✨PSORIASIS💉

🔅Simply put, psoriasis is a chronic autoimmune skin condition. It is characterized by a rapid buildup of skin cells, resulting in red, inflamed patches covered with silvery scales.

🔸TRIGGERS OF PSORIASIS:

Immune System Dysfunction:

Primarily it's considered an immune-mediated disorder; triggered by a complex interplay between the immune system, genetics, and environmental factors. T cells, a type of white blood cell(s), play a crucial role in triggering an inflammatory response that leads to the development of psoriasis lesions.

Genetic Factors:

Simply put, it tends to run through a family's genealogy. Multiple genes associated with the immune system and skin function have been identified as potential risk factors for developing psoriasis. However, this being the case, the genetic compounds are triggered by other agents, hence it's not a guarantee that one will obviously have the condition.

Environmental Triggers:

Different environmental agents exacerbate psoriasis symptoms in susceptible individuals.

This could be:

. stress, infections (such as streptococcal throat infection),

. certain medications (e.g., beta-blockers, lithium),

. injury to the skin (e.g., cuts, sunburn),

. drugs and substance abuse (e.g., smoking, alcohol consumption).

Inflammatory Pathways:

Inflammatory pathways such as the Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) pathway and Interleukin pathways (IL-12, IL-17, IL-23), have also been in play for triggering psoriasis. Furthermore, they have become targets for novel biologic therapies that aim to control the inflammation associated with psoriasis.

🔸 TREATMENT OPTIONS

Basically, Psoriasis management focuses on controlling symptoms, reducing inflammation, and preventing flare-ups.

It's management ranges from topical medications (e.g., corticosteroids, vitamin D analogs) for mild cases to systemic therapies (e.g., oral medications, biologics) for moderate to severe psoriasis and phototherapy, which involves exposing the skin to certain controlled ultraviolet light.

• Biologic Therapies:

Biologic drugs targeting specific immune pathways, such as TNF inhibitors, interleukin inhibitors (e.g., IL-17, IL-23), and phosphodiesterase-4 inhibitors, have shown significant efficacy in reducing psoriasis symptoms and improving the patients' quality of life. 🎈 Demerit: They may pose risks, including the potential for infections and other adverse events.

• Comorbidities:

Psoriasis is associated with an increased risk of developing certain comorbid conditions, including psoriatic arthritis, cardiovascular disease, obesity, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, depression, and other mental health disorders.

🎯Psoriasis can be managed through a combination of clinical treatments and natural remedies.

It's always advisable to consult with a healthcare professional for severe cases and before trying any new treatment approach since some natural options may not be effective to some individuals.

🔸 Clinical Treatments:

1. Topical Medications:

   ▪️They include: corticosteroids, vitamin D analogs, retinoids, calcineurin inhibitors, and coal tar preparations. Applied directly to the affected skin area; they help reduce inflammation, control itching, and slow down skin cell growth.

2. Systemic Medications: ▪️ Effective for moderate to severe psoriasis. This is oral or injectable medications that are prescribed by a professional health-care giver. These include: methotrexate, cyclosporine, acitretin, and newer biologic drugs such as TNF inhibitors (e.g., etanercept, adalimumab), IL-17 inhibitors (e.g., secukinumab, ixekizumab), and IL-23 inhibitors (e.g., ustekinumab, guselkumab).

3. Phototherapy:

▪️This involves exposing the skin to controlled amounts of natural sunlight or artificial ultraviolet (UV) light. This helps slow down the rapid growth of skin cells and reduce inflammation.

🎈Types of phototherapy

• Narrowband UVB.
• Psoralen plus UVA (PUVA).
• Excimer laser.

🔸 Excimer Laser: This targeted laser therapy delivers a high-intensity beam of UVB light to the affected areas, helping to reduce scaling and inflammation.

🔸 Natural Remedies:

Moisturizers:

Regular application can help soothe dryness and reduce itching. Choose fragrance-free and hypoallergenic products to avoid skin irritation.

Dietary Modifications:

By avoiding triggers such as alcohol, processed foods, gluten, and nightshade vegetables (e.g., tomatoes, eggplants), eating a balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and omega-3 fatty acids may have overall health benefits and effectively help curb the condition.

Herbal Remedies:

Topically or orally taken the anti-inflammatory properties of various herbs and botanical extracts effectually reduce the severity of the psoriasis condition. Examples include: aloe vera, tea tree oil, capsaicin (derived from chili peppers), and Oregon grape (Berberis aquifolium).

Dead Sea Salt Baths:

Soaking in a warm bath with Dead Sea salts or Epsom salts can help remove scales, reduce itching, and soothe the skin.

Avoid hot water as it causes worse effects than any good

Stress Management:

Stress can most often be the trigger for psoriasis flares. Engaging in stress-reducing activities such as yoga, meditation, deep breathing exercises, and regular exercise can help manage stress levels and improve overall well-being.