Psoriasis risk factors

Written By Ananda Mahony

A review in the International Journal of Environmental Research & Public Health highlights nutrition as a risk factor for psoriasis, suggesting that overall diet, body weight and quality of nutrition are significant triggers of disease development and exacerbating factors, with potential to worsen the disease severity.

Psoriasis a chronic immune-mediated condition associated with significant inflammation. Metabolic risk (characterised by central weight, high blood sugar, blood pressure, triglycerides and cholesterol) is linked with increased severity of psoriasis and the current understanding is that inflammation may be the common link.

Naturopathy and chronic pain

A set of excellent guidelines by NPS MedicineWise includes complementary medicine approaches as part of overall health care planning for those in chronic pain. The specific recommendations also include aspects of life such as physical fitness, mood, sleep, relaxation and overall health. I find these inclusions so positive as they support a holistic approach to pain management and importantly, these aspects fall squarely within the scope of naturopathy, meaning specifically that working with a naturopath can have a health benefit in these areas. I have long held that naturopathy’s holistic approach fits well with the medical biopsychosocial model of chronic pain management and these guidelines further reinforce this approach.

Overcoming psoriasis

In this podcast with Andrew Whitfield-Cook from FX Medicine, I discuss how to overcome psoriasis, a devastating disease not just because of the outward expression of the red rash and silvery scales, but also because of the co-morbidities and frequently unsatisfactory results gained by medical management alone.

Overcoming sleepless nights

For about 5 years insomnia was a regular and generally unwelcome companion of mine. Over this time I managed to function well, most of the time but there was this nagging belief that I ‘should’ be able to heal myself if I just found the right solution. Well that thought wasn’t overly helpful because there wasn’t ‘one’ solution. What did come out of the experience however was a gradual acceptance that some nights I just wouldn’t sleep well and the understanding that there are many, many useful tools to assist with a calm night regardless. I also looked into and tried many different approaches to help improve my sleep, some of which were quite useful, others not so much. However, like most chronic issues, an individual whole body, whole life approach is what was successful for me in the end.

Healing Stewed Apple

Diarrhoea or constipation, abdominal pain and bloating are symptoms commonly associated with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). This conditions affects up to 15% of individuals at some time in their life and is frequently associated with anxiety, stress and poor emotional well-being. The gut symptoms, emotional impact and inflammation associated with IBS can lead to chronic pain and a poorer quality of life in general. What is surprising is that even the fear of gut symptoms has adverse consequences and can have a significant impact on an individual’s day-to-day life.

A holistic approach to chronic pain

An article in the Australian Pain Newsletter by pain specialist Dr Chris Hayes (2016) really stood out to me recently as it emphasises the necessity for a holistic approach to the management of chronic non-cancer pain. The biopsychosocial model is widely accepted as the predominant framework for understanding the experience of chronic pain and its negative consequences, and is supported by a large body of research. The model takes a broad and holistic view of the factors that contribute to chronic pain and the interaction of biological (genetic, biochemical, trauma), psychological (mood, behaviour) and social factors (familial, medical, work place etc) and was developed to counter the biomedical model, which suggests that disease is the result of only biological factors.

The scaly issue of psoriasis

Psoriasis is a chronic (long-lasting) skin disease of scaling and inflammation that affects about 1 to 5% of the population worldwide. Itching and abnormal flushing are also common features. Primarily affecting adults, psoriasis is caused by an accelerated skin cell turn over and has a strong genetic component.. Those who suffer from this disease often experience physical, social and emotional trauma. The exact cause is unknown; however, researchers believe that heredity, environment, and the immune system may also play a role in psoriasis.

Acne is seen as a condition associated with Western diets that are generally higher in saturated and trans-fats, high in simple carbohydrates and sugars and lower in healthy protein sources.

While topical applications make a difference, a healthy glow is more often a sign of internal health than anything else. There is a growing body of evidence to show that what we eat certainly influences skin ageing and not surprisingly, the dietary correlations that relate to reduced skin ageing also relate to reduced ageing in general.

Insomnia also disrupts the optimal processing of collagen formation, which is essential for skin structure and integrity. The follow on effects from poor collagen formation include the disruption of the acid mantle leading to excessive moisture loss and increased sensitivity and permeability to topical products.

Many factors have the potential to contribute to acne. Find out what factors are contributing to your skin issues.

Managing sensitive skin

Up to 40% of people describing themselves as having sensitive skin and many more reporting an adverse response to a personal care product at some stage. From a dermatologist perspective, the term “sensitive” refers to those with skin that reacts or is intolerant to the use of some or many cosmetics. Sensitive skin can occur in all skin types however, it is more commonly found in women than men and often those with delicate or dry skin and a tendency to flushing. As well as reacting to cosmetics, sensitive skin can also react to environmental factors such as cold or hot temperatures and wind or sun exposure.

How to identify and manage rosacea

Wind, sun and pollution as well as internal factors such as diet, nutrient levels and hereditary all play a role in the determining the health of our skin as an effective barrier.