Frequently Asked Questions

Psychological stress and distress may trigger psoriasis or increase the existing skin rash. For this reason, getting psychological help will dramatically decrease the severity of the disease for those who are under a lot of stress. Besides, microbial diseases such as tooth cavity, tonsillitis, urinary tract infection, and contusion of rubbing, bumping, and scratching, and excessive drinking, some metabolic diseases(hypocalcemia) and medications may be triggering the disease.

Dr. Mehmet İlteber BAHADIR states that in streptococcus cases (a bacterial infection developing in the throat, especially in children), psoriasis gets exacerbated, therefore, patients having tonsillitis frequently should be treated properly. Dermatologists typically request for antibiogram test, includes taking culture from one’s throat with the help of a cotton stick, even if there is not any complaint. Apart from this, diseases harboring a constant infection source in the body, such as tooth cavity, must be treated

Psoriasis decreases during sunny climate and increases especially during winter. Also psoriasis is less often seen in the low attitude regions. In dry climates, patients feel itchier because of the low humidity. That’s why psoriasis patients are more at ease in the humid regions. Yet, during the winter with the effect of radiator and stove, air dries out and itching on the incrustations increase. Dr. Mehmet İlteber BAHADIR’s advice to his patients is using plenty of moisturizer during winter. Using moisturizer after shower during winter prevents the increase in psoriasis lesions during the winter times.

Injuries on psoriasis free skin may form new psoriasis lesions over that region. This case is called Koebner phenomenon. Sun burns and cuts may cause this. Even though sun is good for psoriasis, long sun exposure should be avoided. Psoriasis patients should never have permanent tattoos because psoriasis may also appear on the tattooed regions. Extensive itching on the wounds may cause new psoriasis wounds on the surrounding area with the effect of Koebner phenomenon. That’s why they should be treated. Also most psoriasis patients play with their crustations and pull them off. This case may also cause the same problem.

Studies showed that especially during radical life changes, psoriasis diseases may display varying situations. Some new scientific researches specified that because of stress, some substances which have triggering effect on the immune system increases in the bloodstream. Dr. Mehmet İlteber BAHADIR underlines psoriasis disease on women, especially during youth period, is seen frequently and thinks women tend to have more intensive stress during these periods. Also some of the other excessive stress periods are pregnancy and post-pregnancy. In these periods, women encounter serious lesion increase on their bodies because of the increase on their stress level and decrease on post-pregnancy hormones. In this periods, most women encounter with psoriasis disease for the first time.

Psoriasis disease can be seen on men in every ages but it is not specifically as in the case of women. Dr. Mehmet İlteber BAHADIR states that especially in the periods when personal stress increases, patients get psoriasis for the first time. “For instance, most of my patients talks about their businesses go bad in the last one or two years. Or, we observe parental death such as mother or father. In these periods, we frequently observe that men have social and psychological downfalls. People encounter with psoriasis disease for the first time on their lives in these periods.” says Dr. İlteber Bahadır. Besides, Dr. Mehmet İlteber BAHADIR particularly indicated that university admission exam and military service periods trigger psoriasis disease on young men.