Psoriasis Triggers
Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Psoriasis (Sore-i-a-sis) is a common skin condition affecting 6 to 7 million Americans.  In today’s 60 second housecall, Dr. Ken Davis discusses specific triggers that may make psoriasis worse.

Psoriasis is a chronic skin condition, but there are certain things that make the skin outbreaks worse. 
The National Psoriasis Foundation lists these psoriasis triggers:

-   Stress - Stress is a proven trigger in some people. It can cause psoriasis to flare for the first time or aggravate existing psoriasis.

-   Injury to skin - psoriasis can appear in areas of the skin that have been injured by injections, sunburns, scratches or bruises.

-  Certain Medicines – Lithium aggravates psoriasis in one half of people with psoriasis who take it.  Drugs used to treat malaria may cause a psoriasis flare 2 to 3 weeks after taking them.  Inderal, a popular blood pressure medicine, makes psoriasis worse in 25 to 30 percent of psoriasis patients.

Psoriasis is a lifelong chronic disease that people need to learn to manage.  Avoiding and managing these triggers may help reduce the number and severity of psoriasis flares.

For North Mississippi medical Center, I’m Dr. Ken Davis.