Psoriasis is a “hush-hush” disease. People are afraid to ask why your skin is covered in red, scaly patches. And if you’re a psoriasis sufferer, it’s probably not your favorite topic of conversation anyway. You hide your psoriasis beneath long sleeves, cover it with makeup and wear pants in the summer… just to avoid that embarrassing question.
But it’s time to clear the air about psoriasis (and hopefully your skin too) by busting some common psoriasis myths about this chronic and uncomfortable disease.
- Psoriasis Myth: Not many people have psoriasis.
If you have psoriasis, you may feel alone. Maybe no one else you know has it. And you wonder why you’re the only “lucky” one with red patches of scaly skin all over your body. But, the truth is, you’re far from alone. As many as 16 million Americans have psoriasis.
- Psoriasis Myth: Psoriasis is contagious.
When most people see a skin rash, they wonder whether it’s contagious. But psoriasis isn’t that kind of rash. It’s not caused by a virus or bacteria. In fact, it’s not an infection of any kind. So you can’t “catch” it from or “give” it to anyone else. Psoriasis does have a genetic component though, so it does run in families.
- Psoriasis Myth: Psoriasis only affects your skin.
Despite appearances, psoriasis isn’t a skin disease. It’s an inflammatory disease caused by a malfunctioning immune system. When you have psoriasis, your T-cells become overactive and attack healthy skin cells. But psoriasis can also affect your joints. If you have psoriatic arthritis, for example, your immune system attacks your skin and your joints. That means you can end up with swollen and painful joints anywhere in your body— on top of the red, scaly skin plaques that are the calling card of psoriasis. Having psoriasis also puts you at increased risk for developing other health conditions, like heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, depression, inflammatory bowel disease and obesity.
- Psoriasis Myth: Topical steroid creams are your only treatment option
If you’re sick of slathering on topical steroid creams that provide little relief, you should know they’re not your only option. And I’m not talking about prescription psoriasis medications like methotrexate, cyclosporine or acitretin either. Those can have serious side effects like kidney damage, liver damage or even an increased cancer risk. Instead you can try natural treatments like:
- Topical vitamin D cream
- Phototherapy (exposing your skin to ultraviolet light from the sun or a UVB bulb)
- Topical aloe vera cream
- Topical Oregon grape cream
- Avocado and B12 cream
- Eating a diet high in vitamin D, vitamin A, zinc and omega-3 fatty acids to boost skin health. Also make sure to eat a lot of antioxidants to reduce inflammation, the root cause of the disease.
- Stress-reduction techniques like yoga, meditation or acupuncture (stress is a notorious trigger for psoriasis flare-ups).
Whatever method you use to heal your psoriasis, know that it is possible to kick those scaly, red skin plaques to the curb. If you have a serious case of psoriasis you may want to partner with a natural health practitioner to determine a psoriasis treatment plan that works for you.
Sources:
“The Medical Minute: Clearing up common myths about psoriasis.” Penn State University. http://news.psu.edu. Retrieved August 28, 2016.
“Psoriasis.” The Mayo Clinic. http://www.mayoclinic.org. Retrieved August 28, 2016.
“Psoriasis: Overview.” The American Academy of Dermatology. https://www.aad.org. Retrieved August 28, 2016.
“A Guide to Oral Medications: Psoriasis.” Health. http://www.health.com. Retrieved August 28, 2016.
“Herbs and Natural Remedies.” National Psoriasis Foundation. https://www.psoriasis.org. Retrieved August 28, 2016.
“Psoriasis Diet, Essential Oils & Supplements for Natural Treatment.” Dr. Axe. https://draxe.com. Retrieved August 28, 2016.
