Psoriasis
Psoriasis is a skin condition that causes flaky patches of skin which form scales or sheets.
What are the symptoms?
On brown, black and white skin the patches can look pink or red, and the scales white or silvery. On brown and black skin the patches can also look purple or dark brown, and the scales may look grey. These patches normally appear on your elbows, knees, scalp and lower back, but can appear anywhere on your body.
Causes
Psoriasis affects around 2 in 100 people in the UK. It can start at any age, but most often develops in adults between 20 and 30 years old and between 50 and 60 years old. It affects men and women equally.
Psoriasis occurs when skin cells are replaced more quickly than usual. It's not known exactly why this happens, but it is an autoimmune condition.
Diagnosis
A physical examination will take place.
How it is treated conventionally?
Treatments tend to fall into 3 categories:
Topical – creams and ointments applied to your skin
Phototherapy – your skin is exposed to certain types of ultraviolet light
Systemic – oral and injected medications that work throughout the entire body
How does Surrey Centre for Nutrition work with Psoriasis?
We work to identify the underlying causes and triggers for psoriasis. We build up a thorough functional medicine case review which dives into your health history and any predisposing factors. We then look at what the trigger/s was/were at the time of onset, and although these sometimes won’t be obvious we can use functional medicine timelines to pinpoint the most likely triggers. We will often also use functional and nutritional testing such as comprehensive stool testing (to identify the role of gut health in disease) and food, pathogen and chemical reactivity testing to identify causative factors which can’t be identified through casework alone.
By identifying the triggers we can address these using functional medicine and nutritional therapy approaches to diet and lifestyle. Often we will work through a series of protocol phases focussing on gut health, food and nutrition, environmental and pathogenic inputs, stress and lifestyle factors to ensure we have addressed all aspects of health in relation to your Psoriasis.
Are you ready to work with us to reach your health goals?
If you or someone you know is suffering from the symptoms or conditions listed above, Surrey Centre for Nutrition may be able to help. We typically work with clients for 3-6 months depending on your health concerns. Are you interested in working with us?
Book a discovery call to see how the Surrey Centre for Nutrition can help
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