Every year, for more than ten years, the International Federation of Psoriasis Associations (IFPA) has organised World Psoriasis Day on 29 October. The day aims to raise awareness of this debilitating disease, which today affects around 2% of people worldwide, or 125 million – that’s equivalent to almost twice the population of the United Kingdom.
Of course, we’ve all heard of psoriasis but not everyone is aware of what causes it and some of the important facts, for example that it is not contagious. The condition is caused by the skin cells being replaced more quickly than usual. This results in patches of dry, red skin that is covered with silvery scales, which some people find becomes sore or itchy. Unfortunately, there is currently no cure.
What’s not so well known – as with many illnesses – are the very real and very serious impacts on mental and emotional wellbeing. People living with psoriasis often experience social exclusion and stigma, which can have a huge impact on both the individual and their family, leading to depression and poor mental health.
However, the good news is that today many sufferers of psoriasis are able to minimise the impact of the condition on their daily lives and make lifestyle changes that help them to better manage and improve symptoms.
At talkhealth we’ve been supporting people suffering from psoriasis in a number of ways. Anyone can discuss their personal issues and share their experiences and advice with other people who are living with the condition, on our talkpsoriasisforum . So that we can learn how better to help them, we’re running a survey for psoriasis sufferers until 31 October. In collaboration with the British Skin Foundation (BSF), we also recently held an Ask the Expert session on Thursday 18 October when our dermatology experts responded to questions from everyone in our community. Furthermore, we’ll soon be launching a psoriasis support programme – if you wish, you can sign up here.
And this year, to mark World Psoriasis Day (WPD) on Monday 29 October, talkhealth will be teaming up with global pharmaceutical brand, Janssen, to host a Twitter Chat, or Tweet Chat as it’s otherwise known, at 12-1pm. The aim is to spread some much-needed awareness, education, hope and positivity to people living with psoriasis through sharing top tips and the latest advice, along with inspiring stories and messages of encouragement from others living with the condition. It will also be a great opportunity to raise the profile of psoriasis and inform others what it’s like to live with a chronic disease that can be visible, painful and isolating when poorly managed. You can join in by using the hashtag #TalkPSO or follow @talkhealth and @JanssenEMEA to see the full conversation as it happens. We hope you can join us!
For more information, or to be more directly involved in the Tweet Chat, feel free to drop us an email: info@talkhealthpartnership.com. There’s lots of FREE support and guidance available at talkhealth – why not see how it will help you today?
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This is the talkhealth blog spot, where we post on a wide range of health conditions, topics, issues and concerns. We post when we see something that we believe is of interest to our vistiors. Our posts do not reflect any particular view or stand point of talkhealth, but are merely to raise attention and awareness.