National Psoriasis Month

- By Kirsty Lakstin-Adams (Naturopath)

Every week I see patients walk through the door that are living with psoriasis.  Some have had it since childhood and others have only just been diagnosed either by a dermatologist or Dr Google. Between 2.3% and 6.6% of the Australian population have psoriasis, and while the skin is the most visibly affected organ, there is increasing evidence to support the research that it may have many associated disorders, including psoriatic arthritis, cardiovascular disease, obesity, insulin resistance, mental health disorders, inflammatory bowel disease, other immune-related disorders, liver & kidney disease.

Psoriasis is a systemic inflammatory disease, meaning it affects the whole body. This skin condition speeds up the life cycle of skin cells, resulting in extra skin cells. These extra cells form itchy red patches on the skin. Besides being itchy, the red patches are often painful. Other symptoms include cracked skin that sometimes bleeds and small scaling spots. In some cases, psoriasis causes the joints to become inflamed and stiff and is called psoriatic arthritis.

The exact cause of psoriasis isn’t fully understood. Some research suggests that an overactive immune system plays a role. Psoriasis usually starts or gets worse when certain triggers occur. These triggers include infections, injury to the skin, stress, nutrient deficiencies, hormonal changes and poor diet. Psoriasis can also be triggered by certain medications.

Psoriasis usually affects a person’s quality of life, which can lead to depression and anxiety. Unfortunately, there is no cure for psoriasis but it can go into remission with diet & lifestyle changes, appropriate supplementation and topicals for management. Even though many people can get relief from topical treatments addressing the underlying reasons why the psoriasis is active can help to get long term remission and management.