Navigating Life With Psoriasis: Can CBD Oil Help?
Written By
Nishant Garund
Medically Reviewed by Dr. Varuni AgarwalDr. Varuni Agarwal is an esteemed Ayurvedic physician specializing in diagnosing diseases through Ayurvedic dosha imbalances and providing personalized treatments. She focuses on ahara (diet) and vihara (lifestyle) to manage and heal various ailments.
Psoriasis can be a frustrating condition to live with. It can give rise to inflamed plaques. Plaques are thick, dry patches of discoloured skin that are itchy or painful, resulting from psoriasis autoimmune illness. Psoriasis plaques can appear anywhere on your body, but they most frequently appear on the elbows, knees, scalp, back, face, palms, and feet. Like other autoinflammatory diseases, Psoriasis develops when your immune system starts attacking healthy cells rather than the infectious bacteria it usually targets.
Around the scales, inflammation and redness are very typical. While psoriatic scales are usually red patches, they might also appear more purplish, dark brown with grey scales on darker skin tones. These patches occasionally fracture and bleed. An accelerated process of skin creation leads to Psoriasis.
Skin cells typically develop deep within your skin before slowly rising to the surface. They eventually come off. A skin cell typically has a life span of one month. This production process may occur in patients with Psoriasis in just a few days. Skin cells can't have time to shed as a result. The fast overproduction causes skin cells to accumulate.
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What causes Psoriasis?
If a parent, grandparent, brother, or sister has Psoriasis, you are more likely to develop it yourself. There is no spread of Psoriasis. Unlike chicken pox or the common cold, Psoriasis cannot be contracted by someone else. The specific cause of Psoriasis is still unknown, even though we know it cannot be transmitted. Scientists now know that a person's immune system and genes contribute to the development of Psoriasis.
Two major factors that lead to the development of Psoriasis are genetics and the immune system.
Immune system
White blood cells, commonly known as T-cells, are a component of the body's immune system. By combating pathogens like bacteria and viruses, these cells assist in keeping us healthy. T-cells also assault the body's skin cells when a person has Psoriasis since the immune system is malfunctioning in this condition. The body produces more new skin cells as a result of this onslaught. Psoriasis results from an accumulation of extra skin cells on the skin's surface. T-cell attacks on skin cells typically last the rest of a person's life once they begin. One exception exists. When youngsters develop guttate Psoriasis, some of them never experience it again.
Genetics
Psoriasis is known to run in families. Researchers have discovered that individuals with specific genes are more prone to Psoriasis. What else scientists have discovered only makes things more difficult. Some individuals with Psoriasis do not carry the genes that raise their chance of developing the condition. Additionally, it is possible to have genes that raise the risk of developing Psoriasis without ever experiencing the condition. This finding gave scientists the idea that Psoriasis must first be exposed to a trigger before manifesting.
Tips for Navigating Life with Psoriasis
Psoriasis can impact your life in ways beyond your physical health, just like other chronic diseases. It might even have an impact on other aspects of your life, including the clothing choices you choose. Living with Psoriasis can be difficult for some people. However, these tips can help you deal with some of the challenges brought on by psoriasis.
Maintain a healthy weight
Losing weight, particularly if you are overweight, may lessen the severity of the disease. A healthy BMI is essential for any sort of treatment to be more effective. Additionally, it benefits your general health. Additionally, frequent exercise helps with weight management and general health, stress reduction, and the release of antioxidants that aid in better control of inflammation.
Dietary changes
This involves consuming a diet high in vegetables, whole grains, and omega-3 fatty acids. Reduce your consumption of saturated fats, which are typically found in foods derived from animals, such as meat and dairy. Increase your consumption of fish, walnuts, flax seeds, and other lean proteins with omega-3 fatty acids. Psoriasis can worsen and become more inflammatory as a result of several meals. Avoiding particular foods may help with symptoms if you cannot manage your disease with regular medications. Some foods include red meat, refined sugar, processed meals, and dairy products. In addition to the benefits of CBD for skincare, CBD oil can improve your health by leaps and bounds.
Avoid smoking and drinking.
Drinking alcohol raises the likelihood of flare-ups. Your doctor can assist you in creating a treatment plan if you use alcohol improperly. Alcohol use can be significantly reduced or eliminated to help your Psoriasis get much better. Smoking shares a clear connection with alcohol with Psoriasis. It can worsen an already present case of Psoriasis as well as cause it. Stopping smoking can significantly aid disease control because it can raise the risk of active and passive smoking.
Keep stress under check.
Compared to a few years ago, there is much more awareness of mental and emotional health nowadays. Psoriasis has a well-known trigger of stress. You can lessen flare-ups and symptoms by learning to manage and cope with stress. Stress-reducing techniques include yoga, breathing exercises, music, writing, and meditation. People with Psoriasis are more likely to struggle with depression and low self-esteem. When fresh spots appear, confidence could suffer. It could be challenging to discuss your Psoriasis with family members.
Additionally frustrating may be the condition's perpetual cycle. All of these emotional reactions are legitimate and common. It's crucial to find a strategy to deal with them, which can entail consulting a specialist or joining a community for those with Psoriasis. Periods of remission are possible for those with Psoriasis which cycles. However, it would be best to speak with your skin specialist whenever the condition flares. Recent studies have demonstrated that early and consistent psoriasis care lowers the risk of developing metabolic syndrome, heart disease, diabetes, depression, and other systemic illnesses.
CBD Oil for Psoriasis
Even if research on the effectiveness of CBD oil for Psoriasis may not have been published, it is natural to assume that the cannabinoids' potential psychological benefits and anti-inflammatory actions could help reduce the burden of the disease brought on by the psoriatic disease. Researchers claim that CBD has shown promise in treating various skin conditions, including psoriatic illness.
CBD can bind to endocannabinoid receptors, which are found throughout the body and are a component of the human cannabinoid system and impact pain, itch, and mechanisms of inflammation. CBD can be involved in various activities that reduce inflammation when it binds to the CB2 receptors and anti-inflammatory ones. It can promote the secretion and recruitment of cells necessary for clearing away waste and enabling healthy skin maturation and healing.
Consumers should anticipate a decrease in pain and inflammation and benefit from the smoothing components in topical cannabis products based on everything we know about CBD, despite the absence of studies on CBD specifically for Psoriasis. Psoriasis patients should anticipate less tension and anxiety and increased efforts to return the body to balance.
Is CBD safe for those with Psoriasis?
The hazards of CBD and other cannabis-derived medicines have yet to be thoroughly investigated in individuals with Psoriasis and other inflammatory skin conditions. This unmet need merits continued consideration and investigation. However, previous clinical studies provide useful information and advice that potential dangers should be considered, particularly in individuals with Psoriasis.
Systemic CBD and other cannabis-derived products have been linked in numerous studies to deteriorating heart disease, obesity, diabetes, fatty liver disease, and an increased risk of inflammatory bowel disease surgery. Patients with Psoriasis must know the disorders linked to the condition and how cannabis products may make them worse. High-dose consumption increases the risk of adverse outcomes compared to alternative administration modalities like topical CBD oil for psoriasis.
Summary
Doing your research is crucial if you're considering CBD for skincare and other skin conditions. To better understand the cannabis industry, patients exploring holistic or alternative medical therapies for their chronic illnesses must be honest with their doctors. Before attempting CBD, looking for products with open ingredient lists and solid brand reputations is crucial. We advise people living with Psoriasis to consult their doctor before introducing any supplements or alternative therapies into their treatment plan because of the potential effects cannabis products may have on human physiology.