Dear Aradhana ji, found the following on psoriasis ...
There is no cure for psoriasis at this time, but there are various treatments that can, in most cases, temporarily clear the skin of psoriasis. Occasionally, psoriasis will go into spontaneous remission without treatment. For most patients, however, one or more of the following treatments is usually necessary:
Topical Therapy (usually used to treat mild to moderate psoriasis):
* Emollients (moisturizers) help soften scales and reduce discomfort
* Steroid creams and ointments help reduce inflammation. They range in strength from very potent to mild. (See below)
* Tazarotene (Tazorac) is a topical retinoid for treating mild to moderate plaque psoriasis
* Anthralin or other coal tar preparations help to slow skin cell reproduction
* Vitamin D3 or calcipotriene (brand name Dovonex)
* Bath solutions, such as mineral salts or oatmeal additives, assist in soothing skin and encouraging healing
Phototherapy (used alone or in combination with other therapies to treat moderate to severe psoriasis):
* Ultraviolet Light B (UVB), either outdoors or from a light box in a physician's office, helps to heal lesions.
* Psoralen and Ultraviolet Light A (PUVA) - involves the combined use of a photosensitizing medication, called psoralen and a long-wave ultraviolet light (UVA).
* Excimer lasers may be used to treat a small, localized area of psoriasis. They are a way to deliver UVB light directly to the psoriasis without exposing normal skin.
Internal Medications (used for moderate to severe psoriasis):
* Biologic drugs are taken from living material (human, plant, animal, or microorganism). They act on parts of the body's immune system to prevent inflammatory disorders, including psoriasis. Unlike drugs that suppress the entire immune system, biologics can fight more selectively and target only those chemicals involved in causing psoriasis. Only recently have biologics targeted toward psoriasis begun to emerge as potentially promising new treatment options. Etanercept (Enbrel) and infliximab (Remicade) belong to the class of biologic medicines called tumor necrosis factor (TNF) blockers. These work by blocking the activity of TNF, the primary cytokine involved in psoriasis. Alefacept (Amevive) and efalizumab (Raptiva) are T-cell blockers and block the overactive T-cells. Unfortunately, each of these drugs requires frequent injections with needles. These medications are also relatively new and extremely expensive.
* Methotrexate (MTX) helps to slow down cell reproduction and decrease inflammation.
* Retinoid Therapy, including acitretin (Soriatane), helps to reduce inflammation.
* Cyclosporin A slows the immune system overall and may help decrease the inflammation of psoriasis.
Your dermatologist’s experience and trial and error will help to find which treatments are effective for each individual. Healing can take as little as a few weeks or as long as several months. Dermatologists may rotate patients through many different therapies to avoid long-term side effects and to determine which ones work best for that individual.
Self Care
* Keep skin lubricated. Oils, creams and petroleum jelly preparations are suggested.
* Use a humidifier in the home.
* Get out in the sun. Be careful not to burn. Exposing only the areas of your body with active psoriasis may be optimal.
* Bathing in hot water may help reduce scaling.
* Use mild soaps or soap-free cleaners. Mild soaps such as Nivea Cream, Neutrogena Dry Skin, Dove, or Lever 2000 are recommended.
* Minimize stress.
* Protect against skin injuries and skin infections.
Topical Steroids
The following is a partial list of topical steroids used to treat eczema.
Very potent:
Betamethasone dipropionate (Diprolene)
Clobetasol 17-Propionate 0.05% (Temovate)
Halobetasol propionate (Ultravate)
Halcinonide 0.1% (Halog)
Potent:
Amcinonide 0.1% (Cyclocort)
Betamethasone dipropionate 0.5 mg (Diprolene)
Desoximetasone 0.25% (Topicort)
Fluocinonlone acetonide 0.25% (Synalar)
Fluocinonide 0.05% (Lidex)
Mometasone furoate 0.1% (Elocon)
Triamcinolone Acetonide 0.1% (Kenalog)
Moderately potent:
Desonide 0.05% (Desowen)
Hydrocortisone valerate 0.2% (Westcort)
Prednicarbate 0.1% (Dermatop)
Mild:
Hydrocortisone 1.0% (Cortaid)
Questions To Ask Your Doctor About Psoriasis
What form of psoriasis is this?
How severe is the psoriasis?
Can it increase in severity or spread?
What are the chances that another rheumatic disease may develop?
What type of treatment will you be recommending?
What measures can be taken to help prevent reoccurrence?
If over-the-counter lotions are recommended, which ones seem to be most effective?
If a biopsy is recommended, what will the result tell you?
Topic: Sai Baba please help me and remove my skin disease (Read 17541 times)