Contents:
- Medical Video: Anxiety / Stress and how it impacts naturally healing Dermatitis, Eczema, Psoriasis
- What is psoriasis?
- Why does stress cause psoriasis?
- How to deal with stress that can trigger psoriasis
- 1. Do light exercise and exercise
- 2. Yoga, meditation, and focus practice
- 3. Tai chi
- 4. Massage
- 5. Stop smoking and limit alcohol
Medical Video: Anxiety / Stress and how it impacts naturally healing Dermatitis, Eczema, Psoriasis
Stress and psoriasis are apparently interconnected. Stress is one of the triggers for psoriasis and psoriasis can make a person become stressed. Psoriasis makes people feel stressed because of the inflammation that occurs on their skin, making it tormented and even ashamed to move. To further understand how stress causes psoriasis, let us first know what psoriasis is.
What is psoriasis?
Psoriasis is a chronic skin disorder that makes the skin dry, cracked, and red spots appear accompanied by the presence of scales. The part of the skin that experiences psoriasis feels itchy, painful, and hot like burning, even to the point of bleeding. Scalp, face, elbows, hands, knees, feet, chest, lower back, nails, and buttocks are usually the most vulnerable to psoriasis. Psoriasis can also cause inflammation throughout the body.
Keep in mind that psoriasis cannot be cured, but treatment can help control symptoms. The main cause is not known with certainty. However, psoriasis is most likely caused by an autoimmune system in which T cells that are supposed to be in charge of infection and bacteria actually attack healthy skin cells as if there is a wound or infection.
Why does stress cause psoriasis?
Symptoms of psoriasis can come and go, but there are many triggers that psoriasis sufferers should avoid. Research has found that those who have psoriasis have a greater risk of depression, suicidal ideation, and anxiety. It also triggers psoriasis that gets worse. Stress is one of the risk factors that can trigger psoriasis.
According to the American Academy of Dermatology, although psoriasis is a genetic condition, environmental factors often trigger it too. Dr. Vesna Petronic Rosic, skin specialist and professor of medicine at the University of Chicago Medicine said, psoriasis is very dependent on stress. Psoriasis patients are very easy to experience stress and their skin conditions tend to improve while relaxing and worsen when under stress.
Psychological stress can trigger pain and swelling of the skin. When a person experiences a decrease in stress levels, their skin tends to improve. A 2013 scientific review noted that 68 percent of adults who experience psoriasis get worse symptoms after being hit by stress.
This condition indicates that someone who is under psychological pressure can trigger inflammation in the body. Finally, inflammation can make psoriasis symptoms worse. Other studies have shown that the increase in inflammatory cells caused by stress results in more severe psoriasis.
There are several aspects of stress which are presumed to be a pressure on psoriasis sufferers, namely:
- Stigma. Living with psoriasis can make you feel insecure and embarrassed. All forms of socialization with other people are often avoided because the condition of the body that is full of inflammation makes you not confident. So you tend to close yourself from the outside world.
- Finance. Psoriasis treatment costs a lot. Moreover, this disease is a disease that cannot be treated and lasts a lifetime. Even though the symptoms come and go, psoriasis still requires continuous treatment.
- Pain. Psoriasis causes pain which can increase stress levels. The reason, this pain must be felt for life even though the symptoms can come and go. The pain is sometimes quite disturbing daily activities. Especially if you suffer from psoriatic arthritis, namely psoriasis with inflammation in the joints that can make the pain even more unbearable.
- Treatment. Treatment that does not have any effect can cause stress. Sometimes some medications take a lot of time. For example light therapy that needs to be done three times a week is carried out for one year. In addition, side effects of treatment can also trigger stress.
- Be aware of life with chronic conditions. People with psoriasis often feel anxious about the future. Because lifelong psoriasis is in the body for life.
How to deal with stress that can trigger psoriasis
Chairperson of the National Psiorasis Foundation, dr. Colby Evans, states that the causes of stress cannot be avoided. However, your reaction to stress can be controlled. There are many things that can be done to reduce stress levels so they don't have negative effects on the body and mind. Here are some ways psoriasis sufferers can reduce stress:
1. Do light exercise and exercise
Doing exercises and light exercise such as walking can help release endorphins. Endorphins are known as stress relieving hormones and increase pleasure.
2. Yoga, meditation, and focus practice
These three activities are known to be able to help reduce stress and anxiety. All three are forms of meditation that can release endorphins in the process.
3. Tai chi
Tai chi is a physical exercise that combines full attention. This movement is done slowly with regular breathing so that it can help reduce stress levels.
4. Massage
Massage can help reduce stress and relax muscle tension while increasing security.
5. Stop smoking and limit alcohol
Quitting smoking and drinking too much alcohol is beneficial in managing stress. In addition, eating healthy foods can also help you control psychological distress.
If the stress you experience is too heavy and does not go away, you should consult a psychologist to get further solutions. In addition, maintaining relationships with the closest people can help reduce stressors.
