Tips for Discovering Your Psoriasis Triggers

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If you have psoriasis, a critical part of your care plan is to know what triggers flare-ups for you. By avoiding your triggers, you can reduce the number of flare-ups you experience and manage your ongoing symptoms better. The trick is figuring out what exactly your triggers are. Your dermatologist can help you recognize things that are triggering your symptoms. These tips will also help.

Know the Usual Suspects

Psoriasis triggers can differ widely from person to person. However, knowing the most common triggers and looking at how they affect you is a good place to start. Some of the most recognized psoriasis triggers are stress, skin injuries, certain medications, and illnesses. These things tend to cause flare-ups in symptoms for many people who have been diagnosed with psoriasis. In some cases, they are also associated with the initial outbreak of symptoms that lead people to be diagnosed with psoriasis.

Keep a Journal

Because so many different things can trigger psoriasis symptoms, keep a journal of your flare-ups and the things you were doing close to the time that they occurred. Keep track of the weather, your diet, alcohol consumption, smoking, and weight, and then look for patterns. You may discover that every time you drink wine, your symptoms get worse, or that cold weather causes an outbreak of symptoms. Your journal can also be helpful to your dermatologist.

Know What Can Be Avoided

When you spot triggers, decide which ones can be avoided and which ones can’t. For example, you can’t change the weather, but you can avoid foods or drinks that seem to cause symptoms. Try removing the triggers you can change from your day and see if it has an effect on your flare-ups.

The dermatologists in Salt Lake City at Swinyer-Woseth Dermatology can help you get your psoriasis under control so you can experience more days without symptoms. To make an appointment with one of our providers, please call 801-266-8841.