Psoriasis is an autoimmune disease that targets the skin. It can cause itchy sensations, as well as inflammation and thicker tissues. As a result, your skin will go red and feel scaly. Most commonly, it shows up on elbows, knees, scalp, back, face, hands and legs, but it can also target other parts of the body.
The bad news is psoriasis cannot be entirely cured. The good news is you can keep it under control. Simply put, you can get rid of all these unwanted symptoms and make it feel like it is not even there. But what do you do when your treatment fails to work? What can you do if you do not see any improvements? Here are some helpful ideas to give you a hand.
Get More Sun Exposure
According to multiple studies, psoriasis can be tackled from multiple directions. Most doctors will almost always recommend vitamin D supplements. It seems vitamin D is more efficient than others in combating the affection. Apart from taking supplements, you can also boost its production in a natural way – simply get more sun exposure. The sun plays a major role in treating psoriasis because it stimulates the body to produce vitamin D.
From many points of view, this is the main reason wherefore psoriasis seems to target people from northern regions. They do not get as much sun as other parts of the world, so their vitamin D deficit has some negative effects over the body. Obviously, you cannot cure the disease by chilling in the sun all day long, but it will certainly help in the process. If you do not live in a sunny place, look for vitamin D supplements. Ideally, you should opt for naturist solutions.
Learn to Relax
Stress is known to be one of the main reasons behind psoriasis. It can be quite challenging to spend a life with no stress. Everyone would want that, but there is always something to be concerned about. The best part is that you do have options – the more stress in your life, the more options you have to reduce the unwanted episodes of psoriasis. Even if you lived in the middle of nowhere with your family and a few lovely pets, you would still be stressed at times, so you cannot avoid that.
What you can do is determine the main stress factors. Is it a busy day at work? A problematic colleague? Certain bills? Finding parking? Whatever the reason is, try to identify it and find a solution for it. At the same time, make an effort and give yourself some extra time for relaxation. There are multiple relaxation techniques, as well as good options. You can take a relaxing bath or a massage, meditate, play music, play games or do some yoga.
Quit Smoking
Are there any benefits associated with smoking? Exactly! Smoking does no good, but only harm. Not only is it harmful for your heart and lungs, but it is also a terrible habit for someone who struggles with psoriasis. The explanation is fairly simple. Each puff you take will bring in thousands of toxins into your body. They are all responsible for mild inflammation. According to scientists, smokers experience more severe psoriasis symptoms than nonsmokers.
If you smoke, do yourself a favor and quit this habit. It is not all about avoiding the inflammation of psoriasis, but also about preventing a series of cosmetic and health related problems. Unfortunately, lots of people fail to realize these negative effects until they actually end up with a problem – in this case, severe eruptions caused by psoriasis.
Improve Your Diet
You are what you eat. Psoriasis is an inflammatory affection. If you eat foods known to trigger, cause or stimulate inflammation, you obviously work against yourself by pushing your psoriasis further. This is one of the most important considerations. Even if you do take medications and medical treatments, they will not be as efficient if you do not help.
According to doctors, you should definitely limit the consumption of processed foods (fast foods, frozen meals and so on), as well as sugary foods (cakes or sweets). Based on scientific research, red meat and milk are also responsible for triggering inflammation. Opt for alternatives. Get almond, soy or coconut milk instead. Choose other types of meat. Ideally, you should keep a journal with your previous day foods whenever you experience a psoriasis episode, so you can tell what triggers these problems.
Forget about Alcohol
Alcohol is just like smoking. Even a small amount every once in a while can lead to a stressful psoriasis episode during the next day. Most commonly, it interacts with medication. Apart from unwanted reactions or side effects, it will also reduce its effectiveness. You might think you are fine if you do not take any medication, but you are wrong. Alcohol boosts the natural production of cytokines – some inflammatory types of protein. They aggravate symptoms and trigger unexpected inflammation.
Cut down on alcohol and observe the immediate results. If you still face harsh psoriasis inflammation, consider cutting it out completely.
Tips and Tricks to Ease Psoriasis Symptoms
Other than these main recommendations, here are a few other ideas to help you in this venture.
- Avoid scratching your wounds.
- Keep your skin clean and hydrated at all times.
- Keep the air around you humid.
- Wear soft clothing made of natural fibers.
- Stay away from perfumes that can irritate skin.
- Eat lots of fruits and vegetables.
- Engage into physical activity on a regular basis.
- Take a bath before going to sleep.
Conclusion
Bottom line, a medical treatment can and will keep psoriasis under control, but it is also up to you to implement some healthy changes into your lifestyle. Some things might be easier to do, while others imply some sacrifices. The good news is that all of them will have positive effects in the long run. Psoriasis cannot be entirely healed, so learn to keep it under control.
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