Making Decisions About Home Care

How Stress Might Be Triggering Your Psoriasis

by Mae Ferguson

Living with psoriasis can be uncomfortable and embarrassing, but did you realize that you might be inducing the flare ups you experience simply from the stress you have in life? Stress is a huge trigger for psoriasis, and having psoriasis can make you feel more stressed. If you want to reduce the frequency and severity of your psoriasis flare ups, you may want to learn how this is connected and find ways to treat your stress.

What is the connection between stress and psoriasis?

Psoriasis is a skin condition that is caused by an autoimmune disorder. It leaves skin itchy, red, scaly, and flaky, and it can affect almost any area of the body. Stress is a normal part of life, but untreated major stress can be hazardous for your health and wellbeing. In addition, untreated stress can lead to psoriasis breakouts.

The reason this happens is primarily from inflammation. When you feel stressed, your body reacts in several ways, and one way is through inflammation. As your body tries to fight the feelings of stress, your immune system kicks in to respond to this need. This leads to inflammation, and inflammation is what doctors try to reduce when treating patients that have psoriasis.

How can you reduce stress to avoid these flare ups?

Finding ways to reduce stress could be a great way to reduce your psoriasis symptoms; however, you will need to find methods to use that work for you. Some people like using yoga or meditation as a way to reduce the stress they feel. Both of these activities are good for the mind, and both teach you how to truly relax. If you can learn the principles of yoga or meditation and put them into practice regularly, you may naturally be able to feel less stress in your life.

Another option is exercising. This helps because it encourages the production of serotonin and endorphins in your brain. Both of these chemicals are designed to make you feel good, and both are essential for fighting stress.

If your stress is so bad that you feel depressed or anxious all the time, it might also be wise to talk to your doctor about this so you can get medication to treat the problem.

Psoriasis is a condition that has no cure, but there are changes you can make in your life to help reduce the symptoms. If you would like to learn more about the treatment options available, visit a doctor that specializes in skin conditions today. To find out more, visit a website like http://www.thefamilyhealthcntr.com.

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