There are so many autoimmune diseases out there. I have posted my thoughts on several over the past 6 months, one that I have not mentioned is Psoriasis. Its summer time and our skin is susceptible to many things. Rashes are among the annoying health conditions that appear on our bodies. Many diseases take affect on the inside of the body, NOT rashes, they make it easy for everyone to see and feel. They make themselves known!
You can get a rash from food, insect bites, reactions, infections or from an unknown cause.
Our immune system can be responsible for many of the rashes people get. When our immune system “fights itself” you can develop an Autoimmune response.
You may wonder what Psoriasis is…… an autoimmune disease causing the skin cells to grow very fast causing crusting, scaling, itching, redness over several areas of the body.
Starts between the ages of 15-35, however like many other immune diseases, it can occur at any age. No Psoriasis is not contagious or infectious.
There are many forms of Psoriasis and a specialist called a Dermatologist should be the person to help sort it out, make the diagnosis and treat the rash.
Psoriasis can develop into Psoriatic Arthritis, which can damage the joints if left untreated. This causes very painful joints, difficulty walking and exercising.
Because its an autoimmune disease it is thought that you will have this the rest of your life with triggers that caused it to develop in the first place and will also cause exacerbations or flare ups. Some of the common triggers are
- Foods
- Stress
- Skin injury such as a bad sunburn
- Infection or viruses
- Cold weather
- Smoking
- Heavy alcohol use
- Other autoimmune diseases
- Genetics
Avoiding your triggers will decrease the amount of flares you have.
Seeing someone to help you work through the triggers will help you manage your symptoms and the number of areas of skin that are affected. Diet, or food choices can be a huge benefit of your treatment. You could have a food sensitivity and not know it. An anti-inflammatory diet has been shown to be very beneficial.
People who have psoriasis voice their concern with the look of the rash. “everyone can see it”, “it looks disgusting”, “I can’t sleep”, “It’s embarrassing”. It will affect a person’s self esteem which can lead to anxiety, depression, and social isolation.
Find a support group with others that have this autoimmune disease so you can gain insight and even treatment ideas, referrals for management of the symptoms or just have someone available that understands.
This skin rash is treatable. You need to have persistence and patience, with the right treatment plan and a great health team you can begin to work on this visible rash that can cause so much discomfort!
Do you or someone you know suffer with Psoriasis? I would love to hear what you do for treatment.
Tina
Tina Butt, Health and Wellness Coach and Healthcare Advocate
Qualified Wellness Solutions, LLC