Americans. It occurs because of an increase in the growth cycle of skin cells leading to excessive scaling and itchiness. Sufferers are frequently searching for a new psoriasis treatment to alleviate their suffering.

The most common type of psoriasis is plaque psoriasis that appears as red, raised patches or lesions that are covered by a build up of silver/white dead skin cells. The other four types of the disease are guttate, inverse pustular and erythrodermic but these are less common.

If left untreated, psoriasis can lead to infection, fluid loss and a poor circulation. It has also been closely linked with arthritis. Psoriasis most commonly appears on the scalp, knees, elbows and torso between the ages of 15 and 35 but can appear anywhere and at any age.

Psoriasis skin treatment typically involves topical (on the skin) or systemic (throughout the body) forms of treatment. What works best for one person may not work for another and this can lead to a lot of money exchanging hands in the search for a new psoriasis treatment that works for an individual.

The simplest psoriasis skin treatment to control itching is to keep the skin moisturized. Pressing a wet towel against the itchy spot can also give temporary relief. Others find cold showers and cold packs help. Other treatments for itch include antihistamines, steroids, capsaicin, topical anesthetics, topical immunomodulators, antidepressants and plain aspirin.

As mentioned earlier, finding relief from psoriasis often involves trying various products that can be expensive. Thankfully, I may be able to save you a little money here as I’ve found a free offer!

Revitol are offering a free bottle of their Dermasis Psoriasis Cream to help fight symptoms that make your skin look red and patchy. Using a dual-approach, the first being to increase the rate the dead skin cells are shed and a deep moisturizer to make your skin nice and soft. If you are interested in reading more about this cream and the ingredients, just click here. Unfortunately, this free offer is only available in the USA and Canada but if you live elsewhere, it’s still worth looking as there are frequently reductions to be found.

Don’t want pills and potions?

Psoriasis Free For Life

If you are just plain fed up with pills and potions, you should read “Psoriasis Free For Life”. This book will blow your mind and can get you pain and itch free in just a few days (no promises though as everyone is different!). This is a completely natural approach that worked for me (no, it’s not me in the picture as I’m not brave enough to show you!).

I recommend you read the testimonials on the website and make up your own mind. If you are interested click HERE or on the banner above.

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December 19th, 2009

What Is Psoriasis?

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June 12th, 2011

Is Psoriasis Contagious?

One of most frequently asked questions if you know someone with psoriasis is, “is psoriasis contagious?” To quickly put your mind at rest, the answer is NO! If you know someone with psoriasis, touching them won’t infect you, in fact it doesn’t even spread from one part of the body to another!

Although symptoms of psoriasis can look unpleasant it is just the sufferer who has to live with them, not you. Those pink/red patches of scaly skin that may be dry and cracked or have blisters filled with pus will remain with the sufferer alone.

Psoriasis is linked to a problem in the immune system. Basically, the ‘T’ cells instead of helping protect the body, attack the skin cells. This then triggers other responses from the immune system that results in an overproduction of skin cells.

There is a genetic link and typical manifests between the ages of ten and forty-five. It is not a disease that is really observable all the time but can flare up at any time, often as a response to a particular ‘trigger’ for the individual.

Triggers for psoriasis frequently include immune system weakening diseases, stress, infections, specific medications, cold weather, smoking and other skin irritation problems.

The condition can be treated and new psoriasis treatments are coming onto the market all the time. The simplest way to begin is with a thorough moisturizing routine. Body lotions will prevent the skin from drying out and cracking, and help remove some of the rough patches. Scaling can also be lessened by adding a little Epsom salts or unscented oil into your bath.

The doctor will advise you of suitable prescription creams, gels and in some cases antibiotics, but there are also over-the-counter products that may help. As everyone is different, this will be a little bit of trial and error.

One of the new treatments for psoriasis is the use of artificial light treatments is ‘PUVA’ treatment. This involves ingesting Psoralen (a light-sensitizing medicine) and then having controlled exposure to artificial lights.

In summary, psoriasis symptoms are not there all the time, can improve with treatment but will never go away completely. Treatments can be very effective but may need changing regularly as the skin becomes used to them. So, is psoriasis contagious? No. However, it can be painful and certainly very unpleasant when a sufferer has flares up so don’t make them feel any worse!

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June 9th, 2011

Overviewing Psoriatic Arthritis Symptoms

Unfortunately, psoriatic arthritis can be a debilitating and lifelong condition that affects around 30% of psoriasis sufferers, as well as a large number of those who do not have psoriasis. It causes a developing stiffness and pain in the joints as the condition progresses. Without treatment, it can leave the sufferer with very limited movement and a lot of pain.

Psoriatic arthritis symptoms will typically begin between 30 and 50 years old, or around ten years after psoriasis begins although it can occur much sooner and even in very young children. In the USA, over one million people will have psoriatic arthritis with most already suffering from psoriasis and many of those will have pustular psoriasis.

As with psoriasis, where it is believed the cause is an immune system defect, the same can be said for psoriasis arthritis. However, it is possible that both types of psoriasis are genetically linked but that some form of trigger may cause the condition to flare up.

You may have psoriatic arthritis if you have inflamed red lesions around the any of the joints and if the pain and swelling is worse in the morning or after you have been resting. You may first notice irregularities of the finger and toe nails; this may involve them pulling away from the nail bed, discoloration or strange ridge patterns in the nail itself. The skin around the affected joints may be darker in colour and feel warmer to the touch than other areas of the body.

Once any physical psoriatic arthritis symptoms begin to manifest (often on the nails first), you should consult your doctor as soon as possible as the deterioration of the joints can be halted with appropriate treatment. The severity of the condition will differ once it has developed, but it is estimated that sufferers will have damage to five or more joints which can severely hinder their quality of life. It is wise to remember that this condition can worsen, so if you only have mild pain in one or two joints, it is possible it could become worse over the years.

So, if you are a psoriasis sufferer already, you should watch out for any unexplained aches and pains and keep an eye on your nails, particularly if you are between 30 and 50. It may well be ‘just one of those things’, or psoriatic arthritis symptoms. If you choose to do nothing, the condition will deteriorate quickly until it severely affects your ability to do anything at all. So watch out for it, catch it quickly and inform your doctors so they can find an appropriate treatment to halt further degeneration of the joints.

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