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Psoriasis is a chronic skin disorder that causes red, scaly patches to appear on the skin. There is no cure for psoriasis, but treatment can help speed up skin cell turnover and relieve symptoms. Homeopathy is a natural medicine that aims to trigger the body’s natural healing processes. If you have psoriasis and are thinking about using homeopathy, read this article first:
What Is Psoriasis?
Between 2-3% of all adults suffer from chronic plaque psoriasis, which means they have patches of thick red skin containing silvery scales. Psoriasis usually appears when people are in their teens or 20s. However, it can also develop for the first time during middle age. Men and women are affected equally by psoriasis, but it’s most commonly found in Caucasians. Psoriasis does not lead to serious health problems. However, it can affect your quality of life and cause physical and psychological distress. For example, patients with severe psoriasis may feel self-conscious about their skin, experience embarrassment or shame when they don’t have clothes covering all the lesions, or be at greater risk of infections due to a weakened immune system.
What causes psoriasis?
- Genetic predisposition
Genetic factors are thought to play a significant role in psoriasis. If you have parents or siblings with psoriasis, your risk of developing the condition is increased.
- Immune system malfunctions
In psoriasis, the immune system does not function properly and fails to regulate skin cell production. In people with psoriasis, this mechanism goes into overdrive – leading to far more rapid turnover of skin cells on the surface layer than usual, resulting in redness and itching.
- Inflammation
Redness and scaling are the results of inflammation. The skin cells become thicker than usual due to a protein called keratin, which helps your skin retain its moisture. As a result, it may also have more flake-like scales on the surface. Psoriasis patients experience itching because their inflamed skin becomes extra sensitive to certain stimuli such as heat or scratching.
- StressÂ
People who are under stress are more likely to develop psoriasis. Stress can make the condition worse if it causes you to over-scratch or pick at your skin, which increases inflammation and may cause infections.
- InjuryÂ
An injury can cause psoriatic patches on the hands, feet, or knees to that part of the body. This is known as Koebner’s phenomenon. For example, if you injure your foot while running on a hard surface, but do not notice it at first, then the new skin cells that will form there in response to the injury could end up with white spots due to psoriasis instead of normal pigmentation.
Are there different types of psoriasis?
There are five different types of psoriasis:
Plaque psoriasis-Â This is the most common form and accounts for around 80% of cases. It’s characterized by inflamed, red patches with silvery scales on top. The patches can appear anywhere on your body, but they’re most often found on the elbows, knees, and torso. They may crack and burn when you bathe or moisturize them and can bleed if they become damaged.
Guttate psoriasis-Â The second most common type affects people who have had an infection, such as strep throat or tonsillitis, at some point in their lives. It causes small red spots to develop across your trunk, limbs, or scalp. These are made up of flaky, dried skin. When the scales are shed, they take a lighter color, making it look like a rash does when it improves.
Inverse psoriasis-Â This type appears in body folds where skin touches other skin, such as in your armpits and groin region or under breasts or fat rolls. Inverse psoriasis causes different symptoms from plaque psoriasis, including bright red patches that turn into blisters and develop silvery scales from chronic damage from chafing.
Nail psoriasis-Â Around one-third of people with psoriasis have changes to their nails – either pitting or a dark streak under the nail surface, plus thickened nails that may split and lift at the edges.
Erythrodermic psoriasis-Â This type is the least common, affecting less than 1% of people with psoriasis. It causes massive redness, peeling, and itching all over your body that can lead to severe complications if not treated quickly.
Psoriasis Symptoms
Although psoriasis is not a life-threatening disease, it can have a significant impact on your quality of life. Some people with very mild cases of psoriasis may experience no symptoms at all. However, in general, the main symptoms are:
- Patches of red skin covered in silvery scales.
- Plaques that may be very thick or thin.
- Cracked, sore skin and joint pain caused by psoriatic arthritis.
- Swollen and stiff joints, hips, knees, and ankles are often affected.
- Thickened nails, psoriatic nail dystrophy, which means that the nail’s top layers separate from its bed underneath, causing fingernails to become pitted or ridged.
Why choose homeopathic treatment for psoriasis?
Homeopathy is a holistic and natural treatment that comprises remedies prepared from naturally occurring substances. Homeopathic remedies can help treat psoriasis’s various symptoms and underlying causes, such as inflammation, itchy skin, nail changes, etc.
The homeopathic approach to treating psoriasis aims to restore balance in the entire system rather than just suppressing the symptoms. The main aim of homeopathy is to improve your body’s defence mechanisms so that your body can heal itself. Homeopathic remedies are safe and have no side effects.
Homeopathy for psoriasis is an effective complementary treatment that works well when used alongside conventional medical treatments. To maintain long-term remission of symptoms, it’s advisable to use homeopathy along with your dermatologist’s prescribed medication.
How does homeopathy differ from other treatment options?
Medications such as topical creams, steroid injections, pills, or ointments can provide some relief. Still, they don’t address the root causes of the disease and may also carry potential side effects. On the other hand, homeopathic remedies help treat the whole body simultaneously by addressing any future outbreaks before they happen by helping to develop immunity. They’re best suited for treating chronic conditions like psoriasis, which require long-term care.
The most common medications used to treat psoriasis are topical steroids and moisturizers. But these do not cure the disease, so that you may have repeat episodes of psoriasis at different locations on the body. In some cases, your doctor may prescribe a systemic medication taken orally or injected into a vein. These can be highly effective in controlling symptoms of more severe cases of psoriasis.
Homeopathic remedies for psoriasis treatment
Many homeopathic remedies can help relieve the various symptoms associated with psoriasis, such as itching, inflammation, scaly skin, etc. Homeopathic remedies are individualized to the type of psoriasis, age, sex, and other factors considered before treatment begins.
- Sulphur-Â It’s one of the most commonly used homeopathic remedies to treat inflammatory skin conditions, including psoriasis, eczema & acne. The primary remedy is usually prescribed for people with thick scales with extreme itching, but other types depend on your symptoms.
- Psorinum –This is another common remedy that can help relieve several different types of psoriatic rashes, including red, inflamed patches with pus-filled blisters or cracks in the mouth, plus scaly palms and soles. Pimples may also form, which ooze a watery or oily material and spread to other parts of the body.
- Arsenicum album-Â This remedy is often prescribed for adults with psoriasis accompanied by severe burning, itching, and scaly skin that may also be dry and flaky.
- Antimonium tartaricum-Â This remedy is used when there are yellow or silvery scales along with sudden inflammation, redness, and blistering that creates oozing sores that become crusty and bleed easily:
- Sulfuric acid -Â This is another commonly recommended homeopathic treatment for psoriasis, including thick layers of scales on palms and soles with oozing fluid underneath the scale, cracks in the corners of your mouth, or at the tip of your nose, etc.
- Natrum sulphuricumis a very effective ointment used for psoriatic skin with severely itchy areas and scales on the scalp. It’s important to note that this remedy is only given orally in acute cases or as an injection into muscles or under the skin for more stubborn types of psoriasis.
- Cuprum metallicum-This may be the best homeopathic treatment option for people with psoriasis accompanied by numbness, tingling sensations, joint pain, etc.
- Sepia-Commonly used for treating women who have had their symptoms since menopause or after childbirth, along with dry or scaling skin plus inflammation and brownish-red coloration.
- Natrum muriaticum-This option is usually recommended for people living with psoriasis of all ages whose skin appears thick, dark, and scaly with a tendency to crack and bleed. It’s best suited for areas of skin that remain moist; otherwise, scaling will worsen due to the retained moisture.
- Graphites-Â This substance is most effective when used on other remedies or homeopathic remedies for psoriasis treatment such as creams, ointments, etc., which helps heal more quickly while also relieving symptoms like itching and burning sensations in the process. Graphites can be used on their own, but they may require repeated applications over some time, so it’s best suited for less severe cases of psoriasis.
How do homeopathy doctors treat psoriasis?
Homeopaths use a very detailed process to determine the root cause of psoriasis before prescribing remedies, so treatment is more effective and tailored for you specifically. Usually, your homeopathic doctor will ask questions about how long you’ve had symptoms and which areas of the body are affected. You may also be asked about past health conditions or trauma that has occurred in your life, which can affect your skin condition. When selecting the best psoriasis treatment, it’s essential to consider all factors so you can resolve symptoms for good.
Many different psoriasis requires targeted homeopathic remedies, making it essential to consult with a qualified homeopath to provide recommendations based on your symptoms. These are just some of the best options depending on your symptoms, but other remedies may also be helpful.
It’s also essential to work closely with your doctor if you’re considering using alternative treatments such as those containing Sulphur, Psorinum, etc., as they can interfere with the effectiveness of conventional medication and cause adverse side effects when used together.
Benefits of using the homeopathic treatment for psoriasis:
- No side effects-Â Unlike other conventional treatments, which can cause side effects such as liver damage, weight gain, and even cancer due to long-term use, homeopathic remedies are safe and natural, with no reported side effects that would require you to discontinue treatment.
- Safe for pregnant women and small children-Â Most psoriasis treatments must be avoided while pregnant or breastfeeding. Still, it’s often safe to continue homeopathic therapy during this time without worrying about negative interactions. These remedies are also perfect for treating young children who may be more sensitive to medications than adults so they can help relieve itching, discomfort, etc.
- Allergy testing not required-If you’ve tried several different types of skin cream or ointments without relief, then you should consider using homeopathy. Unlike other conventional treatments, testing isn’t required for allergies to certain ingredients that may have been added, so it’s safe even if you’re unaware of your specific sensitivities at the time.
- No drug interactions-If you’ve been diagnosed with psoriasis and other health conditions such as heart disease or diabetes, it’s essential to know which medications should be avoided. Still, homeopathic remedies have no known side effects when taken with other drugs.
- Effectiveness-Many skin treatments for psoriasis can take several weeks to show results, but homeopathy is known for its fast-acting nature that will begin to relieve symptoms within 24 – 48 hours.
- Holistic treatment-Instead of treating the surface symptoms such as redness and flaky skin, homeopaths prescribe remedies according to the root cause, which is an important aspect that helps maintain overall wellness and relief from discomfort.
- Get your life back-Living with psoriasis can be difficult, especially if you’re unable to find an effective treatment to relieve symptoms like itching and burning, which can interfere with daily activities such as work or simply enjoying family time at home. Using homeopathy will ease these uncomfortable side effects so you can feel more comfortable throughout the day while also promoting healing underneath the surface of your skin.
- Save money-Psoriasis therapy often requires ongoing care and maintenance even after initial treatment begins but using natural remedies means that you won’t have to continue purchasing pharmaceutical ointments or lotions that can add up to a significant amount of money over time.
- No messy creams- Applying natural remedies is easy and much less messy than putting on topical medications that can get onto your clothing, sheets, etc. If you’ve ever had to apply skin cream at work, then you’ll appreciate how homeopathy is quick and easy for relief of symptoms whenever you need it.
- Tailor-made solution:Â Conventional psoriasis treatments are often a one-size-fits-all approach that doesn’t help everyone, so if you feel like you’ve tried everything without relief, then homeopathy can provide a targeted solution with the proper remedy for your symptoms.
- Safe for all ages:As mentioned before, homeopathic remedies are safe even for young children and pregnant women, so it’s simple to provide immediate relief of symptoms such as itching, dryness, etc.
How long does it take for homeopathic remedies for psoriasis treatment?
You should notice some improvement within the first few days of beginning homeopathy, so your psoriasis won’t be cured overnight, but you’ll likely see substantial gains over time as long as you continue with treatment regularly. Some patients choose not to use natural remedies at all but only visit the doctor when they notice an increase in symptoms, leading to more topical medications, etc. You can book an appointment through OHO Homeopathy and get all the information regarding psoriasis treatment from a registered homeopath for more information!