Pustular Psoriasis Facts and Treatment

Author: Alien

Pustular psoriasis is an uncommon form of psoriasis. Psoriasis is a common skin disease that affects the life cycle of skin cells. Generalised pustular psoriasis is a rare form of psoriasis, which presents as widespread pustules on a background of red and tender skin. Pustular psoriasis is uncommon in the United States. Pustular psoriasis affects all races. The average age of those affected is 50 but the range is wide and rarely it can affect children. Generalized pustular psoriasis is often triggered by stopping topical or oral steroids. Oral steroids in psoriasis patients are actually dangerous. They do clear up the psoriasis while the patient is taking them, but after the patient stops, the psoriasis often comes back even worse.

People with pustular psoriasis have clearly defined, raised bumps on the skin that are filled with pus (pustules). The skin under and around these bumps is red. Large portions of your skin may redden.

Causes

As with other types of psoriasis, infections or stress may be a trigger factor in PPP. A strong association with smoking has also been identified, the mechanism of which is uncertain but may be linked to the products of smoking encouraging the inflammatory cells to accumulate in the epidermis (the top layer of the skin).

Around 6 per cent of the people who have psoriasis also get psoriatic arthritis in the joints. Psoriatic arthritis primarily occurs in fingers and toes, but is also quite common in the back bone.

Signs and symptoms

Initially the skin becomes dry, fiery red and tender. The patient may also have a fever, chills, headache, rapid pulse rate, and loss of appetite, nausea and muscle weakness. Within hours 2-3 mm pustules filled with non-infected pus appear on parts of the body especially the flexures and genital areas.

Pustular Psoriasis Treatment

As with all types of psoriasis, there is no cure for pustular psoriasis. There are, however, a number of treatments aimed at controlling the symptoms.

Topical medications are available over the counter and by prescription. Over-the-counter medications are designed for use on thick, scaly skin, not for use on blistering psoriasis. Prescription ointments may be used on blisters. They should be used with care because they may cause skin irritation and inflammation.

Phototherapy (ultraviolet B, UVB) and photochemotherapy (psoralent ultraviolet A, PUVA) are both used for widespread psoriasis. Many patients find that natural sunlight also helps.

Oral treatment with immunosuppressants such as ciclosporin (Neoral), or methotrexate (eg Maxtrex) or the vitamin A derivative acitretin (Neotigason) may be used for patients with severe, widespread or unresponsive psoriasis.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/pustular-psoriasis-facts-and-treatment-283422.html

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Are You Fed Up With Those Flakes Of Dandruff?

There is probably a strong guarantee that when you switch on the TV or lift up a magazine you can expect to see an advert for dandruff. And funnily enough all the companies that are advertising their product will claim that it is the solution that you have been waiting for.

You may be fortunate enough not be suffering from dandruff and when you do see white flakes on the shoulders of a sufferer then you might think that that person does not take care of themselves at all.

Now there are numerous products available for dandruff, some a medicated and some are just your everyday run of the mill products. But if you are currently suffering from dandruff then you need to be assured that your condition is not caused by you not taking care of your appearance or having a lack of personal hygiene at all.

Dandruff is not rare and it does not affect the few, it affects the many and there will be a great many people who will claim that they have experienced dandruff at some point in their lives. All dandruff is dry skin and no more.

It sheds itself from the scalp and falls on to the shoulders. But sometimes it can be a little more serious such as a fungal infection or even psoriasis of the scalp. It would be best to pay a visit to your doctor to get a correct diagnosis.

As mentioned dandruff is just dry skin from the scalp that is shedding itself, and dandruff generally appears because the skin on the scalp is being removed faster than normal.

Having said this, the rest of the body is also removing and renewing skin cells at the time too, so why do you not see skin cells from your hands flaking off? One of the possible reasons is that the skin on the scalp is generally exposed to a variety of elements such as the wind, rain and sun.

So the skin on the scalp is already actually dead skin. If this was not renewed at a frequent pace then the scalp would become very thick and this could lead to other problems such as poor hair growth. It is this rapid renewal of skin cells on the scalp that is known as dandruff.

A lot of people think that the reason skin sheds itself from the skin is because the skin is too dry. There is some element of truth behind this but then again there are people who have very oily hair and they too suffer from dandruff. It can often be worse if you have oily hair and the oil literally sticks to the scalp and large clogs of skin can often be seen.

There is also some suggestion that dandruff is a result of hormones and funnily enough it is men that seem to suffer from dandruff more than women.

Regardless of the cause you simply need to know what to do. Using natural based shampoos with a neutral pH level should help but if the problem continues then you need to visit your doctor.

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Psoriasis treatment should include emotional support

It isn't enough that psoriasis sufferers have to endure the chronic itching, burning and scaly dry skin plaques that are associated with psoriasis, or that few psoriasis options will give them relief. Add to it all, the public stigma attached to such a disfiguring skin condition and the common misconception that the lesions are contagious, and you have a recipe for intensely awkward social situations. Shielding lotions can often facilitate the needed healing and result in improved self-image as a result.

If you are lucky enough to have one of the forms of psoriasis that is not on exposed skin, such as Inverse Psoriasis afflicting the underarms, groin region and folds of skin, discovery of your condition may be avoided, but for all forms of psoriasis, having friends, family and partners who are supportive and understanding can really ease the emotional distress associated with psoriasis.

According to a recent survey by a psoriasis resource group, Beyond Psoriasis, more than half of people with the affliction say that the disease affects their self-confidence. Add to it the fear, anger or hopelessness that so often psoriasis sufferer's experience. But psoriasis doesn't have to rule the emotions if psoriasis treatments properly address the emotional side effects.

Here are just a few ideas the resource group recommends to help sufferers manage emotions:

Take Good Care of Yourself: When you take the steps to manage your psoriasis by taking good care of your skin, eating well, getting plenty of rest, minimizing stress, and keeping your skin hydrated with a good shielding lotion, your psoriasis flare ups will likely be less frequent, helping you to feel better about yourself.

Managing Fear & Stress: When you have fears about flare-ups of your condition, you may actually exacerbate the psoriasis. Don't focus on how you think others view your psoriasis; focus instead on how capable you are at certain things. Try relaxing to soothing music and natural environments to minimize your anxieties, exercise to release endorphins, or find something that makes you laugh. Reducing stress will likely help your psoriasis and allow you to cope better with your symptoms. Research has shown that chronic stress affects the immune system and hinders health and healing in the body.

Managing Anger: Expressing feelings of anger is important and healthy - it just needs to be handled the right way. Instead of lashing out at someone who speaks inappropriately about your psoriasis, try educating him or her about your condition. If you don't think you can express your feelings appropriately, it might help to go for a walk, work out at the gym, play ball, or talk with a friend.

Managing Feelings of Hopelessness: When overwhelmed by the feelings of hopelessness over your condition, remember, you're not alone - 4.5 million Americans have psoriasis. Reach out to family and friends or get support from a source like the National Psoriasis Foundation, to help you recognize and change some of the self-defeating thoughts and beliefs you may have.

How Helping Others Can Help You: Helping and supporting others can increase your self-esteem. By focusing on others you can lessen feelings of depression and hopelessness. Offer to run an errand for an elderly neighbor; pick up a friend; open a door for a complete stranger.

Educating Others: The reactions of others can cause self-doubt and feelings of shame or embarrassment in people with psoriasis. People often react negatively toward things they don't understand. The solution:

- help them to understand! Share informational literature about psoriasis
- this can make a significant difference in helping others understand the impact of the disease.

For most, talking about psoriasis gets easier with time.

By following your doctor's suggested treatment and daily skin-care regimen, protecting your dry cracked skin with a quality shielding lotion, maintaining a healthy diet and lifestyle, getting plenty of rest, and reducing stresses in your life can help you beat the blues from psoriasis.

The Causes of Psoriasis

Psoriasis is a condition of the skin that is little understood. The underlying cause appears to be an autoimmune disorder that causes the body to produce new skin cells at an accelerated rate that leads to the inflammation and itching that is characteristic with psoriasis. Normally skin cells take 28 to 30 days to grow to maturity, but in people who have an outbreak of psoriasis this process is shortened to 3 to 6 days. The scaling, itching and inflammation of the skin is caused by the over build-up of skin cells.

It is believed that the main cause of psoriasis is driven by a certain type of white blood cell known as a T-cell. T-cells are one of the body’s defenses against disease and infection, but in the case of psoriasis they leap into action unintentionally and begin to trigger other immune systems which accelerate the creation of new skin cells. Because the skin cells grow and mature quicker then normal they also die off much faster, creating a build up of dead skin cells on the surface. This build up of dead skin cells forms the characteristic plaques, or flaky patches, that sufferers of psoriasis are familiar with. The redness and inflammation of the underlying skin is a product of the increased blood supply needed to feed the new skin cells that are growing at an accelerated rate below the plaques.

While anyone at any age can suffer from psoriasis researchers have found that people in their thirties and sixties are more likely to develop this skin condition than people in other age groups. Why this is the case no one knows. It is also apparent that heredity can be a marker for an increased chance of contracting psoriasis. Children who have one parent who suffers from psoriasis have a ten percent chance of contracting the disease. That percentage goes up dramatically to fifty percent if both parents have this condition. Scientists, who have done studies on families afflicted with psoriasis, have been able to identify genes that are known links to the condition.

The exact causes of psoriasis remains something of a mystery but there are known triggers that are linked to outbreaks. Many people who suffer from this disease notice that there are times the condition is worse and times it seems to get better. Reactions to certain drugs, such as lithium and beta blockers, have been shown to trigger a psoriasis outbreak and in extreme instances make the condition worse.

Because psoriasis is caused by a faulty immune system anything that stimulates the body’s defenses can bring about an outbreak. An injury such as a cut or bruise or an infection, particularly strep, can all cause an outbreak.

Another factor that can cause an outbreak of psoriasis is stress. People who suffer from psoriasis have noticed that as their stress levels go up so does the potential for a severe outbreak of their skin inflammation. Psoriasis in and of itself also causes stress leading to a self perpetuating problem of continual outbreaks that increase in severity as a person’s stress level increases.

One way that psoriasis cannot be caught is through contact with someone who suffers from the disease. It is not a contagious skin condition, and although it is unsightly and can cause repulsive reactions from those who do not suffer its affects it is important to remember that those who suffer from it need the reassurance and support of friends and family along with proper treatment to help them live a normal life.

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