Psoriasis Awareness Month 2022: 6 Facts An Expert Dermatologist Tells You About Psoriasis.
Every Year August is celebrated as World Psoriasis month, which aims to educate and create awareness among people about Psoriasis and its effects on a person who suffers from it. This day was first launched by National Psoriasis Foundation (NPF) in 1997 to spread general knowledge about the condition that affects around 125 million people worldwide.
We at Dr. Health have taken this day as an occasion to help people living with Psoriasis by ending the stigma everyone has about it. In this article, facts are shared after having a complete discussion with our Skin Care expert Dr. Megha Chaturvedi who is successful in treating Psoriasis with the assistance of Ayurveda.
Ayurveda and its Techniques have been with us since time immemorial, and our ancestors have always followed the treatment techniques of Ayurveda that have helped to give a clean bill of health whenever needed.
Here we start our journey that will let you all understand what Psoriasis is and will also get to know a few facts that most of us do not know about Psoriasis.
Fact: Psoriasis Is Not Contagious
Most people do not know that Psoriasis does not spread to another individual by any means and that it is non-contagious. So there is no reason to keep a distance or avoid touching a person with Psoriasis. This is very much visible that Psoriasis patients tend to feel stigmatized, which causes them to avoid social appearance. We all should keep in mind to support people struggling with Psoriasis as a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. And even if this stigma changes for a few minds, it can make a win-win situation for all of us.
Most of us are familiar with red, silvery, scaly patches of Psoriasis that appear upon our skin. But what most of us do not know is Psoriasis can take other forms too. Pustular Psoriasis is one such form where pustules (Pimples or Blister containing Puss) develop all over one’s body. Guttate Psoriasis is another form that can appear on the body without any warning signs. It causes the development of red scaly patches on the skin and is said to recover completely if treatment is taken at the right time. Few more types of Psoriasis are Nail Psoriasis, Ear Psoriasis, Inverse Psoriasis, Erythrodermic Psoriasis, Scalp Psoriasis, and Plaque Psoriasis.
Fact: Psoriasis can affect Liver Health
If you have Psoriasis, you are at higher risk of developing health problems such as arthritis, eye problems, and heart disease but what we do not know is that Psoriasis also affects the liver and can put your liver health in danger. You should also know that the above statement can go vice-versa as poor liver health can also be a factor behind the development of Psoriasis.
Fact: Psoriasis can Aggravate If you Get Sick
Psoriasis flare-ups are primarily seen in patients, which cause discomfort, pain, and extreme itchiness. The flare-ups can arise due to many reasons it can be weather, food intake, or even hot water baths, but what the real concern is, any sort of illness that takes a toll on our immune system, as when this happens, the immune system has to work harder than usual, and it increases the production of white blood cells that target the healthy cells which in turn causes extreme flare-ups on top of another problem
Psoriasis patients tend to isolate themselves as a result of social reactions from their surroundings due to the physical appearance of the disorder. It is also seen that patients try to hide the effects of Psoriasis with their clothes, and they try to avoid seeing people as the scars can be noticed by them. Even a study was conducted for a set of men and women where they concluded that Patients with Psoriasis show higher levels of Depression and anxiety scores.
It is estimated that 30% of Psoriasis patients will get affected with Psoriatic Arthritis which gets triggered by the same inflammation that causes patches of Psoriasis on the skin. This can be identified if you have joint pain as well as Psoriasis, and with that, a patient may see scaly patches on elbows and knees, joint pain, and stiffness and swelling of the fingers. It is essential to follow a medication regime that targets the inflammation and see a rheumatologist in addition to a dermatologist.
All of us can find various ways on the internet to treat Psoriasis at home, but before starting any kind of treatment at home, you should always consult a certified Dermatologist as your Dermatologist is your knight in the shining armor who will save you from this disorder. Dr. Megha Chaturvedi (BAMS, Skin Expert at Dr. Health) has successfully treated thousands of Psoriasis patients with the help of Ayurveda. Dr. Megha says,” there are various ways in treating Psoriasis, but the most effective one would be an Ayurvedic approach as it has the power to treat Psoriasis from its root.”