Skin maladies can often be the worst nightmare for many people. Eczema, psoriasis, and dermatitis are rapidly growing as our population ages and we are all exposed to more and more chemicals in the air, food, and water we take in on a daily basis. Outbreaks can happen at virtually any time and many patients live with at least a small area affected all the time. Often, lifestyle choices can exacerbate the eczema. The exposed nature of the condition can wreak havoc on the psychological and emotional life of someone with psoriasis.
Eczema is generally caused by environmental factors, however, extreme stress or hormonal surges can also force an outbreak. Eczema outbreaks consist mainly of hot, dry, itchy skin. In severe cases, the skin can crack and bleed. The skin is often dry, raw and irritated with small red blisters that itch intensely. Psoriasis is thought to be primarily a hereditary disease, but it can be caused by injuries or infections to the skin. Psoriasis lesions tend to be larger and more swollen, with flaky silver patches that can often crack and bleed. Psoriasis can also lead to arthritic problems – which in turn cause a sufferer to maintain a more sedentary lifestyle to avoid the pain of psoriatic arthritis, or any other form of joint diseases exacerbated by psoriasis.
Eczema and psoriasis can be so severe that a patient may rarely leave the house for fear of embarrassment, or it can be more of a simple nuisance like mild dandruff that can generally be controlled by the use of medicated shampoos. Unless a doctor orders otherwise, the use of moisturizing soaps and bath treatments to keep the area from drying and cracking even more is a wise choice.
Treatments for eczema and psoriasis involve many of the same option – moisturizing ointments, light therapy, and corticosteroid injections. Psoriasis is the far more serious condition, and in severe cases chemicals used in fighting cancer have to be introduced – which again can make the patient sick and uncomfortable for an entirely different reason.
Aside from genetics and environmental contributions, there is an immunological aspect to eczema and psoriasis. Scientists have discovered that an impaired immune system causes the body to overreact and trigger an autoimmune response, which entails greatly increased production of skin cells and the crusty, scaly lesions left behind. Essentially more skin is growing than is falling away and the imbalance triggers the symptoms. The swelling, skin lesions, and aches from psoriasis eventually subside, and frankly, that is the goal with psoriasis. There is no permanent cure for the disease, so scientists have developed ointments and medications that work rapidly, if not permanently. Most patients simply accept the regimen of applying the topical agents each day and avoid things that may cause flare-ups.
Atopic eczema and contact dermatitis are by far the most common eczema difficulties today. People with asthma or food allergies are at high risk of an eczema outbreak. Chronic, long-lasting eczema and psoriasis can cause skin deterioration and a decrease of the skin’s ability to keep foreign materials out. The ointments often contain a compound that reduces detrimental scratching, but they are mainly applied as a barrier to help your largest organ work more efficiently. And our largest organ is very important. Skin is actually quite tough and good at healing itself, considering the punishment some of us put it through. Sufferers of eczema psoriasis put extra pressure on the skin and body’s regenerative processes. The skin works to regulate body temperature and is vital to the every organ and muscle and cell that lies beneath it. Reducing the irritation so a patient does not scratch at the area, and then placing a barrier in the form of ointment over the area is the core of most treatments = which again, are aimed primarily at managing rather than curing the disease.
Oftentimes antibiotics are used to slow down eczema and psoriasis. During outbreaks, the skin’s natural barrier system is damaged, allowing bacteria and infection easy access into your body and further worsening the problem. Physicians are cautiously optimistic that certain antibiotics – when administered at low doses over a limited period – seem to be able to eliminate psoriasis symptoms for extended periods. The testing that has been done consists of limited numbers, and physicians are now all too aware of over prescribing antibiotics, so progress on this type of treatment may be slow or deemed not worth the risks.
Skin lesions- especially on the face and arms – are embarrassing. Regardless of how polite people are, they still tend to gawk a bit at a red, swollen mess on someone’s face. Countless monikers and hostile jokes can cause havoc in the life of a teenager – or an adult in the workplace or dating scene for that matter. It is not being shallow to consider the physical appearance aspect to eczema, psoriasis and dermatitis. Vanity aside, everyone wants to feel as though they appear at the very least – ordinary – clean, hygienic and healthy. Open, visible sores can make people believe a psoriasis sufferer is dirty or ill form some horrific, likely contagious, disease. When people begin to persistently view themselves as ugly or disfigured, a great deal of psychological damage can occur that may manifest itself in highly negative ways. Self-esteem suffers tremendously as the eczema and psoriasis often become the primary focus of their life. Unfortunately, the stress of worrying over appearance can cause flare-ups in many patients. In severe cases, doctors are now recognizing the need to prescribe some form of prescription drug or counseling treatment to ensure someone fighting psoriasis does not self-destruct. Ideally, the person has a reasonably close-knit group of friends and family who wholly accept and support them, as well as regular psychological treatments. Coping skills are often as effective at reducing stress over appearance as any form of anti-depressant. Researchers indicate that of nearly one thousand patients suffering from moderate to severe eczema, twenty-one percent say they regularly meditate, pray, or otherwise reflect at least once a day. That same group of people reported much fewer and less severe outbreaks.
