Psoriasis causes can vary from person to person
Psoriasis causes are slightly different in every case. Science tells us that in psoriasis, the skin cells multiply and shed ten times faster than normal. But what makes that happen? Chinese medicine can shed some light on this question.
This page will explain how I work to understand each patient's psoriasis causes and prescribe an appropriate treatment at my herbal skin clinic.
I practice Chinese herbal medicine, and treat psoriasis from the inside out, with herbal combinations of roots, leaves, barks and flowers. These herbs have powerful anti-inflammatory, anti-itch, and detoxifying effects which are able to stop the overactivity in skin cell reproduction, and in many cases, cure the disease.
Here is list of some of the different causes that Chinese medicine knows to be the root of psoriasis symptoms:
1. EXCESSIVE HEAT (Inflammation)
We all know by experience that inflammation is "hot". We can feel a warmth when we touch it, or the patient might feel a burning, pricking sensation on their skin. These psoriasis lesions are usually very very red, and bleed quite easily. This bleeding, usually in a pin prick pattern, is called an Auspitz sign, and is one of the features that helps to distinguish psoriasis from other skin inflammation such as eczema.
Another feature of EXCESSIVE HEAT psoriasis is that it tends to be fairly aggressive, with new spots coming out often, and difficult to control. Here is a checklist for hot psoriasis:
*very red, itchy, bleeds easily, new spots appear often, difficult to control, may be accompanied by feeling hot, sweaty or thirsty*
Finally, why and how does a person develop such EXCESSIVE HEAT? It's usually a combination of constitution, lifestyle and genetics. Some people are born "hotter" than others. Look around you and you will see this is true. Others have this in their genetic background, and have relatives with psoriasis. Still others lead a very "hot" life: lots of spicy food, alcohol, smoking and stress. Cooling down your lifestyle and diet can help.
2. "DRY BLOOD"
I know this doesn't sound very scientific. It's not meant to be. Like all of Chinese medicine, it's based on common sense and observation.
In order for the skin to be healthy, the blood needs to be rich and lubricating. It's like the oil in your car. Without good oil, or enough oil, everything grinds and dries. It is the same with this cause of psoriasis. Some patients have relatively thinner, weaker blood, which can't properly nourish and moisten their skin. This type of psoriasis is pink instead of red, and the lesions are thinner and smaller with looser, dryer flakes. Because there is less inflammation (heat), it's not as aggressive, and tends instead to remain very limited and stable. Overall a much less bothersome type. Here is a checklist for the DRY BLOOD type:
*pinkish, thinner plaques, with dry flakes, more stable, new spots not often seen*
I prescribe totally different herbs for this type than the EXCESSIVE HEAT type. When the blood is richer, the psoriasis lesions begin to dissipate.
3. BLOOD STAGNATION
Poor blood circulation to the skin can be one of the less common psoriasis causes. We call this BLOOD STAGNATION in Chinese medicine. As we know from common sense observation, poor blood circulation causes a purplish, dark tinge to the skin - think of varicose veins. Blood stagnation psoriasis lesions tend to be purplish or darker hued, thick, hard and deeply rooted in the skin. They are very stubborn, hardly respond to creams, and don't tend to change much over the years. Here is a checklist for this type:
*purplish or dark plaques, thick hard and deeply rooted, with thick grey or yellow scales, stubborn and unchanging*
Once again, this type is treated with a totally different herbal recipe than the previous two, and requires patience as the treatment tends to be longer and more difficult. Herbal creams can give us a helping hand for this type, helping to break down the lesions from the outside as the herb teas do the same from the inside.
4. FIRE-TOXIN
"Fire-Toxins" can be one of the most significant psoriasis causes.This refers to a level of inflammatory heat that is so severe that it is as though a great poison is raging inside the body, out of control. Here is a checklist:
*psoriasis plaques take up a great area of the body, lesions are very red, spread very quickly, new lesions form at the site of injury to the skin, may be associated with strep throat infection*
Many Chinese herbs have powerful detoxifying properties and they are used in a high dosage to treat psoriasis causes such as Fire Toxin.
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