Psoriasis can appear suddenly or slowly. Many times, it goes away and then comes back again and again.

Symptoms include:

• Irritated or Itchy, Dry, Pink-red, flaky , Raised and thick patches of skin.
• Most often seen on the elbows, knees, and middle of the body
• Red patches may appear anywhere on the body, including the scalp

Other symptoms may include:

• Genital lesions in males (Genital lesions, especially on the head of the penis, are common.)
• Joint pain or aching
• Nail changes, including thick nails, yellow-brown nails, dents in the nail, and nail lifts off from the skin underneath
• Severe dandruff on the scalp
• Psoriasis in moist areas like the navel or area between the buttocks (intergluteal folds) may look like flat red patches. These atypical appearances may be confused with other skin conditions like fungal infections, yeast infections, skin irritation, or bacterial Staph infections.

Types Of Psoriasis

1. Erythrodermic - The skin redness is very intense and covers a large area.
2. Guttate - Small, pink-red spots appear on the skin.
3. Inverse - Skin redness and irritation occurs in the armpits, groin, and in between overlapping skin.
4. Plaque - Thick, red patches of skin are covered by flaky, silver-white scales. This is the most common type of Psoriasis.
5. Pustular - White blisters are surrounded by red, irritated skin.

Complications

• Pain, Severe itching
• Secondary skin infections
• Side effects from medicines used to treat Psoriasis
• Skin cancer from light therapy

Joint Psoriasis ?

Yes, Psoriasis is associated with joint problems in about 10%-35% of patients. In fact, sometimes joint pains maybe the only sign of the disorder with completely clear skin. The joint disease associated with Psoriasis is referred to as psoriatic arthritis. Patients may have inflammation of any joints (arthritis), although the joints of the hands, knees, and ankles tend to be most commonly affected. Psoriatic arthritis is an inflammatory, destructive form of arthritis and is treated with medications to stop the disease progression.

The average age for onset of psoriatic arthritis is 30-40 years of age. In most cases, the skin symptoms occur before the onset of the arthritis.

Nail Psoriasis ?

Yes, Psoriasis may involve solely the nails in a limited number of patients. Usually, the nail symptoms accompany the skin and arthritis symptoms. Nails may have small pinpoint pits or large yellowish separations of the nail plate called "oil spots". Nail Psoriasis is typically very difficult to treat. Treatment option are somewhat limited and include potent topical steroids applied at the nail-base cuticle, injection of steroids at the nail-base cuticle, and oral or systemic medications as described below for the treatment of Psoriasis.

Psoriasis facts

A man's sperm can be changed by his overall health and lifestyle. Some things that may reduce the health or number of sperm include:

• Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease.
• Psoriasis has no known cause.
• The tendency toward developing Psoriasis is inherited in genes.
• Psoriasis is not contagious.
• Psoriasis gets better and worse spontaneously and can have periodic remissions (clear skin).

Causes

1. Irregular food habits, consumption of foodstuffs that cannot be eaten together (Eg: diary products with fish)
2. Excessive intake of yogurt, black gram, seafood, sour and salted items etc can activate the pathogenesis.
3. Alcohol and tobacco consumption will act as a catalyst here.
4. Ayurveda do emphasize on the effect of stress in the pathogenesis of Psoriasis.

Psoriasis Chikitsa(Treatment)

• Panchakarma-

detoxification of the body or elimination of toxins from the body.

1. Snehpan: Consumption of medicated ghee, considering the Dosha type of the Psoriasis and the person, for 5 to 7 days.
2. Shodhan: Detoxifying, by inducing vomiting (Vamana) and purgation (Virechana).
3. Takradhara: This is followed by medicated buttermilk dripping overhead and
4. Lepan: pasting the entire body with a paste of medicines and mud(Lepan) .
5. Basti: medicated enema.

• Internal Medications

Internal medicines like herbal decoctions; medicated ghee, tablets, Arishtas has to be consumed accordingly.

* Useful Herbs in the Treatment of Psoriasis

• Neem is one among the best blood purifier and detoxifier known to Ayurveda. It enhances immune system and neem oil is an antiseptic in itself. Leaf extracts are used in antiseptics and can be effectively used in treating Psoriasis. It destroys fungus and bacteria and is best for almost all kinds of skin diseases including redness of skin and itching.
• Turmeric – the spice has a long history in Ayurveda, and is a primary component for cooking. The powdered form can be used with food, or is available as capsules as a dietary supplement. Due to the antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties of turmeric, it relieves the pain, swelling and inflammation associated with Psoriasis, arthritis etc.
• Guggul is an Ayurvedic herb from a resin of a small tree, which grows in northwestern India, its useful in treating Psoriasis. It has anti-inflammatory and lipid-lowering actions, helps remove fat, excess fluids from the body and penetrates deep into the tissues. It is a effective Kapha- and Vata-pacifying supplement. Kaishore guggul is useful remedy for Psoriasis
• Garlic (Allium sativum) - Garlic is a blood purifier. Eating a few cloves of garlic every morning on an empty stomach filters the toxins out of the blood and provides protection against Psoriasis.
• Jasmine (Jasminum polyanthum) - The flowers of the jasmine have good effects in the treatment of Psoriasis. The flowers are crushed, made into a paste and are directly applied on the inflamed parts. This application reduces the pain and the itchiness of psoriatic inflammations.
• Kakmachi- Black Nightshade (Solanum nigrum)- The juice of the leaves of the black nightshade can be applied locally on the affected regions. It helps in reducing the inflammation of the skin, and also has beneficial properties in allaying the pain and the itch.

External Applications

• Lepan chikitsa - pasting the psoriatic lessions with a paste of medicines and mud is known as Lepan.
• Oils like Neem tail is also used for external application.
• Applying aloe vera/other moisturizer herbs thinly to irritated and dry skin and rubbing lightly is effective.

Yoga and Meditation techniques

It is very useful to treat one of the main triggers of Psoriasis – Stress. Mental health is absolutely necessary for an effective treatment of Psoriasis. As stress is playing major role in Psoriasis progress, one must keep a state of mental calmness.

Pathya – Apathya (Diet & lifestyle management)

• A strict diet regime has to be followed during the entire treatment period and it is better to continue as vegetarian.
• Yogurt, black gram, chilies and salted and spicy food, sour or acidic foods have to be restricted.
• It is better to avoid refrigerated/chilled foods.
• Say no to radish, urad dal, sesame, jaggery (gur), curds, fish and other sour foods.
• Avoid consuming Viruddha Ahar (opposite foods) eg.-dairy products with fish.
• Consume only easily digestible food.
• Avoid animal fats, eggs, processed canned foods from your diet.
• Do not control natural urges like vomiting, urination, bowel emptying etc
• Apply moisturizing cream or gel at regular intervals to maintain the moisture level of the skin.
• Avoid using soap while taking bath instead use gram flour and use a herbal scrubber.
• Use separate, clean clothes and towel for your use.
• Opt for cotton clothes over synthetic ones.
• After bath or wash pat dry the skin. Do not rub the towel vigorously on skin.
• Avoid sleeping in afternoons.
• Avoid all factors which trigger Psoriasis.
• Avoid pricking, peeling and scratching skin.
• Taking bath in sea water is found to be very effective in Psoriasis treatment.
• Drinking fresh bitter gourd juice mixed with one teaspoon of lime juice on an empty stomach is an effective Psoriasis treatment
• Mental health is absolutely necessary for an effective treatment of Psoriasis. Try deep breathing and relaxation exercise to reduce stress.
• Exposing to mild sunlight daily for 30 minutes will improve the texture of the affected area of the skin.