How to Prevent Psoriasis from Spreading?
Psoriasis is not contagious skin problem. It doesn’t spread from person to person. Nevertheless, it also can get worse from mild to severe – particularly if the disease is poorly controlled. In mild-moderate case, it only affects about 3-10% of the body. But in severe case, it can spread and cause more than 10% of the body is affected. How to prevent it from spreading?
Controlling the cycle of new skin cell production is the key
Naturally, your skin has a normal cycle of replacing old skin cells by new cells. This mechanism runs continuously to keep your skin healthy.
But in psoriasis, the production of new skin cells runs abnormally. The new cells can be produced so quickly and then they move to the outermost layer of the skin faster than usual.
On the other hand, dead skin cells usually will not slough quickly enough. As a result, scaly patches appear on the outermost layer of the skin, this can be followed with red patches covered with silvery scales.
The answer of why the production of new skin cells goes faster than normal (in days rather than in weeks) in people with psoriasis is not fully understood yet. But it may be caused by the combination of different factors.
One of these factors is the abnormality respond of the body immune system. More specifically a cell called T-cell (a T lymphocyte – a kind of white blood cell).
Normally, T-cell is essential to help fight against harmful foreign substances. But in psoriasis, it can be over-reactive and attack the wrong targets (healthy skin cells).
And the overactive reaction of T-cells may have implication in triggering other immune responses. Eventually, these abnormal conditions cause an increased production of new skin cells that also move to the skin surface too quickly, creating inflammation and flaking of skin.
Typically, the problem doesn’t improve with home remedies or lifestyle approaches alone. Medical intervention is usually required to control and interrupt the overproduction of new skin cells.
Without medical intervention, the problem may get worse and spread to other parts of the body. See a doctor for more advice about the appropriate medicines and topical treatments you can use effectively and safely!
Experts also theorize that the problem can be inherited. Most people with this skin problem have a family member of the same problem. But thought genetic trait may have a role, but experts believe that it doesn’t work alone.
Fortunately, again the disease cannot spread to others since it is not contagious health problem. With appropriate approaches and treatments, it should become a controllable condition, and the flares also can be prevented from recurring.
Never scratch the effected skin!
It’s a normal reaction that when we feel an itch on the skin, we tend to scratch it. This reaction may make you feel better. But if you have psoriasis, any scratching can make the problem get worse.
In other words, scratching is not the real answer to cope with the problem. Instead, it can disturb your treatment plan in preventing the problem from spreading to other areas.
Unfortunately dealing with itching can be the most challenging symptom. Many sufferers find that the urge of scratching an itch spot of the affected skin is not always easy.
Some treatment options and home remedies are available to help cope with itching of psoriasis and reduce your chance of scratching the affected skin – visit this section!
Dry skin
Good skin care is so essential in psoriasis. One of major goals is to keep the skin moist. Dry skin can be a trigger for the flares to recur. It also can worsen the problem.
Therefore, it’s important to always moisturize your skin every day. Some moisturizers /ointments for psoriasis can be purchased without prescription.
During flares, moisturizing the resting skin that is not affected can help reduce the chance for the problem spread to other areas, because this idea can reduce itching and tenderness.
Stay away from other psoriasis triggers!
While psoriasis triggers can be a trigger of the flares from recurring, they also can worsen the symptoms. And when the symptoms get worse, there is a greater chance for the lesions to become larger and may spread to other areas.
The triggers may vary from sufferer to sufferer, but the following are some common triggers in people with psoriasis.
