Living with Psoriasis

I've been meaning to post this for a while now but I wanted to make sure I got it just right before sharing. I've been suffering with psoriasis for around four and a half years now and this has meant seeing a large number of doctors and dermatologists, trying a number of creams and treatments, and learning to cope with the fact that this is something that can only be calmed and not cured.

I've put together five headings below that break down the areas I feel have an impact on my psoriasis and how I try to cope with it.

I've been given a number of creams and ointments to try out from my doctor, but I've only found one that works for me. It's horrible to use as it's a really thick, petroleum jelly consistency and it marks and stains any clothes or fabrics that I touch. It really helps to get the redness and dryness of the patches down but it's a real pain to use due to the marking. It's on my bedsheets and my pyjamas, but I'd rather have clearer skin. 

Baths with salt is something I've only started doing in the last couple of months. I started off using normal table salt but was doing some research and it was recommended that I try epsom salts. I add half a cup of these salts to my lukewarm-warm bath, as it's not recommended that you have hot baths with this condition. Salt can be quite drying so I only use this two days in a row before having a break from it for a day. It's helped my skin remarkably well and has reduced the need to use the expensive doctor's cream I mentioned above.

After using the salt it's important to moisturise well, so I use a medicated one given to me by my doctor sometimes but most of the time I just use a bit of coconut oil. Again, you have to be careful not to mark anything as it's oil and it can stain, but it works brilliantly.

I've had to put a lot more thought into my hair and wash product purchases too, trying my best to use items that have no perfume, or very little. I've found a few high street items that work for me, but I also have a clear, watery solution provided by my doctor to put onto my scalp, where I occasionally have a flare up (but not as often as I used to) as well as using these products. I normally use the L'Oreal Extraordinary Clay haircare range and wash with Sanex hypo dermo-allergenic body wash, as it's soap and colourant free.

Eating healthily is important anyway, but more so with psoriasis. I was told by two doctors that nutrition and what I eat doesn't really make a difference to psoriasis, but I've noticed a difference in how I feel and how my skin looks when I eat well. It could be a coincidence, but I find it feels a lot better after eating meals that have large amounts of vegetables and fish and that my skin seems to flare up when I've been eating poorly or having a lot of diary in my diet.

It is also noticeably better when I've had a good run of days where I've had a lot of water to drink. I normally try to have one big glass in the morning, I usually get through two bottles during the day at work and then have two big glasses in the evening with dinner and before I go to sleep.They also say alcohol in excess can cause flare ups too, but I'm not a big drinker anyway.

Stress can't cause psoriasis but it can make it flare up significantly. This is the issue that I struggle with most as it's harder to control, unlike what you eat, drink and put onto your skin. For me, it's all about having time out for yourself because you need to, not just because you want to. I usually do this by having time to read a book in my armchair with a cup of tea (yes, I am 24 not 84) or having a bath whilst listening to music or catching up on YouTube videos by some of my favourites (making this a salt bath is an added bonus but you're not supposed to lay in it for longer than 20 minutes).

Those with psoriasis are more likely to suffer from anxiety or depression, and I can completely understand how this can happen. I have not been diagnosed with either but I definitely how down days, and sometimes weeks, where I'm really low and I know that a lot of this stems from my skin condition. I've had times where I've woken up really hot and the skin on my back feels tight, almost like sunburn, and I know it's flared up. This puts me in a really bad frame of mind for the rest of the day and despite using the techniques of calming down with some 'me time' and using creams and eating the right stuff, it just doesn't help me. This is when it's important to talk to someone. Opening up is a great source of support for you because just by telling someone how you're feeling it can lift a huge weight. Telling someone close to you that you trust also means that they're there to look out for you and if you ever get too low or they notice scary changes in how you are, you know you have someone to help you and get you the support you might need. This isn't just a physical illness, it can be mental too.

This one kind of links into the above section on stress. Exercise, such as yoga, can help with relaxing and calming the mind as well as giving more movement to your limbs. Regular exercise is also important because psoriasis can also lead to arthritis. Regular health checks with your psoriasis will help spot this, but giving your limbs regular movement and looking out for signs of it in fingers, toes, knees and your neck is something you can do to help.

I also mentioned relaxation above, having some 'me time'. Doing some yoga can help with this, but I've also heard meditation can be really helpful. I've only tried it a couple of times and I want to get into it more because it makes sense as to how it can really help you calm down and unwind.

This one affects me massively. With psoriasis on my knees, elbows, stomach, back and my left foot, it can be really daunting when thinking about what to wear as some items might show it off. Before I had psoriasis I used to wear dresses a lot and would have been comfortable in cropped or shorter t-shirts or tops with open backs, or shorts and skirts. But now I feel extremely self-conscious about what to wear and avoid anything like this at all costs. If I have to wear something like this, such as during the summer when it's impossible to get away with jeans and a long-sleeved top I am constantly thinking about how it's visible. To be honest, the best thing for it is to not be covered up with fabrics rubbing against it, but fabrics such as linen and cotton can make all the difference. When I'm in the house I try to have those areas with psoriasis uncovered. Sunlight is also good for psoriasis, but not too much as it can have the opposite effect. 

When it comes to sleeping I am usually covered in my Vaseline-like cream so I have to wear a t-shirt at least, but I try and keep it as a loose one. I now have particular pyjamas that I wear when I'm using this cream and then I have good pyjamas for when I'm not covered in it. When I'm not using the cream I try and let my skin breathe too, so I wear the lightest, loosest items possible.

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I know this blog post won't be relevant to everyone, but if this can help anyone then I'll be happy that I wrote this post. Writing it was actually very helpful for me as it allowed me to put all of the aspects of caring for my skin in one place, so it's even be useful to me to see put together like this. So many people think psoriasis is just dry skin and just needs a moisturiser but there is so many parts to caring for it.

Hardly any of this stuff is what I've actually been told by doctors and professionals. I've researched and tried a lot of this myself because I wanted ways to deal with it and they just weren't giving it to me. I know the problems we're having with our NHS at the moment, and I'm not going to get all political on you, but being told that the one cream I have found to work out of all six I've tried cannot be given to me as often as I need it because it's too expensive for our health service is very unhelpful! I understand there are worse conditions and illnesses than psoriasis that need attention before this, but there's no cure for this either and it effects people more than most realise.

I'm happy to answer any questions about my psoriasis in terms of my personal experience and what I've found works for me, but remember that I'm not a doctor and not everything I do will work for everybody.

You can get in touch with me through my blog comments below, but if you want to private message me about anything - as I know speaking out about this condition can make people anxious - you can contact me through Twitter's messenger.