Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin condition caused by an overproduction of skin cells.  The condition not only affects the skin but may also affect the joints and nails.

Nail Psoriasis

It is believed that up to 50% of people affected with the inflammatory skin condition, psoriasis will experience a degree of psoriatic nail involvement.  This is a common chronic problem that usually affects the fingernails, however the toenails may also be involved.

The classical symptom of nail psoriasis is pitting of the nails.  The nails may develop small holes and become severely misshapen.  Nail discolouration is also a common feature, as the nails become yellowish brown in colour.

As the condition worsens the nail may crumble or separate from the nail bed.  This is the result of the psoriasis affecting the skin under the nail.  This condition is often not only unsightly but painful.  Pain may become so severe that it restricts daily activities.

Nail psoriasis responds slowly to treatment.  The condition is often difficult to treat, as there is no single treatment that will help everyone.  It is therefore important to prevent the condition from progressing.

We should all take care of our nails.  This is especially so for anyone suffering from psoriasis, whether their nails are affected or not.

How to care for your nails

• Do not use your nails as a tool.   They are not screwdrivers or scrapers.

• Do not clean the nails or under the nails too vigorously.

• Keep the nails at a sensible length to reduce the risk of trauma or injury.

• Avoid nail polishes containing formaldehyde or the solvent tolvene.

• Avoid nail polish removers containing acetone.

• Soak affected nails regularly and apply a moisturiser afterwards.

• Soak thickened nails before carefully filing them with an emery board.

• Wear well fitting, roomy shoes to minimise pressure and friction on the nails.

• Nail hardeners and artificial nails will improve the look of intact nails.

For most of our children the school holidays are over and the final term of school has commenced.  For the younger children this is an exciting term because it means Christmas and the long summer holidays are approaching.

Long Hours Of Study

For the older child this term is more about hard work and long hours of study as they prepare for their final exams.  These exams are very important as the results will open up doors for their future – or close them.

The children are well aware of the importance of these exams and feel the pressure.  Stress is everywhere and each child will experience their stress differently.  Some will have difficulty sleeping, some may experience nausea, others may experience a flare up of their eczema.

Eczema May Reappear

Even eczema that has been dormant for years may resurface  during this stressful time.  It is important to take good care of yourself and treat your eczema promptly so that your focus is not taken away from the major task at hand – exams.

Below are some tips on how to survive the final exams when you have eczema.

• Eat a well balanced diet, which includes plenty of water.

• Get plenty of sleep.

• Take time out from study to ‘chill out’ and relax.

• Moisturise your skin after showering, every time, even if your eczema is controlled.  This may help to prevent a flare up.

• Don’t leave study to the last minute, be sensible and spread it out so you don’t need to cram and can feel well prepared for each exam.

• If you have hand eczema making writing difficult discuss with your teacher the possibility of the exam board permitting you to use a computer or tape recorder.

• If possible wear loose fitting cotton clothing that will not enhance sweating.

• Request to sit in a well ventilated cool area of the room.

• Make sure your teacher is aware of your condition so that they can be understanding and helpful where ever necessary.

Eczema is an inflammatory skin condition that is dry, red and itchy. It is usually treated with topical creams, traditionally steroids but more recently natural products that are less harmful to the skin.

Aside from the topical creams there are lots of things you can do to help control eczema. One of the least thought of is exercise.

That’s right!

Exercise Helps Eczema

Stress commonly causes an eczema flare up. Exercise helps to balance the mind and reduce stress. The type of exercise to best help eczema is individual but in general a structured cardio workout like interval training, running or cycling is best.

If there is a lot of pent up anger or stress a more vigorous workout like kick boxing may be more beneficial but only if the end result leaves you feeling calmer not angrier. Also contact exercise needs to be monitored to ensure there is no further damage to the skin.

Less energetic exercising like walking or gardening are also very beneficial in controlling eczema as they are a great form of stress release.

Yoga, meditation and swimming are a great form of release for people who are consistently uptight as they focus on breathing and body control.

Always shower after exercise to wash away sweat or chlorine as both may irritate sensitive skin if not removed. And remember to moisturise and apply treating creams after exercise.

Exercise helps to control weight and reduce stress. It also releases endorphins which make you feel good about yourself. All positive ways to help manage your eczema.

Regardless of the type of emollient you choose to use there are some common rules that if followed will enable you to gain the most benefit from your emollient.

• To reduce the risk of infection always wash your hands before applying your emollient.
• Always patch test an emollient that is being used for the first time.
• To prevent the skin drying out apply your emollient immediately after drying the skin.
• To minimise skin irritation and increased itching always rub emollients in the direction of the hair growth.
• To decrease the risk of cross infection, never share your emollient with other people.
• To moisturise your skin overnight, apply an emollient to your whole body before going to bed.
• To minimise skin irritation, apply moisturising creams gently.
• Always follow the manufacturers instructions.

Eczema is a chronic, itchy,inflammatory condition affecting the upper layers of the skin.

Hence the itch and the classic red, scaly, crusted or blistered rash must be present for eczema to be diagnosed. The symptoms must also last for a long period of time or must reappear frequently.  Having  a close family member who is atopic will also aid in the diagnosis of atopic eczema.

The diagnosis also depends on the location of the rash which needs to be typical for the age. Infants will usually experience eczema on their scalp, cheeks, elbows and knees. Small infants don’t scratch so rubbing against other surfaces like their bedding will irritate the areas affected.

Toddlers most commonly develop eczema in skin folds like the elbows and behind the knees but can develop it anywhere, as they are now able to scratch.  Atopic eczema in adults is rare as the other forms of allergy (asthma, or hayfever) are more common.  If eczema does occur in adults it is most likely to appear on the hands or feet.

What To Do If You Are Atopic

The reason for atopic people having atopic skin is not known and similarly a cure for atopy is not known. Current treatments are aimed at relieving and controlling the symptoms.

Until recently the doctors’ preferred form of treatment for atopic eczema was steroid-based creams.  New creams are always appearing on the market.  In the early 1990s two new creams hit on the market which appeared to be new revolutionary steroid-free treatments – Elidel and Protopic. They have since been associated with serious side effects including cancer and are now only used as a last resort.

A safer and more popular choice of treatment is natural creams that are applied topically to the affected skin.  There are many natural creams on the market.  Most are good and very effective for some but not for everyone.  Finding the best natural cream to treat your eczema will be a matter of trial and error.

Before Treating A Rash

Before treating your rash as eczema it is important to ensure that you have your rash properly diagnosed as treating for the incorrect skin condition may be more harmful than beneficial.  The only person who can accurately diagnose eczema (or any other skin condition) is a medical doctor. Consult your GP before treating a rash.

This is a question I often get asked and unfortunately there is no straightforward answer.

Psoriasis is an autoimmune disease causing an overproduction of skin cells.  This results in thickened patches of skin, which are red and scaly and often itchy and painful.  The patches most commonly appear on the knees, elbows, scalp, hands, feet, back, fingernails and toenails.  The condition may also lead to arthritis.

Treatment options range from topical emollients and vitamin D therapy through to powerful systemic medications.  The treatment of psoriasis is very individualised, meaning what works well for one person may have a negative or no effect on another. Similarly, the effects of various foods will have varying effects on each individual’s psoriasis.

Diet Does Help

Whilst many psoriasis sufferers have long claimed that certain foods affect their psoriasis, it is only recently that doctors and specialists have come to consider the diet when treating psoriasis.

Psoriasis is a condition affecting the immune system.  A diet that focuses on a healthy immune system is therefore desirable, as it will help to reduce inflammation.  While there are no set rules that will guarantee to improve your psoriasis, there are some guidelines now available that will help.

Psoriasis may be helped by a diet high in antioxidants, which are nutrients that play a vital role in cellular health.  Natural antioxidants found in fruit and vegetables are better than supplements.

A gluten free diet has also been found to help some people with psoriasis.  This involves excluding all foods containing wheat, barley, rye and oats.

A diet high in probiotics may also improve the immune system and in turn reduce psoriasis symptoms.  Probiotics are foods high in good bacteria.  We all have bacteria in our intestines and for most the good outnumber the bad.  Ensuring you have more good bacteria than bad bacteria will improve the immune system and decrease the symptoms of psoriasis.  Yogurts and some milks with added live cultures will do this.

A healthy diet can also help to maintain a balance of bacteria in the intestines.  A diet high in fruit and vegetables, whole grains and beans and low in simple sugars will help to maintain this balance and a healthy immune system.

Omega 3 Has Amazing Effects On Psoriasis

Modifying your fat intake is one of the best dietary ways to control your psoriasis.  Increasing the essential fatty acid Omega 3 in your diet may help.  Omega 3 is responsible for the inflammatory process in the body. Today’s modern diet has many of us consuming very small amounts  (if any at all) of Omega 3.

Increasing the amount of fish oils, flaxseed oil and nuts in our diets will help, but in reality a dietary supplement will probably be needed for the omega 3 to have a positive effect on psoriasis.

There are many supplements available in health stores that are high in omega 3.  The Grahams Mega Oil is a dietary oil supplement designed specifically for this purpose.  Not only is it high in omega 3, but it also has a calculated ratio of omegas 3, 6 and 9 that will enhance the immune system and decrease inflammation even more than omega 3 on its own.

Adopt A Healthy Diet And Control Your Psoriasis

In summary, adopting a healthy diet high in fruit and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, seeds and omega 3 supplements is what we should all be doing.  It will not only help to reduce the symptoms of psoriasis, but may also help to reduce the risk of other medical problems like heart disease, diabetes, high cholesterol, kidney problems, Attention Deficit Disorder and many others.

It has been around forever but it seems the incredible benefits of Omega 3 are only just becoming widely known.  Sure naturalists have advertised the benefits of Omega 3 for years, but it seems to me  it is only in far more recent times that Omega 3 has been considered an important asset to our bodies.

Omega 3 is a powerful weapon against many common diseases and ailments including heart disease, cholesterol, hypertension, arthritis, autoimmune diseases, cancer, menstrual cramping, acne, diabetes, depression, dementia, Attention Deficit Disorder, inflammation, psoriasis and eczema.

In fact Omega 3 is vital for general well being.

In history the relevance of Omega 3 has been of less significance as the typical diet contained sufficient Omega 3 naturally for it not to be a problem.  Our modern way of life in the western world has changed this.

We now eat less fresh fruit and vegetables grown naturally in our own back yards and less oily fish freshly caught by our hunting husbands.  Our diets now are highly processed.  Many of our foods are tinned, packaged, pre-prepared or, heaven forbid, “fast”.  The end result for most people of the western world is a diet low, or in many cases, completely deficient in Omega 3.

What is Omega 3?

Omega 3 is an essential fatty acid (or polyunsaturated fatty acid) found in fish tissues and some leafy green vegetables.   They were originally classified as “Vitamin F” until it was realised  they must be classified with the fats.

Essential fatty acids (EFAs) are particularly valuable because the body needs them to function properly but is unable to manufacture them on its own.  EFAs protect cell membranes throughout the body, helping them efficiently admit healthy substances and bar damaging ones.

Put simply, Omega 3 is one of the “good fats” and our body needs it to stay healthy.

Omega 3 has been found to have many benefits:

Omega 3 improves the health of the cardio vascular system by lowering serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels to make blood less viscous, thinner and less sticky, and therefore less likely to clump together.  High cholesterol, heart disease and high blood pressure are all less likely when a diet high in Omega 3 is observed.

Omega 3 also acts as a mood stabiliser and memory enhancer.  It therefore has a beneficial effect in the control of ADD, ADHD, depression and bipolar disease, as well as dementia in old age.

It reduces the inflammation associated with gout, lupus and fibrocystic breasts thus minimising the resulting symptoms of joint pain, swelling and generalised discomfort.

Omega 3 has anti-inflammatory actions and skin soothing properties that give it a powerful skin-healing ability.  The red, itchy skin associated with eczema, psoriasis, acne and sunburn will often respond to these positive qualities of Omega 3.

And the list goes on…..

Omega 3 is found naturally in oily fish like salmon and mackerel, walnuts, flaxseeds, canola oil and leafy green vegetables.  The Japanese rarely experience conditions related to low levels of Omega 3 because their diet naturally contains many of these foods.  For those living in the western world and eating the typical diet of today, Omega 3 is not so plentiful.  In fact, the normal dietary intake of Omega 3 in most western countries is pitifully low.

Omega 3 supplements are required

An Omega 3 supplement is required by most western people in order to maintain an optimal degree of health.  Supplements are available from most health food stores in either tablet or liquid form.

The Graham’s Mega Oil is a dietary oil supplement designed specifically for this purpose.  Not only is it high in Omega 3, but it has a calculated ratio of Omegas 3, 6 and 9 that will enhance the immune system, decrease inflammation and improve general well being even more than Omega 3 on its own.

Mega Oil is available in a liquid form and is ideal as it can be taken directly from the spoon or added to your favorite foods like pasta, salad or yogurt.  This makes it a more palatable way to take Omega 3 and an easier way to give it to children.

To find out more about Mega Oil click here.

Some Closing Thoughts

As I have yet to see veggie gardens appearing in my neighbours’ back yards or our husbands setting off to work with a fishing line in one hand and a spear in the other, it would seem that the Mega Oil type supplement of Omega 3 is a must if we are going to get control of the ever-inflating conditions of our modern way of life.

I believe it is time we took a look at our diet and started to reduce the amount of heart disease, skin conditions, obesity, behavioural disorders and autoimmune diseases we are now suffering.

A bucket load of oily fish or a tablespoon of Mega Oil…

I know which one I would prefer.

Anyone can get psoriasis.  Even the top models.

Psoriasis Awareness month has been and gone, but in Canada where they are just recognising psoriasis in October, one of their top models has come out to reveal that she has psoriasis.

Stacey McKenzie has been modeling for 15 years and is a former Canada’s Next Top Model Judge.

“It’s (psoriasis) been one thing in my life that I never put out there because I was actually embarrassed by it and I was afraid I would lose out on a lot of job opportunities like I’ve had in the past,” says McKenzie who has a milder form of psoriasis called Plaque Psoriasis.

“I’m speaking about it now because I want people to be aware of it and also we are not all perfect – we all have flaws, but it’s all about what you’re going to do with that flaw, you’re either going to own that flaw or you’re going to let it control you, or own you and I’m not going to let psoriasis own me.”

Psoriasis Facts

People hide their psoriasis for many different reasons and as a result the general population have limited awareness of the condition.  Most people have no idea just how common it is or what sort of an impact it can have on a person’s life.

below are some basic facts I read on the Psoriasis.org website:

• Psoriasis is the most common autoimmune disease in the U.S., affecting as many as 7.5 million Americans. Psoriasis occurs when the immune system sends out faulty signals that speed up the growth cycle of skin cells, resulting in painful red, scaly patches on the body that bleed and itch.

• Psoriasis is not contagious.

• Psoriasis frequently occurs with a range of other health concerns including diabetes, hypertension, heart attack and depression.

• Psoriasis impacts the emotions.  Nearly 70% of people with psoriasis say their disease makes them feel self-conscious. embarrassed and helpless.

• Up to 30 percent of people with psoriasis also develop psoriatic arthritis, which causes pain, swelling and stiffness around the joints.

• There currently is no cure for psoriasis.

(Taken from the Psoriasis.org website:

http://www.psoriasis.org/netcommunity/events/psoriasis-awareness-month)

Aloe Vera is a tropical plant, which at present has little official standing in the medical community.  Despite this it is one of the most widely used substances in the treatment of burns and bruises.

Medical research is currently underway to assess the true medical value of this plant. The FDA has approved development aimed at the eventual use of Aloe Vera in the treatment of cancer and AIDS.  Despite having a long history of being used in medicine its benefits as a powerful healing agent have never been properly examined. A situation that is now changing.

Aloe Vera has a long history

The use of aloe vera has a long history spanning many countries from Africa to Egypt, Greece to Italy and even into Japanese folklaw. The Greek physician Dioscorides was one of the earliest to study the use of aloe vera. Aloe vera has drawn the attention of many of the world’s greatest minds, throughout the continents, throughout the ages and throughout the various cultures.

It has taken man thousands of years to learn what he now knows about the benefits of various plants. What can be ingested, what heels burns, warts or rashes, what calms and what aggravates, it has all evolved over a very long time.

This is the common treatment that is the foundation for all our knowledge of the world. Today’s medicine predominantly consists of combinations, variations and reproduction of formulas and methods used through time.

Aloe Vera one of the oldest plants know to possess healing powers

Aloe Vera is one of the oldest plants known to possess healing powers. A Somerien clay tablet written around 2200 BC has been found in the city of Nippur and is believed to be the first written document around 1550 BC was the first detailed document about Aloe Vera. It included 12 formulas for mixing Aloe Vera with other agents to treat both internal and external human disorders.

Around 400 BC Aloe Vera was in wide spread use in India and in Copra’s indigenous drugs of India it was written at this time “The use of Aloes, the common musahhar for external application to inflamed painful parts of the body and for causing purgation [internal cleansing] are too well known in India to need any special mention.”

Aloe Vera still used today

And today the benefits of Aloe Vera are still commonly acknowledged. Internally Aloe Vera is predominantly used as a level 1 (over the counter) laxative, whilst externally or topically it is used to treat wounds, minor burns and skin irritations.

It has long been accepted that soap and eczema do not go together. Soap dries the skin depleting it of its natural oils. Soap often contains perfumes which may also cause an allergic reaction.

The fact is not all soaps are bad for eczema skin. Some may actually help the skin. It is simply a matter of knowing what soaps are safe and which ones are best avoided.

What is it about soap?

Traditionally soaps were made using what is called cold press soap-making. This involves blending a fatty acid (animal or vegetable oil) with an alkali base. The base is usually a lye solution which is made by mixing caustic soda and water.

The soap making process involved several hours of blending followed by weeks of curing. The end result being a mixture of soap and glycerin.

Modern technology has enabled soaps to be made more quickly and cheaply. However to do this lower quality oils are used resulting in lower quality soaps. Heat destroys the goodness in even the high quality oils and manufacturing removes the glycerin which softens the skin.

At the end of the processing phase fragrances, additives, preservatives and colourings are added to the soap. All of which frequently cause allergic reactions in the eczema skin.

What soaps can I use?

When selecting a soap to use the eczema sufferer should opt for a soap manufactured using the traditional cold press methods, where only the finest quality oils have been used. A soap free from any additives is also important.

To obtain this soap the buyer often has to be prepared to spend a little extra as the process is more time consuming and the ingredients more expensive.

However a fine quality soap of this nature will not strip the skin of its natural oils so the need to moisturizing emollients will be lessened.

The soap that I recommend is Grahams Natural Soap.  It is made locally from a natural blend of oils and Manuka Honey and will leave your skin feeling gently moisturised.