Does Psoriasis Get Worse with Age?

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  1. Decreased melanocytes. Melanocytes are needed for the pigment of the skin. Decreasing them can cause your skin to lighten (skin age spots).
  2. Decreased Langerhan’s cells. They are essential to help epidermis fight against infections because they act as immune moderators. The reduction in the number of them can increase the risk of skin infections.
  3. As we age, there is also a greater chance for our skin to suffer from increased drought as the eccrine glands decrease in performance, either for the sweat gland production. If the sweat glands work poorly, the skin doesn’t get what it needs to keep moisturized – and this can increase the chance of infection.

What is the point?

All changes with age mentioned above are bad enough for the skin without the problem related with psoriasis! So if you have psoriasis, it’s important (even very important) that you do care for your skin as you age.

Examine your skin carefully, do it on regular basis if necessary to ensure there is no area of your skin where infection may occur (because any infection can be a potential factor in triggering the flare-up of psoriasis). Keep moisturizing your skin on regular basis (make it as a part of your daily skin care), and stay with a healthy well-balanced diet to help keep your skin as healthy as possible!

If you have psoriasis and you accidentally damage your skin, there is chance for the damaged area to develop a condition called psoriatic lesion. Always keep a special watch on all scrapes or bumps!

Along with the progress of the problem, your doctor may need to chance the strength /dosage /type of some of your medications. For instance, the strength of topical steroid may be reduced as your skin would respond & react badly to the more potent versions that you took before as you age.

Nowadays, the number of elderly individuals with psoriasis that require appropriate psoriasis management increases because the general population ages & other health problems become less of a threat to life.

Fortunately, the treatment options and lifestyle approaches are helpful enough to improve the quality of life issues for elderly patients with psoriasis.

If you do concern regarding how this skin problem will have an effect on your health as you age, consult more with your healthcare provider /doctor for more advice!

Major Checklist to help manage the problem!

There is currently no cure for psoriasis (chronic skin problem). The best way to cope with the problem is by managing it and preventing the flare-up from recurring.

The following are common suggestions to help manage it:

  1. Educate yourself about psoriasis! Remember that knowledge is power. Leaning about this skin disorder will be so useful to control the problem, avoid the triggers of the flare-up, and get informed decisions about how you should cope with the problem.
  2. Keep monitoring your joints! One of common complications from this skin disorder is a condition called psoriatic arthritis. If you notice that your joints feel sore or stiff, particularly in the morning when you wake up, it’s much better to see a dermatologist immediately.
  3. Practice healthy lifestyle as much as you can and take good care of yourself! Dinking, obesity, and smoking can worsen the problem. On the other hand, staying with a healthy well-balanced diet, not drinking, and doing regular exercise can help manage the problem.
  4. Pay attention to your stress. For many skin problems, stress can worsen the problem. Furthermore, the risk of having anxiety, depression, or even suicidal behavior is pretty high in people with psoriasis. If you feel depressed, it’s good idea to joint into a psoriasis support group. If necessary, make an appointment with a metal health professional!
  5. Watch on your nails! Changes in nails can be a sign of psoriatic arthritis. These changes can be nails that ridge, change in color – typically become ‘yellowish-orange’, or pull away from nail-bed.

Work with your doctor to make the best treatment plan! If you are taking medicines for other health conditions, tell your doctor!

And if you want stop taking medicine for your psoriasis, make sure to consult first with your healthcare provider /dermatologist! This is so important since immediately stopping may cause some serious side effects & consequences.

Citations /references:

  1. http://www.aad.org/dermatology-a-to-z/diseases-and-treatments/m—p/psoriasis/who-gets-causes
  2. http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/psoriasis/basics/risk-factors/con-20030838
  3. http://www.papaa.org/further-information/psoriasis-older-people

All of these references accessed on June 2014

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