Common Psoriasis Treatments

Psoriasis is a chronic, non contagious but believed to be non curable skin condition which over four million Americans suffer from. This chronic condition can flare up or go into remission at almost any time, and while remissions can last for months or years, the actual cause of the problem is not yet fully known. Most psoriasis sufferers have flare ups most often when their body is subjected to certain triggers. Common triggers which can cause a psoriasis flare up include excess stress, injury or severe trauma of some sort, and severe sicknesses or other diseases.

The skin plaques caused by psoriasis are thought to be a result of an over reactive immune system. Instead of producing new skin cells about once each month like a healthy body does, psoriasis sufferers get new skin generated every three to five days. This creates a pile up on the surface, because the existing skin cells do not have enough time to die off and shed before the new skin cells arrive.

Modern medical science and research approaches psoriasis treatments with the idea of controlling or reducing the external symptoms created by the disease. You see, when psoriasis flares up, extra skin piles up on the surface of the body in the form of thick scaley, flaky patches known as psoriasis plaques. These plaques are most often found on the elbows, knees or scalp, but they can occur anywhere on the body including the hands, feet, face and genitals.

Sometimes psoriasis plaques are just thick and scaley, but often they are reddened and can be itchy as well. So most psoriasis treatments prescribed by doctors are designed to try and reduce redness, relieve itching, and thin or soften the psoriasis skin plaques.

The first psoriasis treatments tried are known as topical treatments, and these are creams, ointments and salves which are rubbed onto the plaques directly. Prescription creams often contain coal tar, retinoic acid, and Vitamin D derrivatives. Some prescription psoriasis topical treatments also contain steroids or other medications which are designed to try and supress the rate of new skin growth too.

Herbal psoriasis treatments also include topical creams, ointments, salves or bath soaks which can help relieve some of the more problematic symptoms of psoriasis. These often include aloe vera to help soften the skin plaques, oatmeal baths which can also soften the skin and help it flake off more, and herbs which are known to be excellent skin healers such as chickweed and comfrey.

Herbal specialists also feel that proper psoriasis treatments must also include internal treatments as well as external. Since psoriasis is caused by an imbalance or problem with the body's immune system, natural psoriasis treatments often include a regime of correcting vitamin deficiences, improving dietary habits, and doing a colon cleanse or body detox too.

Natural psoriasis treatments include correcting vitamin deficiencies, because psoriasis sufferers often have problems using certain vitamins in their body such as D and A. Changing the dietary habits is also quite useful, because this psoriasis treatment focuses on getting more fiber and healthy vegetables and fruit into the body regularly. The third psoriasis treatment involves cleaning the colon or doing a body detox, because these treatments help rid the body of excess toxins, poisons, and wastes that have accumulated over the years and could be contributing to the psoriasis condition.

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