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What you should know about autoimmune diseases, including their causes, symptoms, and treatment options.

You may not suspect psoriasis if you have inflammatory, pinkish-purple, glossy lesions in your skin folds (such as your armpits or groin). After all, psoriasis is known for its thick scaly plaques on the knees and elbows. Plaque psoriasis, according to Dr. Adil Moulanchikkal, Lead Ayurveda Specialist at EliteAyurveda Clinics, is one of seven types of psoriasis, an inflammatory disease that causes inflammation in the skin and stimulates the development of skin cells.

Another type of psoriasis that affects the body’s hidden skin folds is inverse psoriasis, which affects the armpits, groin and genitals, belly button, eyelids, and underneath the breasts and buttocks. According to a study on the prevalence of psoriasis types published in the journal Clinical and Experimental Dermatology, inverse psoriasis is less common than plaque psoriasis, which occurs on the outside of the skin, such as the knees and knuckles, and affects 21% to 30% of psoriasis patients. (Plaque psoriasis, on the other hand, affects 80% to 90% of psoriasis patients.)

What Are the Symptoms of Inverse Psoriasis?

The scales found in plaque psoriasis cannot form in inverse psoriasis because it begins in the damp, sweating areas of skin folds. Instead, inflammation appears as “lesions that look purplish or deep purple in darker skin and red or pink in lighter skin types,” according to Dr. Adil Moulanchikkal, Lead Ayurveda Specialist at EliteAyurveda Clinics. She also mentions the lesions being smooth and shiny.

Inverse psoriasis, according to Dr. Adil, can be excruciatingly painful. When the skin becomes inflamed, it presses on nerve endings in the area, causing pain, itching, and/or burning, stinging, and throbbing feelings. According to Dr. Adil, the more visible the inflammation, the more likely you are to feel. With inverse psoriasis, the skin never gets a break. “It’s chronically irritated from friction and sweat,” Dr Adil says.

Inverse psoriasis may sound like hidradenitis suppurativa (HS), a chronic skin illness that manifests itself in skin folds. In the case of HS, however, inflammation manifests as boils, lumps, and tunnels beneath the skin known as sinus tracts.

Causes of Inverse Psoriasis

According to a research of genetics and psoriasis published in the Journal of Autoimmunity, no one knows for certain what causes psoriasis, although twin studies show that heredity is essential. Weight, illnesses, stress, and medicines, among other variables, all play a role.

Dr. Adil believes that if a person has one type of psoriasis, they are at risk of having others. “There is usually no reason for the type or location of psoriasis.” “A person can have inverse psoriasis without having plaque psoriasis, or they can have plaque and develop inverse later.”

Inverse psoriasis, according to Dr. Adil, is more common among overweight and obese psoriasis patients. Because skin traumas and trauma in general might result in the formation of new psoriasis lesions. The injury is typically the result of a cut, scrape, sunburn, injections, or even a tattoo, but it can also be the result of skin rubbing together and causing irritation over time. Extra weight, according to Dr. Adil, may cause more painful skin-on-skin friction.

The Effects of Inverse Psoriasis

The chronic inflammation associated with inverse psoriasis, according to Dr. Adil, “breaks down the skin barrier, making it susceptible to secondary yeast and bacterial infections.” (An smell emanating from inflamed areas, she observes, is one symptom of these disorders.) He writes, “These infections complicate diagnosis and therapy and may give patients the impression that they are in a never-ending cycle of therapies.”

Dr. Adil recommends keeping the affected areas cool and dry to avoid microbial colonisation. She suggests wearing moisture-wicking trousers and using a fragrance-free, sensitive-formula antiperspirant if your skin tolerates it. He goes on to say that decreasing weight or maintaining a healthy weight can also help.

According to one study, despite the fact that inverse psoriasis affects a smaller percentage of skin body areas than plaque psoriasis, it can have a major influence on quality of life, notably on sexual function and body image.

“People with all types of psoriasis have some of the lowest quality of life scores when compared to people with other medical conditions,” explains Dr. Adil. Furthermore, persons with psoriasis are considerably more likely to experience depression and anxiety than those without the chronic autoimmune skin disease. In addition, studies have indicated that depression and anxiety can develop or worsen inverse psoriasis.

Treatment for Inverse Psoriasis

With a few exceptions, treatment for inverse psoriasis is similar to treatment for plaque and other types of psoriasis. Consider the following treatment options with your dermatologist:

To begin, consider Psoriasis from an Ayurvedic standpoint.-

Ayurveda classifies skin illnesses as Kushtha. The exposed sickness is known as Kushta. When it comes to Ayurveda, there are around 18 varieties, and these differ depending on the doshas. 

Psoriasis is a skin condition that is characterised by skin lesions (swollen) and silvery-white scales around them. Vata is the cause of the blackish or dry silvery plaque. Psoriasis is characterised by itching, which arises as a result of Kapha. According to Ayurveda, there are numerous variables that contribute to psoriasis, the most important of which is heredity.

Second, I will discuss alternative approaches to Ayurveda for psoriasis therapy.

Allopathic medicine –

If topical therapies haven’t cleaned up your moderate to severe psoriasis, your doctor may consider an injectable medicine. Injectable medications such as methotrexate (Otrexup, Rasuvo, and Trexall) and biologics can aid in the removal of plaques and the reduction of inflammation. Here’s all you need to know about psoriasis injections.

Doctors recommend biologics for moderate to severe psoriasis that covers more than 5 to 10% of the body or is debilitating. Biologics are synthetic copies of proteins derived from human cells. These medications target specific components of the immune system.

Biologic medications can raise your risk of infection because they target your immune system. These medicines may also raise the risk of cancer, but this has not been confirmed. TNF-alpha inhibitors and interleukin inhibitors are the two categories of biologic medicines approved to treat psoriasis.

Doctors frequently recommend topical medications first for mild to moderate psoriasis. Topical medications are administered to the skin. They act by slowing cell development, removing scales, and alleviating irritation and inflammation.

Topical medicines include the following:

Emollients are substances that moisturise the skin.

Steroid creams: These help to reduce swelling and redness.

Vitamin D analogues: These limit skin cell development and minimise inflammation.

Coal tar: This aids in the reduction of scales, irritation, and inflammation.

Phototherapy is another psoriasis treatment. This treatment exposes your skin to UV rays in order to decrease cell growth.

Biologics, antibiotics, and hormone therapy for HS each have their own set of adverse effects, such as affecting the immune system balance (Biologics), affecting the microbiome balance (Antibiotics), or causing hormonal imbalance (Hormone Therapy).

Finally, how might Ayurvedic treatment from a qualified specialist aid in the reversal of Psoriasis?

When it comes to Ayurveda, the emphasis is on detoxifying the body (Shodhana treatment), which is also known as kushtha roga. The focus of Ayurvedic medicine is on providing Panchakarma treatment, which ensures that the disease will not reoccur within the specified time frame. Furthermore, it will balance the doshas and correctly manage everything in the body.

Shodhana therapy is thought to provide the best outcomes for this skin condition. Other Ayurvedic treatments recommended include: Rasayana Yoga Pranayama Meditation

All of these are beneficial in managing the illness and preventing it from recurring.

In Ayurveda, the first step in treating psoriasis is to restore the body’s balance by detoxifying it with Panchakarma treatments, including medicated Enema, Virechana, and Vamana. Shirodhara with medicinal oils on the scalp would be good for people who have scalp psoriasis. The therapy method also includes lifestyle management, stress management, diet management, counselling, and the incorporation of yoga asanas.

My Point of View

The optimal treatment should improve your overall health rather than burden it with additional adverse effects.

The treatment being considered should show results and improve overall well-being within a reasonable time of starting the treatment. The recurrence rate or remission phase should be low. The overall cost of treatment should not be high. The treatment should not only treat the disease symptomatically, but also treat the underlying cause that caused the disease in the first place.

The appropriate treatment will help you discover true health by restoring the body and mind to their natural form.

I can personally attest to the effectiveness of our Ayurvedic Treatment, as hundreds of people worldwide are now psoriasis-free.

Connect with me to obtain our patient testimonials and to speak directly with our patients about their experiences with us and Ayurveda in general.

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Know More About Ayurveda Treatment For Hidradenitis Suppurativa.