More than 4.5 million United States citizens of adult age are affected with psoriasis. There is no known origin of this disease. However, there are about 150,000 more cases detected each year. People develop this condition during different stages of their life. Forty percent of those who develop it do so before they are 20 years old. Then percent were diagnosed as having the illness before they turned 10 years old.

As for as family history is concerned, approximately 35% of people who have psoriasis have one or more family members who have the condition. Twenty-eight percent of them have one parent who is affected. Sixty-eight of them have both parents who have psoriasis.

People who have psoriasis which is only mild to moderate can benefit from regularly sunbathing yp to the extent that they begin to tan. It is recommended that the person cover the areas of their body with clothing or sunscreen so that the area will not be exposed directly to the sun. Sunburn has been known to cause skin cancer. It can cause psoriasis to become even worse.

A vacation or long stay in a sunny area of the world has been known to make a remarkable improvement in condition.

Some studies show that psoriatic arthritis affects approximately a million people through out the United States and that about five to ten percent of these people will have some disability because of it. Psoriatic arthritis will generally develop in those thirty to fifty years old. All people who have his don’t necessarily end up with psoriasis.

During research there have been genes identified which cause psoriasis. These kinds of genes determine the way someone’s immune system will react. The chance increases when there is already a relative who has psoriasis. Some of the conditions which start the development of the condition are strep infection, stress, sunburn, and particular medications.

The effects of having to live with this chronic condition can be both mentally and physically challenging. Physical challenges such as soreness, itching, and cracking skin, along with bleeding skin are expected of psoriasis. The inability to perform certain jobs is common with this type of disorder. Frustration generally sets in causing matters to be worse.

According to the National Psoriasis Foundation due to psoriasis 56 million work hours are lost every year. Also the moderate form of the disease has caused many people to alter or stop their normal activities, instead they have been replaced by stress, low self-esteem, loneliness and anxiety, and some even become suicidal.

There are treatments available, as of late, which are helping to improve the quality of life for those who suffer from psoriasis. If you are developing dry and itchy skin, it can be most uncomfortable. Try to soak your body in a warm bath for around 15 minutes. When you are finished with that, you should apply some salicylic acid which is used to remove scaly dried skin and provides both moisture and topical prescription medication. Apply a thick emollient such as Vaseline.

Matt D Murren owns and operates http://www.psoriasis-relief-advisor.com

Psoriasis

It is often difficult to tell the difference between scalp psoriasis and dandruff. This is because both share similar symptoms such as itchy scalp and white flakes of dead skin cells. However, there is a difference between these two scalp problems and it’s important to know the difference in order to seek the correct treatment.

The first thing to note is that psoriasis may be the underlying cause of dandruff. Psoriasis is thought to be caused by immune system and a genetic predisposition to psoriasis. Quite often if a member of your family has psoriasis, you may have inherited the genes. However, not all people who have the psoriasis genes go on to develop psoriasis. People of any age can get psoriasis: children, teenagers, adults and older people. Psoriasis tends to affect males and females equally.

As mentioned, both scalp psoriasis and dandruff can cause similar symptoms. Scalp psoriasis can be triggered off by anything from cuts, abrasions, scratches and even sunburn. More often than not a flare up will happen in winter: the skin becomes flaky and dry because of a lack of natural sunlight. With scalp psoriasis, the patches are commonly seen on the back of the head but can be seen on other areas of the scalp or even cover the entire scalp. The psoriasis may not be confined just to the scalp. Scaly, silvery patches may appear on areas such as elbows, knees, lower back, groin and other body folds.

Dandruff, on the other hand, is primarily caused by naturally occurring fungus, the Malassezia yeast that feeds on the natural oils of the skin. This causes the skin to shed more quickly and to itch. Other possible causes of dandruff include not brushing hair regularly, not enough shampooing, dry skin, diet and stress. Mild dandruff often occurs after puberty, usually between 20-30 years, and tends to affect more men than women.

The treatments for both scalp psoriasis and dandruff tend to be similar. Treatments include using shampoos that contain coal tar and salicyclic acid or topical steroid creams to reduce inflammation. Since dandruff is caused by fungus, using an anti-fungal shampoo to inhibit the growth of the fungi usually does the trick.

The difference between scalp psoriasis and dandruff is that scalp psoriasis may be more resistant to regular treatment. If specific shampoos or steroid creams do not work, then your physician may recommend exposure to ultraviolet light to help the skin repair itself. If this doesn’t work, then oral retinoids may be prescribed, but usually as a last resort.

Now you know that even though scalp psoriasis and dandruff look similar in appearance, there are different causes which may require slightly different treatments.

Having either scalp psoriasis or dandruff need not be the end of the world: there are a lot of effective products and help available. If you think you have scalp psoriasis or any other form of psoriasis, study the psoriasis symptoms and consult your doctor to confirm the diagnosis. You should be aware that as well as conventional treatments, there are also natural psoriasis treatments.

Vicky Massey has a wide experience of alternative health and healing. She has a degree in Traditional Chinese Medicine and qualifications in massage, nutrition, healing and yoga.