Psoriasis Treatment

Psoriasis is an autoimmune skin disorder that causes itching and pain. Plaque-type psoriasis is the most common type. It results in skin as bumpy patches that are thick and scaly. This skin disorder can’t be passed from individual to individual. It generally happens from time to time among members of the same family. Because it is a chronic skin disorder with no recognized cures, and it can flare up unexpectedly. The illness normally rises up for a few weeks or months and then goes away for a while.

The skin accumulates into rough areas as a result. Although they can grow anywhere, the scalp, elbows, knees, and lower back are where they most frequently show up. Psoriasis can affect people of any age, gender, or race. Millions of people suffer from psoriasis. There are various treatments available to help people and manage their symptoms. Individuals can also experiment with lifestyle changes and coping strategies to improve quality of life with psoriasis.

Types of Psoriasis

There are five different types of psoriasis mentioned below:

Plaque psoriasis

• It causes inflamed or red patches on light skin tones. In this case, it is hard to diagnose the color of the people’s skin because of purple, gray, and dark brown patches on the skin. Number of patients are suffering from this plaque psoriasis.

Guttate psoriasis

• This type of skin problem may cause small pink or violet spots on the skin. It commonly happens in childhood. The most common areas for this psoriasis are arms, torso, and legs.

Inverse psoriasis

• These patches develop under armpits or breasts, in the groin, or around skin folds of genitals. It causes thin plaques without scales and brightens the areas of red, shiny, and inflamed skin.

Pustular psoriasis

• This psoriasis has small, pus-filled bumps on top of the spot. It can appear as a violet color on darker skin tones.

Erythrodermic skin disorder

• Large portions of the body are frequently covered in this manner all at once. It nearly seems like the skin is sunburned. When scales form, they frequently peel off in broad sheets or pieces. This type of psoriasis frequently causes patients to get really sick or have a fever.

Nail psoriasis

• It causes skin discoloration, pitting, and various changes on fingernails and toenails.

Various Body Parts Affected by Psoriasis

A rash from a skin disease can appear anywhere on the different body parts. These psoriasis frequently appear on your:

• Knees and elbows
• Scalp
• Genitals
• Face and inside the mouth
• Fingernails and toenails
• Palms and feet
• Lower back

Symptoms & Causes of Psoriasis

Indication of the Skin Disease

The signs and symptoms may vary from individual to individual. It mostly depends on the type of skin disease patients have. These spots can appear anywhere on the body parts and such flaky patches are painful.

Some of the common symptoms of psoriasis are mentioned below:

• Soreness around the patches.
• Pain and swelling in joints.
• Dry skin can cause bleeding.
• Thick and pitted nails.
• Different color scales on patches.
• Changes in skin color. 
• Feelings of burning and skin sensation.

What Causes Psoriasis?

The ailment of skin is caused by an immune system response that leads to skin inflammation. This causes the formation of new skin cells too rapidly. Skin cells normally reformed every ten to thirty days. Every three to four days, new cells in psoriasis grow. The scales are produced by the accumulation of new cells replacing old ones. 

Some people receive genes that increase their risk of developing psoriasis. If you have a family member with a skin condition, you are more likely to develop the skin condition.

Common Psoriasis Triggers

• Stress
• Smoking
• Drinking alcohol
• Hormonal changes
• Throat infections
• Immune disorders
• Any injury, cut, or insect bite

Diagnosis 

To diagnose psoriasis two tests or examinations may be required.

Physical examination

• A healthcare expert can make a diagnosis with a simple physical exam. At the time of the physical exam, be sure to show your doctor all areas of concern. And also let your doctor know if any family members have the condition.

Biopsy

• Your doctor’s may perform biopsies on the day of your visit. A numbing drug injection may be injected by your doctor to decrease the discomfort of the biopsy. Later on they will send the skin biopsy to a laboratory for a test. And that will be examined under a microscope. Through the examination, the type of psoriasis you have can be determined. It can also be used to rule out infections or other potential illnesses.

Treatments Approach

Here are various types of treatment options for psoriasis. That are listed below:

1) Topical treatments

This treatment for skin disease comes as creams, ointments, foam, and solutions. All these products can be applied to the affected areas and help in the reduction of infections.

These topical psoriasis treatment are:

• Steroid creams 
• Salicylic acid
• Calcipotriol
• Coal tar shampoo and ointment
• Retinoids
• Moisturizer

2) Medications

Patients who do not respond well to other treatment types are usually prescribed various drugs by doctors.

These medications include:

• Methotrexate
• Cyclosporine
• Biologics
• Oral retinoids
• Otezia

3) Therapies

Narrowband UVB Remedy

• A doctor will pass a brush or comb over the affected areas with the help of ultraviolet or natural light. This process is best and safe for children, pregnant ladies, and breastfeeding women.

Psoralen +UVA

• It is a mixture of a drug psoralen with ultraviolet A. This combination is effective for the skin disorder condition. It can boost the amount of UVA light on your skin for absorption.

Light therapy

• Wavelengths of LED lights can decrease skin inflammation and also reduce the production of skin cells. 

Stress Reduction

• Stress management techniques such as meditation, yoga, and cognitive-behavioral therapy can aggravate psoriasis.

Climatotherapy

• Spending time in a regulated, humid environment helps to alleviate stress and enhance skin healing.