Psoriasis is a chronic skin disorder which manifests externally on skin as white scaly patches, exfoliating, irregular, with itching, burning, in some severe cases as pus filled blisters, leaving the patches raw/sore after scratching. It can start as a small skin rash and may eventually spread to the other parts of the body.

It is one of the autoimmune disorder in which our immune system reacts abnormally to certain factors and aids in developing these types of diseases.

Normal skin is made up of layers of skin cells. The top layer of cells is flattened and gradually sheds-fall off. New cells are constantly being made underneath to replace the cells which shed off. Cells gradually move from basal layer to top horny layer. It normally takes 28 days for a cell in the basal layer to the top layer of the skin and shed there off. People with Psoriasis make more skin cells than normal and make them more quickly. The skin also becomes more inflamed.

It can be Genetic which run in families. It is not contagious-one cannot get it or give it to another by touching. Psoriasis can appear anywhere on the skin and patches can appear separately or join together to cover a large area. When patches and scales are in visible locations, people with psoriasis may feel self-conscious or withdraw socially.

There are certain types of psoriasis which we usually see,

1) Plaque – The most common form, causes dry raised, red skin lesions covered with silvery scales.

2) Nail – Psoriasis can affect fingernails and toenails causing pitting, abnormal nail growth and discoloration.

3) Guttate – This type primarily affects young adults and children. Usually triggered by bacterial infection such as strep throat.

4) Inverse – This mainly affects the skin in the armpits, groin, under the breast, around the genitals. Fungal infections may trigger this type of psoriasis.

5) Pustular – Can occurs in widespread patches generalized pustular psoriasis or in smaller areas on your hands, feet or fingertips. It generally develops quickly with pus filled blisters appearing just hours after your skin becomes red and tender. Generalized pustular psoriasis can also cause fever, chills, severe itching and diarrhea.

6) Erythrodermic psoriasis – The least common type of psoriasis, erythrodermic psoriasis can cover your entire body with a red, peeling rash that can itch or burn intensely.

7) Psoriatic arthritis – In addition to inflamed, scaly skin, psoriatic arthritis causes swollen, painful joints that are typical of arthritis. Sometimes the joint symptoms are the first or only manifestation of psoriasis or at times only nail changes are seen. Symptoms range from mild to severe and psoriatic arthritis can affect any joint.it can cause stiffness and progressive joint damage that may lead to permanent deformity.

 

There are different degrees of psoriasis –

• Mild – Symptoms cover less than 3% of your body
• Moderate – Symptoms cover 3 % to 10 % of your body
• Severe – Symptoms cover more than 10 % of your body

Diagnosing psoriasis can be sometimes hard as there are other skin problems such as eczema etc., mimic like. Your doctor will do a physical examination and review your symptoms. They may take biopsy of skin lesion and send to lab for investigation in order to confirm the diagnosis.

One cannot avoid psoriasis but can control it. People with psoriasis may have symptom free period followed by violent flare up of the diseases. There are certain trigger factors which are thought to provoke the flaring up in psoriasis individual. Some of them are,

Stress, dry skin, skin irritants, cold weather, smoking, infections, diseases that weaken the immune system, certain conventional medicines such as lithium, and drugs used for  High Blood pressure-Beta blockers, and antimalarial drugs. Skin injury such as cut, scrape or bad sunburn. Injury to the skin, including excessive scratching may trigger a patch of psoriasis to develop. The development of psoriatic plaques where the skin has been damaged is termed as KOBNER’S REACTION. Psorasis may flare up in children two to six weeks after an earache, tonsillitis, bronchitis and some other respiratory infections, obesity-overweight. Hormonal changes-Psoriasis in women tends to be worst during puberty and menopause. These are times when there are major changes in female hormonal levels. Some pregnant women with psoriasis find that their symptoms improve when they are pregnant but it may flare-up in the months after delivery.

Although psoriasis is a skin disease, it can influence a person’s health in a number of different ways. For example, some people with psoriasis have an increased risk of developing psoriatic arthritis-one of the inflammatory forms of arthritis. About one-third of people with psoriasis get this type of arthritis which causes joint pain, stiffness. Without treatment psoriatic arthritis can cause severe structural damage/deformity. People with moderate to severe forms of psoriasis are at higher risk of Heart diseases such as heart attack, stroke etc.

Complications of psoriasis if not treated in time or neglected the condition may include-psoriatic arthritis, other auto-immune disorders, eye disorders, Parkinson’s disease, kidney disease, obesity, Type 2 Diabetes mellitus, High blood pressure, cardiovascular disorders, emotional disorders, metabolic syndrome

Homeopathy Treatment for Psoriasis

Homeopathy is safe and reliable method of treatment for psoriasis. It uses natural medicine with no side effects. They can be used by people of all age groups. They work by moderating the over active immune system. The initial aim is to manage the itching and burning sensation in the eruptions. In addition, healing of the current eruptions takes place along with the prevention of further spread of eruptions. Homeopathic medicines also are very beneficial for treating joint pains that are linked with psoriasis i.e., Psoriatic arthritis. We here in positive homeopathy with a team of well qualified doctors study each patient individually, considering patient’s physical, emotional symptoms and assessing in order to give the best possible treatment to the patient.

Psoriasis is derived from the Greek word Psora meaning itch or rash. In ancient times till a few decades back it was known to be a type of Leprosy but with the advancement in medicine, it has been identified as a separate entity and is now considered to be chronic inflammatory dermatosis. Learn more about homeopathy treatment for psoriasis in this article.

It is a common skin disease characterized by thick white or red silvery patches on the skin. It is genetically inherited autoimmune disorder which means it is developed by overactivity of our immune system. Primarily it affects the skin of Elbow, Knee, scalp but later it may affect other parts of the body such as nail& joints. It can affect a person of any age and gender. As per WHO prevalence of the disease ranges between 0.04%-2.8%in Indian population.

Aetiology:

Psoriasis is a multifactorial disorder. The major causes are:

• Defects in the immune system- being autoimmune in nature defects in the immune system is the primary reason for Psoriasis. Chronic, low-grade inflammation in the body can also trigger abnormal immune reaction leading to Psoriasis
• Genetic disposition- a positive family history of psoriasis or any other autoimmune disorder increases the risk of Psoriasis
• Environmental factor- Psoriasis is seen more in cold season or winters as skin becomes drier. Other factors like pollution, smoking are also considered as risk factors for Psoriasis.

Though the above are the primary factors for the cause of Psoriasis but triggering factors are many. The common trigger factors are:

• Stress is the primary trigger factor. Whenever we face stress body releases stress hormones which in turn trigger the immune system and in persons disposed towards psoriasis it causes the immune system to overreact leading to flare-ups
• Allergies are caused due to the hypersensitive reaction of the immune system. Though the mechanism for allergies and psoriasis is different probably the stress associated with the allergic condition which can trigger psoriatic flare-ups
• Alcohol- certain studies have shown that consuming alcohol increases the risk of Psoriasis
• Smoking- The Nicotine in tobacco is believed to alter the immune system which can lead to skin inflammation
• Infections – as any infection trigger immune response in certain individuals it can lead to an abnormal reaction. In many individuals’ chronic fungal infections lead towards Psoriasis. Similarly, Guttate Psoriasis is due to bacterial infection mainly streptococcus
• Weather- As stated previously there is a flare-up of psoriasis whereas exposure to ultraviolet radiation of the sun in the early morning has been good for Psoriasis.
• Cuts & bruises- It has been observed that injuries like cuts and bruises trigger a psoriatic flare up most probably due to stress along with the enzymes released like cytokines for healing trigger it.
• Medications- Certain medications like anti-hypertensives, NSAIDs, Lithium, certain antibiotics like tetracyclines, interferons, anti-malarial drugs, etc. can cause flare up of Psoriasis.
• Hormones- Skin is part of the neuroendocrine system so as such hormonal changes affect the skin. It is believed that estrogen has an effect on the immune response. Also, the level of androgens and stress hormones have been associated with Psoriasis.
• Obesity- studies have shown that obesity is associated with Psoriasis. Most probably the underlying causes of obesity are the reason for the association.

Pathophysiology:

Psoriasis was originally considered as a Hyperproliferation of epidermal cells. However, immunomodulating therapies conceptualized Psoriasis as a genetically programmed inflammatory skin disease. The normal life cycle of skin cells is 28days but in psoriasis, the disturbance in the immune system affects the life cycle of skin cells by which they multiply much faster than normal. When these cells reach the surface and die, raised, red plaques covered with white scales appear. Psoriasis begins as a small scaling plaque initially but when multiple papules coalesce they form scaling plaques. These plaques tend to occur in scalp, elbow, and knees.

Signs & Symptoms:

• Red patches of skin covered with white silvery scales
• Itching, Burning soreness
• Dry, Thick skin
• Itchy plaques with small scaling spots
• Small bleeding points when the scales peeled away –AUSPITZ SIGN
• Psychologically patient develops symptoms of Anxiety, stress, Depression, Low self-esteem

Types of Psoriasis:

There are 5 types in Psoriasis

1.Plaque psoriasis: This is the most common type. It is characterized by thick, red patches of skin often with silver or white scales. Patches are usually 1-10cm in wide and commonly appears in Elbow, Knees, Lower back & scalp.80% people with psoriasis have PLAQUE PSORIASIS.

2.Guttate Psoriasis: It is the 2^nd most common type. It appears as small red spots on the skin.10%people with psoriasis have this type. Its cause is bacterial which is most commonly associated with common cold hence it is usually seen during childhood& young adulthood. The spots appear as small separate drops shaped. They often appear on torso& limbs.

3.Inverse Psoriasis: It often appears in skin folds such as under breasts, armpits and groin region. The spots are red, smooth& shiny. The sweat & moisture from the skin folds aggravates shedding of skin scales.

4.Pustular Psoriasis: This is a severe form of Psoriasis. It develops fast in the form of white pustular eruptions around the red skin. It mostly affects isolated parts hands & feet. While the pus is non-infectious it causes Flu-like symptoms such as Fever, Chills, Rapid pulse, Muscle weakness, Loss of Appetite.

5.Erythrodermic Psoriasis: It is a rare type which looks like severe burns. The condition is serious and can be indeed a medical emergency. This type of Psoriasis covered a large portion of the body forms widespread red, scaly spots.

Homeopathic Management:

Homeopathy is an effective mode of treatment for Psoriasis. It is a system of medicine which is based on the individualization of the patient. Homeopathy believes in treating “MAN IN DISEASE, NOT THE DISEASE IN MAN “.The homeopathic remedies do not suppress the skin condition, rather the medicine intends to correct the cause of psoriasis by strengthening the immune system. Through constitutional treatment in homeopathy Psoriasis flare-ups, complications and reoccurrence of the patches can be stopped, providing management and cure for Psoriasis.

Homeopathy Treatment For Psoriasis & Doctors In Hyderabad:

According to our master Hahnemann ‘s 1^st& 4^th Aphorisms “The Physicians mission is not only to give relief to the patient but also to restore his health. The physician should know about the things which derange his health and how to remove them from him” before homeopathy treatment for psoriasis, every physician should know about Diet & Regimen for the patients. Diet also important for treating Psoriasis as mentioned below:

Foods to Eat:

• Flaxseed, Walnut
• Green vegetables, fruits
• Papaya, cherry, salmon fish
• One Raw carrot daily

 Foods to avoid:

• Wheat, Barley, White sugar
• Sour foods- Tomato, Tamarind
• Chocolate, ice creams, Meat, Bread,
• Dairy products,
• Fried & Fast food items
• Avoid Tobacco, smoke & Alcohol

For external application, OLIVE OIL & COCONUT OIL is the best choice

A Case study:

Mr. Raj*(PT id-T2-1507446580), a 22-year-old male patient came with complaints of thick, white round patches around red skin over both backs of elbow, knees & trunk of the body. He complained of severe itching over the patches which aggravated in night and cold weather. The itching was so severe that he has to scratch until it bleeds causing a severe burning sensation which was relieved by taking warm water bathing. He had previously taken allopathic treatment for one year but there was not much relief. He could not reveal much about his family history. On detailed case taking and observation, he was found to be very anxious and was fearful that his disease is incurable. As he was lean, dark complexioned and anxious a single dose of Arsenic album 200 was given. His anxiety decreased though there was not much change in his skin condition. The medicine was continued for 2 months and he was progressing well but suddenly there was an acute flare-up. On review the patient confessed that recently he broke up with his girlfriend. Due to acute flare up, his sensitive nature and grief over lost love a single dose of Natrum Mur 200 were given. The itching reduced and skin started improving and the patches began to disappear. At the end of 3 months, his skin was almost normal. Inter currently nosode Psorinum 200 was given to prevent reoccurrence. It is now two years since he stopped the treatment and there has been no relapse.

BEFORE THE TREATMENT:

DURING THE TREATMENT:

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