Psoriasis is more than a skin condition, it’s a lifelong hereditary complex multisystem disorder of a chronic inflammatory nature.
Characterised by a development of red, scaly and thickened areas of skin, the exact cause is unknown and there is no cure.
While the skin is the most visible expression of the disorder it may be associated with other conditions such as psoriatic arthritis, cardiovascular disease, obesity, insulin resistance, mental health disorders, inflammatory bowel disease and other immune-related disorders.
Clinical skin practitioner Dianne Wallace from the Psoriasis & Skin Clinic at Gosford said psoriatic disease affected about 6.6 percent of the Australian population and had a significant impact on quality of life.
While it is not considered a life-threatening disease, the social and psychological impact is considerable including elevated levels of anxiety, depression and worry.
“Living with a skin condition that is visible impacts heavily on a person’s mental health and emotional well-being,” Wallace said.
“Psoriatic disease is exacerbated by stress, yet stress is also one of the know triggers for a new flare or worsening an existing one.
“Joint pain and skin itching can lead to sleep deprivation, fatigue, and the cycle of negative effects on mental health continues.”
Wallace said a study of 2,391 psoriasis patients indicated that 62 per cent had depressive symptoms, and science was starting to uncover the molecular mechanisms behind the association between psoriatic disease and depression, revealing the link was related to inflammation.
Chronic inflammatory processes have been found to affect the pathophysiology of depression and patients with depression have high peripheral blood levels of inflammatory markers.
Studies have shown there is an increased percentage of people living with anxiety plus psoriatic disease compared to anxiety alone.
“Interestingly, having anxiety as a primary condition does not increase the chance of developing a psoriatic disease,” Wallace said.
“Itch, a significant symptom of psoriatic disease experienced by many, increases the levels of anxiety; consequently treating psoriatic disease can improve anxiety.”
Wallace said for many people with psoriatic disease, full participation in society may be thwarted, with many feeling they are stared at and need to cover their skin.
“In some cases, they exclude themselves from social interactions or places and gatherings with lots of people,” she said.
She said more than 80 per cent of respondents in a study said they felt their relationships had been impacted by their psoriasis condition.
“In addition, 91 percent of partners of people living with psoriatic disease reported their partner’s disease had an impact their family life,” Wallace said.
She said her approach was based on Professor Michael Tirant’s method which has been used by practitioners around Australia and Europe for several years.
The method has demonstrated very significant success rates for psoriasis and eczema.
The approach includes addressing the triggers which activate and exacerbate episodes, treating the symptoms with topical application to relieve physical symptoms, supporting the body internally with targeted natural-based medicines and establishing long-term solutions to help patients manage their conditions.
To find out more and make a booking visit https://psoriasis-skin-clinic-gosford.com.au/psoriasis, email Diannewallacepsc@gmail.com or call 0480 609 955.