There are 1.2 million people in the UK with psoriasis. The condition
appears on the skin as raised dull red patches, called plaques,
which are usually round with silvery scales. These can appear
anywhere but most often are seen on the scalp, elbows or knees.
UK doctors see about 300,000 cases a year, leaving 900,000 untreated
or self treated. Very few sufferers see a dermatologist. Ten per
cent of people with psoriasis will develop psoriatic arthritis,
with painful joints.
Psoriasis is rarely life-threatening but causes huge misery.
The condition is itchy and embarassing. Psoriasis was dramatically
brought to puplic attention by the writer Dennis Potter in the
BBC production "The Singing Detective".
Psoriasis is supposedly caused by a faulty gene which causes
skin cells to divide at a much faster rate than normal. There
are many treatments available. Most are unpleasant topical preparations
and many have disagreeable side effects. The latest drug treatments
aimed at modifying the immune system cost up to 10,000 pounds
per year. No current treatment actually prevents the disease.
Humans have between 2 and 4 million sweat glands with ducts throughout
the skin. As the sweat moves from the gland towards the skin surface,
the duct actively reabsorbs sodium from the sweat. This salt saving
mechanism enabled our evolutionary ancestors to remain cool under
the African sun without losing life maintaining sodium. In a fit
and healthly person this modification to the basal level of sweat
(insensible perspiration) provides sweat at the skin surface which
is at exactly at the right salinity for the anti-microbial peptides
it carries.
If too much salt is reabsorbed in the sweat duct, the salinity
drops below the optimum level, the anti-microbial peptides become
ineffective, microbes enter the duct and the immune reaction to
their presence blocks the duct. This is the skin condition of miliaria.
The fact that the immune reaction blocks the duct in miliaria
has the useful effect of preventing any further microbes getting
into the duct below the blockage. Miliaria is a very common skin
disease, and miliaria profunda in particular has no symptoms.
People do not know that they have it.
In a person with skin miliaria, the skin may suffer physical
trauma. One example is the simple stretching of the skin at the
knees and the elbows. The stretching of penile skin is another
example. Simple brushing or combing of the hair may slightly injure
the skin of the head. Tight clothing or even harsh toilet paper
can injure the skin. Other traumas come from everyday knocks, and
sporting activities.
This trauma on the skin in the area of a sweat duct which is
blocked can momentarily open the blockage caused by the immune
reaction to the entry of microbes. When this happens the microbes can
pass below the blockage. The blockage then reforms. Now the microbes
are trapped underneath the blockage in the area where the sweat
duct is being ruptured by the pressure of the sweat exuding from
the sweat gland. The trapped microbes spread into the surrounding
skin, setting up another immune reaction.
For the first time in history, this is the exact description
of the aetiology of psoriasis.
Treatment is the same as for any other skin miliaria. It does
not need to be aimed at the immune system. The aim of treatment
must be to keep the sweat ducts unblocked.
We need to convince the body that there is
a surplus of salt in the environment of the body. We have to bring
salt into the environment of the body but not into the body. If
we do this then the sweat ducts stop the excessive reabsorption
of sodium and the ducts unblock. We can do this with ActivSignalTM
Sodium, a new invention by Warren Ward. ActivSignalTM
is carefully designed for signalling only and, unlike
drugs, are not absorbed into the body. Also since
they are required to signal against adverse habituation, the body
must not become habituated to their use and thus ignore the signal.
Fortunately, ActivSignal therapeutic products are very fast acting, and,
since they are not absorbed and also have a consistent predictable
action, they have no side effects. The first commercial ActivSignal product is now under development.
As with other miliaria class diseases the treatment of psoriasis
can be complicated by even a slight rise above normal in blood
glucose. Since the body defends osmolality above all else, a rise
in blood glucose is compensated for by a fall in sodium. The duct
excess sodium reabsorption will not switch off if the body is
deficient in sodium. It is therefore necessary to reduce blood glucose with a low carbohydrate diet and exercise. If needed, one of the anti-diabetic drugs may also be used.
Current treatments for psoriasis are aimed at the symptoms, rather
than the cause of the disease, which has been misunderstood until
now. Although not a practical treatment for most people, a one
month stay at the Dead Sea in Israel has been reported to clear
psoriasis for some months. Located 412 meters below sea level,
the Dead Sea area has the world's
highest terrestrial barometric pressure resulting in 3.3%-4.8%
(maximum in winter and minimum in summer) higher oxygen density
than air at sea level.
Staying in this oxygen rich air allows the body to reduce circulating
haemoglobin in the blood. Haemoglobin makes a contribution
to the osmolality of the blood, and the body defends osmolality
above all else. Lowering of haemoglobin is automatically compensated
for by a rise in blood sodium. So the body is now replete with
sodium. Add in the warm sunshine in Israel, and the sweat ducts
change from adverse habituation to original habituation and the psoriasis
clears. This really shows how quickly it is possible to clear
psoriasis once the sweat ducts are habituated to not reabsorb
too much sodium. Fortunately this is now possible with ActivSignalTM
therapeutic products. The first commercial ActivSignal product is now under development.
Incidently, many people with various miliaria class conditions
say that their condition is better when atmospheric pressure is
higher, and worse when it is lower.
