Sometimes the strangest things can trigger a skin reaction. When it comes to psoriasis, a chronic condition that sends your immune system into overdrive, thereby increasing inflammation in the skin, the triggers run the gamut from strep throat to a curling-iron burn (yes, really). Stress, sunburns, catching a cold, or even bad weather can trigger a psoriasis flare, according to the National Psoriasis Foundation. Don’t let a sneaky trigger cause a major flare-up! We went to top docs to discover things to watch out for in your day-to-day life. Here are nine triggers to avoid.
Sneaky Trigger: Getting Sick
In addition to your actual illness, you could get a psoriasis outbreak, too. Anything that puts stress on the body can flare psoriasis, but infections in particular can exacerbate it, says Adam Friedman, M.D., professor and interim chair of dermatology at George Washington School of Medicine and Health Sciences in Washington, D.C. The same inflammation that jumps into high gear to fight the infection can worsen a psoriasis outbreak.
