Relief from Psoriasis

Experts agree that the most important step in getting psoriasis relief is to keep skin well moisturized. Plain petroleum jelly is good, but a commercial moisturizer that contains lactic acid is better. Eucerin cream works well as a moisturizer for bringing relief to those with psoriasis.

Add some moisturizing liquids to your bathwater. Get in the tub first, so your body soaks up the water, and then add a little olive oil, or mix two teaspoons of olive oil in a large glass of milk and add that to your bath.

Be extra careful stepping out of the tub because oils can make surfaces very slippery.

Moisturize after bathing. Pat yourself dry and apply the moisturizer liberally all over your body--not just on plaques.

Sun helps bring a degree of psoriasis relief. A moderate amount of sunlight enhances the production of vitamin D, which may be effective in controlling psoriasis.

Light therapy is a highly effective treatment for a number of skin diseases like psoriasis. A doctor's prescription is required for home phototherapy equipment.

Scientific medical studies done at respected institutions have shown that phototherapy is effective in bringing relief from 80% to all of the skin scaling associated with psoriasis. For more information, see the National Psoriasis Foundation's educational booklet Phototherapy: Light Treatment for Psoriasis.

Stay away from alcohol. No one's sure why alcohol exacerbates psoriasis, but it does. Alcohol may increase activity of a certain kind of white blood cell that's found in psoriasis patients but not in other people. It's also possible that drinkers experience more stress and are therefore more likely to get psoriasis.

To get relief from itching caused by dry skin and psoriasis, dissolve 1/3 cup of baking soda in a gallon of water. Soak a washcloth in the solution, wring it out, and then it apply to the itchy area. Or add a cup of apple cider kitchen vinegar to the water and apply that to the skin.

If your skin is cracked because of psoriasis, cover the cracks with cow cream. A product called Bag Balm has gotten good reviews from psoriasis patients.

Avoid stress as much as possible. Stress is a known trigger of psoriasis, so exercise and relaxation can help keep psoriasis under control.

Be careful with infections and injuries. Infections can lead to an outbreak or worsen your condition. New lesions may also appear on injured skin, so try to avoid cuts and scrapes.

As with most other health conditions, diet is important. It appears a diet high in oily fish--such as tuna, mackerel, sardines and salmon--helps bring relief from the itching and inflammation of psoriasis.

Conversely, there are certain foods you should avoid. Tomatoes and tomato-based dishes usually have high acidity levels. Some doctors have reported a decrease in plaques when their patients avoided or limited pork products and other fatty meats, as well as caffeine.

Recently, however, a new category of drugs called "biologics" has come along. These block or "turn off" certain processes within the immune system that can lead to psoriasis. Biologics are made from living sources, such as viruses, animals and people, and they have to be injected or infused into the body, rather than taken orally. Biologics target very specific parts of the immune response. In theory at least, they could have fewer side effects than existing drugs.

Alefacept or "Amevive" was recently approved for treating psoriasis. Amevive blocks a misstep in the immune system-the activation of T cells. Activated T cells fuel the development of psoriasis lesions by causing skin cells to develop and mature at a rate that's faster than normal.

Efalizumab is in development for psoriasis. Efalizumab is an antibody that's biologically similar to other human antibodies, so it can can work in the body without being attacked by the immune system.

Enbrel has been approved for psoriatic arthritis, and is in development for psoriasis. It is given by subcutaneous injection two times a week.

Remicade is approved for rheumatoid arthritis relief, but it also seems effective for psoriasis. It is given intravenously over two to four hours.

Infliximab is also in development for psoriatic arthritis and psoriasis relief.