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Psoriasis - Prevention

There is no way to prevent psoriasis. But the following tips may improve symptoms or help reduce the number of psoriasis flare-ups.

Keep your skin moist.
Avoid cold, dry climates. Cold weather may make symptoms worse. Hot, humid weather and sunlight may improve symptoms. (But hot, humid weather may make certain types of psoriasis worse.)
Avoid scratching and picking skin, and avoid skin injuries (cuts or scrapes). An injury to the skin can cause psoriasis patches to form anywhere on the body, including the site of the injury. This includes injuries to your nails or nearby skin while trimming your nails.
Avoid stress and anxiety. Stress may cause psoriasis to appear suddenly (flare) or can make symptoms worse, although this has not been proved in studies.
Avoid infection. Infections such as strep throat can cause one type of psoriasis (called guttate psoriasis) to appear suddenly, especially in children.
Try to avoid certain medicines. Some, including beta-blockers and lithium, have been found to make psoriasis symptoms worse. When your doctor prescribes any medicines for you, tell him or her that you have psoriasis.
Limit alcohol to no more than 2 drinks a day for men or 1 drink a day for women. Alcohol use can cause symptoms to flare up.
Don't smoke. Smoking may make you more likely to get psoriasis and may make it more severe.³ Smoking may also make your symptoms last longer.⁴

WebMD Medical Reference from Healthwise

Last Updated: January 13, 2010

This information is not intended to replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information.

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