Psoriasis is an incurable disease. The disease and its symptoms can be managed with a suitable treatment plan that includes topical agents, medicines, and light therapy. In severe cases like psoriatic arthritis, surgery may be necessary to correct problems with the joints.

Psoriasis affects the patient and their family members’ quality of life. It is essential to know about the triggers of this condition so that flare-ups can be avoided.

Some of the probable triggers of psoriasis are:

• Obesity
• Stress
• Smoking
• Heavy alcohol consumption
• Skin or strep throat infections
• HIV
• Severe sunburn
• Bug bites
• Scrapes or cuts on the skin
• Vitamin D deficiency
• Some medications for high blood pressure, malaria, and bipolar disorder

It is imperative for the patient to seek medical attention if they develop any form of psoriasis as not treating this condition can lead to the development of numerous complications:

• Abnormal cholesterol levels
• Type 2 diabetes
• High blood pressure
• Cardiovascular disease
• Kidney disease
• Ulcerative colitis
• Parkinson’s disease
• Other diseases that arise due to problems with the immune system like inflammatory bowel syndrome, celiac disease, Crohn’s disease, and sclerosis
• Liver and pancreatic cancer, squamous cell carcinoma of the skin, and basal cell carcinoma
• Eye disorders like conjunctivitis, uveitis, and blepharitis
• Psoriatic arthritis
• Emotional problems that arise out of the stigma, a loss of self-esteem, and depression

Lifestyle changes to manage psoriasis
Patients should be active in changing their habits to maintain a good quality of life. Some lifestyle changes that patients can adopt are:

Managing stress
Patients need to evaluate how they react to stress and look for signs of over-eating, anger, pain, depression, crying, negativity, and smoking. Patients need to address these by:

• Getting proper sleep: It ensures that the immune system works well, and rests and rejuvenates the body.
• Hobbies: Pick a hobby that is enjoyable as it calms the mind. Arts and crafts, drawing and painting, fishing, and music are some examples.
• Relaxing activities: One can participate in relaxing activities like light physical exercise, yoga, meditation, tai chi, or qigong.
• Draw back from stressful situations: Commit to lesser workloads and other professional, social, and personal engagements. This step will help reduce stress and improve quality of life.

Education
Get educated about the disease, its triggers, and complications to make better and informed choices to manage this condition.

Eating healthy
One should adjust their calorie intake according to their BMI. Low fat diets which are rich in vegetable content are recommended for patients with psoriasis.

Exercising
An active lifestyle keeps the body in shape, fights obesity, and helps the immune system function at its best. It helps a patient relax as well.

Regular checkups
Consult a doctor and get help in monitoring the various symptoms and the progress of the disease. Appropriate and timely treatment is necessary for slowing and stopping the progress of the disease, managing the symptoms, and eliminating the risk of complications.

Support group
It is important to have a support group that will understand the patient’s situation. This group can help patients stay positive and provide encouragement.

Get professional counseling
This may become necessary for a patient as it will help them handle stress, anger, and depression caused by psoriasis.

Diseases caused by the improper functioning of the immune system tend to affect an individual’s emotional balance as the public may not understand the symptoms due to lack of knowledge and may treat the patient differently.