What Are the Most Common Triggers For Psoriasis?

The skin is our largest, most visible organ, which can unfortunately mean that any kind of irregularities or changes to its appearance are highly noticeable. It goes without saying that living with a chronic skin condition presents a major challenge, as it affects every part of life. In most cases, the negative impact can harm overall wellbeing due to the constant discomfort and stress of dealing with the issue—not to mention how it alters a person’s physical appearance. The mix of problems can lead to psychological distress in addition to physical challenges. Patients may cycle through a range of emotions such as stress, anxiety, anger, and embarrassment due to psoriasis. Chesterfield’s West County Dermatology team encourages anyone who experiences breakouts of red, flaky skin patches that itch and burn due to psoriasis to take control by identifying triggers that can cause symptoms to worsen.

This article explores some of the most typical external triggers for psoriasis flare-ups, as well as what you can do to avoid them in your everyday life to keep your skin condition under control.

Although there is no concrete idea on what specifically triggers psoriasis—the skin condition is still being researched—there are several known factors that are believed to be associated with the autoimmune disease. These can vary greatly depending on the individual, as each person’s experience is unique, there are different types of psoriasis, and triggers can change over time. With that in mind, once you’re aware of what causes your flares, you can make changes to your lifestyle.

·        Mental Stress and Upset

Using stress relief techniques like meditation, yoga, and deep breathing can keep your symptoms at bay. When you get stressed out—which is common due to the toll that the condition has on your lifestyle—your immune system is affected, and the chemicals your body produces as a result increase its inflammatory response.

·        Dietary Habits

There are certain foods that are believed to worsen psoriasis symptoms, so you can reduce or avoid them altogether to minimize flare-ups. These include gluten, alcohol, dairy, red meat, eggs, processed foods, and nightshade plants like tomatoes and eggplants. Try an anti-inflammatory diet with antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables, fatty fish, grains, and healthy oils.

·        Lifestyle

As well as being harmful to your health in other ways, smoking can trigger psoriasis symptoms, make them much more severe, and increase the risk of psoriasis flare-ups if you don’t already have them. The tobacco in smoke affects the immune system and causes oxidative damage to cells. Patients with psoriasis should also watch their calorie intake and try to get regular exercise, as being overweight or obese can make the rashes worse.

·        Weather

Although psoriasis occurs during all four seasons, it’s important to pay attention to environmental factors. Symptoms usually get worse when there are weather changes. Cold, dry weather, low humidity, and indoor heating tend to aggravate this condition the most, meaning that the fall and winter months are when the worst symptoms often occur. Some people find that it’s easier to cope in hot, sunny weather because ultraviolet light delays the growth of cells, but severe heat, intense sun exposure, and sunburn have been known to make the itching worse.

·        Clothing, Jewellery, and Fabrics

Although many people who have psoriasis use clothing to hide the rashes, be careful about the types of materials you wear and what you use for bedding. Synthetic fabrics can stick to your skin, cause friction, and increase irritation. Choose loose-fitting options that don’t cause you to become overheated, and wash with fragrance-free detergents. Cheap costume jewellery can cause rashes.

·        Injuries

Whenever you injure your skin with even small nicks, cuts, bruises, and scrapes, psoriasis symptoms can occur. Insect bites, sunburns, vaccinations, scratching your skin rashes, acne scarring, shaving nicks, tattoos, and piercings can be triggers, so be very gentle with your skin.

If you’re coping with a chronic skin condition, the team at West County Dermatology can provide diagnosis, support, and treatments. Schedule a consultation to talk about your condition by calling 636.532.2422, or submit a contact form to get started.