Today stress is part of most peoples’ lives. Demanding work schedule, traffic, health and worry are just a few potential causes of stress. Psoriasis is an itchy and uncomfortable skin disorder that is linked to stress in several ways. Stress can trigger psoriasis and living with psoriasis can have a very negative effects on a person’s overall mental health. In this article we will explore the relationship between stress and psoriasis and how people with psoriasis can manage stress.

Psoriasis and stress seems to go together, stress can make psoriasis worse and psoriasis can make you stressed. But when you experience reduced stress levels, your skin tends to improve as well. As per a study conducted in 2013 on a group of psoriasis patients, it has been observed that they experience flare-ups after stressful incidents. It’s still unknown that why stress makes psoriasis worse, but it is believed that it relates to the effect that stress has on inflammation.

As per research, stress factors can increase the immune system response involved in inflammation. Which means stress can lead to physical inflammation in the body. This increased inflammation may further worsen psoriasis symptoms. As per another study, increase in inflammatory cells that results from stress aggravates psoriasis symptoms. It has also been observed that women with depression were at a higher risk of developing psoriasis.

Managing Stress to reduce psoriasis flare-ups

Here are some simple techniques to reduce stress to control your psoriasis symptoms:

1. Meditation and Yoga

Meditation and Yoga can help reduce stress and anxiety. As per a study, psoriasis patients who listened to stress-reducing meditation tapes during photo-therapy had their lesions clear up more quickly than those patients who didn’t. Initially 10 to 15 minutes of meditation is sufficient and over a period of time you can increase your period of meditation. Yoga is also very beneficial as it is physical form of meditation.

2. Exercise

Exercise increases the production of endorphins in the body, a chemical that improve mood and energy. Exercise also improves your sleep, which ultimately reduces stress. As per reports, people who regularly participate in vigorous exercise are less likely to get psoriasis than less active people. Whether it’s swimming, biking, running or walking, exercise is good for overall stress reduction.

3. Get Support

People with psoriasis can feel extremely vulnerable and experience social isolation, however joining a support group can improve their psychological well-being. Support groups can be very valuable for people with psoriasis, it will allow you to share your experiences and learn coping strategies from others.

4. Professional Help

Psychotherapy can benefit psoriasis patients to deal with stress, anxiety and depression associated with the disease. Psychotherapists can help you develop coping skills to manage psoriasis symptoms. Your doctor may be able to refer you to a suitable therapist.

5. Massage

Massage can help you reduce stress and muscle tension, as well as promote a sense of well being. A massage can do wonders for tense, sore muscles, and a gentle touch from a friend or loved one can ease stress from the inside out.

6. Improve your Diet

A healthy diet and good digestion are important for keeping the skin healthy. You can find a number of diet books on online stores. You can also start consuming high grade probiotic supplement which helps proper digestion and optimize absorption of the nutrients in your food.

Avoiding smoking or drinking too much alcohol along with maintaining a healthy diet can play a key role in reducing stress and managing your psoriasis symptoms.