The emotional burden of psoriasis skin disease

Psoriasis skin disease might not be as common as acne or eczema, but it ranks as high as cancer & diabetes in terms of negative impact on quality of life. For over 200 million people worldwide who have psoriasis, it is the biggest emotional burden and a leading cause of anxiety, depression, social stigma and even suicide in many cases.

More than just a skin disease

Why does psoriasis impact the patient so much? Though not contagious, psoriasis skin disease being a visible disease, largely affects the quality of patient’s life. Due to the way your skin looks, it becomes socially embarrassing for people suffering from it. Patients with psoriasis come across situations where people around them perceive this skin condition to be contagious and avoid contact. This further worsens the situation. Even your friends or family members may refuse your offer to help them out in kitchen or you might have to go through the pain of seeing notice boards in several club houses that read ‘patients with skin diseases not allowed in swimming pools’. It hurts, right? Children are worst affected. It is often painful to see a child go through such an unpleasant experience.

Also, psoriasis if left untreated, leads to psoriatic arthritis further worsening patients’ physical health. It might also interfere in daily functioning and job. 

Therefore, for people dealing with the chronic pain, itchiness and frustration of psoriasis, anything that promises relief seems like worth trying. Unfortunately, most often it only leads to complicating the condition more and never gives long- lasting relief from psoriasis.

Also read Living with the Psoriasis - Easy tips for you

What is it that causes psoriasis?

Psoriasis treatment largely depends on the cause of it. It is therefore important to first understand the root cause of psoriasis.

Psoriasis is an auto-immune disorder, where body’s immune system mistakenly attacks its own skin cells causing their rapid growth. This leads to psoriasis. Some of the triggers that cause this are:

• Hereditary history of psoriasis: About 20-30 per cent people with psoriasis have family members with it.
• Stress has been said to be one of the causes of psoriasis
• Skin injury and severe sore throat has been perceived to cause it.

However, what triggers psoriasis is not common to all. What may cause psoriasis in one person may not cause it in another. You therefore need to consult a specialist doctor to know the root cause of it in you.

Treating the chronic itch of psoriasis effectively 

Psoriasis treatment needs to focus on complete well-being of a patient. It should focus on their medical, emotional and psychological improvement. Just superficially treating the physical symptoms is not enough. Homeopathy treats psoriasis holistically and therefore offers long-lasting solution. 

It treats psoriasis with,  

• Natural & safe medicines
• No side-effects
• Treats the root cause
• Addresses emotional concerns like stress & anxiety
• Boosts immunity.

Research too supports the effectiveness of homeopathic medicines for psoriasis. A study published in The Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, reported that psoriasis patients experienced significant improvement in their quality of life and reduction in the symptoms of psoriasis with homeopathic treatment.

Self- help

To conclude, though it is necessary to treat psoriasis, you can also follow some tips to prevent aggravating the condition.  

• Avoid hot water bath or limit the time of exposure to hot showers
• Use moisturizer to not let you skin dry
• Avoid using sharp toothed comb if you have scalp psoriasis
• Avoid using cosmetics

Avoid eating red meat, as it can aggravate psoriasis.  Read more on self-help for psoriasis.