How removing tonsils can fix the strep throat psoriasis issue

For anyone whose first psoriasis flare up was a guttate psoriasis flare up then read on as it has finally been proven that strep throat does indeed have a major bearing on your psoriasis condition.

I first experienced guttate psoriasis at the age of 14 a few months after I had recovered from a bad bout of tonsillitis. I would go on to have at least 3 bad episodes of tonsillitis that I can remember over the next 2 years, so bad that I had to miss some on my government required school exams.

It is now one of my biggest regrets that I did not have my tonsils removed at that time. What even makes it more annoying is whilst talking to a college friend later in life, she explained to me that she also had a bad flare up of guttate psoriasis when she was a child but once her tonsils were removed she never experienced psoriasis again. Lucky girl!

Strep throat, tonsillitis and psoriasis connection finally proven

According to a study published in April 2012 issue of The Journal of Immunology, it showed a 50 percent decrease in psoriasis in those who had their tonsils removed. And those who didn’t clear dramatically were able to treat their psoriasis with milder therapies.

Co author Dr. Andrew Johnston stated “It turns out that people with psoriasis and frequent sore throats often have a strep infection that antibiotics can’t treat. That’s because strep bacteria can hide deep in the tonsil cells in the back of the throat and antibiotics tend to only treat the external skin cells of the tonsils.”

The study looked at what would happen if the tonsils were removed in people who often experience strep throat and guttate psoriasis or a worsening of their plaque psoriasis. The study divided 40 people in half; half stayed on their regular psoriasis therapy while the other half also got a tonsillectomy.

In a further study published in the June edition of Clinical & Experimental Immunology, Johnston and his team confirmed that people suffering from psoriasis are more likely to have strep infections in their tonsils – about 40 percent compared with only 18 percent of people without psoriasis – and that their tonsils have a much larger number of skin-homing T cells. Or in other words, their tonsils carry more of the white blood cells that affect the skin.

Knowing all this, what can you do to improve your psoriasis?

The main question you need to ask yourself as an adult is whether it is too late in life to have your tonsils removed? Lets weigh up the pros and cons;

Cons

• More painful the older you get
• 2 weeks for adults as opposed to 4 days for kids in recovery time
• May be hard to get an ENT specialist to agree to you having your tonsils removed if you are not experiencing regular bouts of strep throat or tonsillitis as an adult
• Elective surgery usually not covered by your insurance policy

Pros

• 50% decrease in your psoriasis
• Spending less money on treatments and doctors
• No more sore throats

The main benefit will not be for you but for your children

I think I would like to hear some more success stories from adults with psoriasis who have removed their tonsils before I decide to go under the knife.

However for people with psoriasis who have kids, my advice would be to get their tonsils removed at the first sign of tonsillitis. We have passed on the psoriasis gene, now lets do everything in our power to help minimize the chances of it actually occurring in their lives.

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