Psoriasis Treatment with Honey
It has been experimentally proven that with application of honey, condition of the person suffering from psoriasis can be improved and the inflammation can be reduced to some extent. Honey, in combination with a few more ingredients, has shown good results when applied on patients suffering with psoriasis.
This article just tries to bring the related facts to you, but never recommends using honey alone for treatment of psoriasis.
From the results of a few experiments involving different numbers of patients, it has been concluded that with the use of honey, psoriasis patients can be given some relief from the inflammation and the peeling away of skin from the affected parts. It also helps protect the affected areas from other types of infections. Before we know about the properties of honey that makes it useful in psoriasis, we shall try to know what exactly psoriasis is. Here are some facts.
What is Psoriasis?
Psoriasis or Psoriasis Vulgaris is a common, chronic and ugly looking skin disease, identified by red, peeling skin with silvery patches and inflammation. It is a very common myth that psoriasis is caused due to some infection and is contagious. But it is not so. psoriasis is caused due to abnormal activity of a special type of white blood cells (leucocytes) called T- Cells that make the skin cells to grow abnormally faster and peel out and produce inflammation.
Many a times, this is genetic and is inherited. In acute conditions, pustules develop in the affected parts and/or the skin splits up, exposing vents or raw wounds that do not heal up for several days, often followed by frequent bleeding when these portions are subjected to pressure.
Psoriasis can be of many types viz. plaque psoriasis, guttate psoriasis, pustular psoriasis, erythrodermic psoriasis etc. depending upon the skin conditions and related symptoms. In some cases like plaque psoriasis, it can be just itchy, while in others like pustular or erythrodermic psoriasis; it can be also be very painful.
Honey in psoriasis
With external application of honey, psoriasis can just be treated or improved but not cured. In fact, it cannot be cured with any external medications, except that the symptoms and painful situations can be relieved to some extent. As discussed above, since psoriasis is not caused by any infection and is caused to due hyperactivity of our immune system, honey does not improve or treats it due to its anti microbial or anti bacterial properties. Rather, it just soothes the skin, reduces the inflammation and protects the damaged skin from being infected. So, it is just external application of honey on the parts affected with psoriasis to relieve the inflammation, dryness, patching, peeling away etc.
Further, with application of honey, psoriasis wounds (cracked & bleeding skin, pustules etc.) can be protected from external infections caused by bacterial or fungal activities, due to the anti microbial and anti fungal properties of honey.
Application of honey
My intelligent readers might have very well guessed by now that how honey should be applied in psoriasis. Yeah! This is very simple. Honey, sometimes alone and sometimes in combination with other ingredients is applied on the affected places. Apart from plain honey, psoriasis affected places can be applied with following mixtures;
Honey - Bee Wax - Olive Oil Mixture: The three ingredients are generally mixed in equal parts in the ratio 1:1:1 and gently applied on the areas affected with psoriasis.
Honey - Bee Wax - Olive Oil - Clobetasol Propionate Mixture: Although this mixture cannot be called an Organic Mixture, but I thought it should find a place here because it was found more beneficial to using Clobetasol Propionate alone, in treating psoriasis.
Honey - Vaseline Mixture: This is also a fine solution to dry, patchy skin resulting from psoriasis or otherwise. Just mix the two ingredients (in quantity as required) well in the ratio 1:1 and apply on the affected spot. This will make the skin moist, prevent cracking and peeling away, reduce inflammation and soothe the affected areas.
Some More: It will be interesting to know that honey will not only soothe and reduce inflammation, but it will also help in growth of new skin in the damaged areas.
Additional Tips: To get better results in psoriasis, you may try the following;
Increase intake of fish oil, Omega-3 & Omega-6 Fatty Acids and soothing or non inflammatory foods.
Reduce intake of chilies, pepper, sugar etc. and all inflammatory food items.
Vitamin-D (Found in plenty in Fish Oil) helps in psoriasis.
Increase vegetables in your diet; particularly cucumbers, squashes, water melon etc.
Reduce intake of any kind of meat, poultry, pork etc. (but not fish)
Reduce smoking, intake of alcohol, drugs etc.
So, with honey, psoriasis cannot be cured for sure, but can be improved a lot. And that too, without any side effect and without spending a fortune from your pocket. Give it a try and you will not lose anything. All the best!
This article was contributed by Aparup Mukherjee
Sources:
http://www.honeybook.net/psoriasis.shtml
http://www.raysahelian.com/psoriasis.html
http://www.emedicinehealth.com/what_is_psoriasis/article_em.htm
