This inflammation leads to the outbreak of symptoms, primarily skin lesions known asplaques.
As frustrating as psoriasis can be, identifying and avoiding triggers can significantly reduce your risk of flares.
Here are ten common triggers you should know about.
To reduce your risk, treat any and all skin injuries immediately.
Avoid scratching bites or rashes, using a topical ointment to reduce itchiness, if needed.
If outdoors, use a bug repellant.
Sun and Hot Temperatures
The sun and heat are major factors for psoriasis flares.
On the other hand, too much sun can overheat the skin and trigger a flare.
Extreme humidity is also problematic as it promotes sweating, another common trigger.
Even taking a hot bath can trigger a flare by overheating the body.
The combination of cold and dryness promotes the cracking of the outer layer of skin, called thestratum corneum.
This induces inflammation that triggers the psoriatic flares.
To avoid cold-induced flares:
Stress
Stressis known to be a trigger for psoriatic flares.
Stress has both a cause-and-effect relationship to psoriasis.
While stress can trigger psoriasis symptoms, the appearance of lesions caninducestress, perpetuating psoriasis symptoms.
Routine exercise is one of the more effective ways to control stress.
Infection
Infections triggered by a bacteria or virus are common causes of psoriasis flares.
Certainly, at the front of the list are bacterial infections likestrep throatandimpetigo.
Common viral causes include colds, influenza, mumps, and chickenpox.
HIVis another trigger that can induce psoriasis symptoms.
While HIV doesn’t increase the frequency of psoriasis, it can significantly increase the severity of outbreaks.
The best way to avoid flares is to treat any infection immediately.
If you have HIV, startingHIV therapycan reduce the inflammation that drives acute flares.
Smoking
Smoking can place undue stress on the body.
Smoking instigates immediate inflammation while constricting blood vessels throughout the body.
To make matters worse, the risk of flares increases with the number of cigarettes you smoke per day.
Drinking
Consuming alcohol may also trigger psoriasis outbreaks.
Withpsoriasis and alcohol, the jot down of beverage you drink can play a part.
Heavy drinkers also appear to be at a greater risk.
To avoid psoriatic flares, the best thing to do is quit.
Foods
For some people, certain foods can increase inflammation and lead to psoriasis flares.
Foods that may trigger psoriasis include:
Avoiding foods that increase inflammationmay help control psoriasis symptoms.
However, food triggers may vary from person to person.
Hormonal Fluctuations
Changes in hormone levels have also been linked to psoriasis symptoms.
Studies show that fluctuations in estrogen levels can affect the severity of disease in some people.
Low estrogen levels duringmenstruationmay also trigger flare-ups.
If you think your flare-ups are triggered by hormonal fluctuations, let your healthcare provider know.
They may recommend a treatment strategy that can help you better manage your psoriasis.
Medications
There are quite a few drugs known to induce or worsen psoriasis symptoms.
Theoretically, any drug has the potential to induce flare, but there some more likely to do so.
These include:
Corticosteroidssometimes used to treat psoriasis pose a serious risk if stopped abruptly.
If this occurs, psoriasis symptoms can rebound, sometimes severely.
Mention all supplements as well.
Identifying and avoiding such triggers can significantly reduce your risk of flares.
Let your healthcare provider know if you’re having trouble managing your flare-ups.
They may be able to recommend lifestyle modifications and other treatment options that can help.
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