Psoriasis and Alcohol

Psoriasis is a chronic life long disorder and despite intense research, its cause remains unknown. However, we do understand factors which can trigger the disorder.

One such trigger is alcohol.

The exact role of alcohol in triggering psoriasis flare ups is poorly understood and not well studied.

All the data available todate are limited to a few case reports and large scale clinical trials are lacking.

Some studies have shown that drinking mild to moderate amounts of alcohol can trigger the flare ups of psoriasis.

The exact amount of alcohol one has to drink is not known but regular dinking is linked to flare ups.

The alcohol associated-flare ups are generally more common in the younger individuals with psoriasis.

For some unknown reason, alcohol is more likely to trigger flare-ups of psoriasis in men rather than women

A number of studies have shown that refraining from alcohol significantly decreases the flare ups.

Continued alcohol drinking has been shown to affect the response of treatments. Alcohol appears to worsen the symptoms of psoriasis and worsens the joint arthritis in these individuals.

Because the cause of psoriasis is unknown and the disease poorly understood, it is hard to make strong recommendations about alcohol.

The best advice it to make a note of all the triggers that worsen your psoriasis.

When you consume alcohol, observe and follow your disease. You are the only judge of your psoriasis. If the psoriasis appears to be worsening, stop drinking alcohol.

In general, alcohol does not have any medical benefits.

So it is best to avoid it. It will not only prevent your psoriasis form getting worse, it will save your liver- an organ which if damaged from alcohol can make a real mess of your life.