Diagnosis Your Psoriasis

Diagnosis of psoriasis usually comes after the doctor has conducted a physical exam. The practitioner can determine if a patient is suffering from the condition by simply taking a look at the patches on the skin. A visual inspection is often sufficient for a diagnosis. However, a doctor will often perform a skin biopsy to confirm plaque psoriasis.

Fortunately, there are many over-the-counter remedies available for treating this skin condition. Products like cortisone creams can help minimize the itchiness that often occurs with psoriasis. However, a topical cream specifically formulated to treat psoriasis is suggested for long term use. These creams will often be made with the active ingredient salicylic acid which is recognized by the FDA for the treatment of psoriasis.

Since psoriasis is a chronic condition, long term treatment should be considered. Treatment approaches are personalized based on the gender, age, occupation, personal motivation, other health issues, and available resources. The degree of severity is determined not only by the amount and extent of plaques but also by the perception and acceptance of the disease by the patient. It should cater to the specific expectations of the patient instead of targeting its extent on the body surface area involved.

There is a wide range of treatment options available for psoriasis. But the creation of an effective therapeutic regimen is not really that complex. There are three kinds of treatment approaches for psoriasis. They can be used independently or in combination.

Diagnosis and Treatment for Psoriasis – What are the treatment options for Psoriasis?

Topical approaches are directly applied to the skin. They are usually the first treatment method recommended. The principal topical approaches include corticosteroids, derivatives of vitamin D-3, coal tar, anthralin, or retinoids. There is no specific topical treatment that works best for psoriasis. Each drug can have detrimental effects, so it is recommended that you use them alternately. In certain cases, combining a topical cream with another is more beneficial than using only one. Usually some preparations have keratolytics. There are some drugs that do not work well with the active ingredients of these preparations. Salicylic acid, for instance, disables calcipotriene while anthralin needs salicylic acid to function efficiently.

Phototherapy involves the use of the ultraviolet rays of the sun which can slow down the production of skin cells and minimizes inflammation. Exposure to sunlight can help decrease the appearance of psoriasis symptoms in some people. If the extent that the condition is widespread, and there are more patches on the skin, artificial light therapy will be utilized. The use of phototherapy is also recommended when the patient has shown resistance to topical treatment. A treatment center needs to have the appropriate equipments in order to use the two main approaches of light therapy. The light required in phototherapy, usually found in most tanning salons, is not similar to the source of light found in the doctor’s office.

A systemic agent is an approach that involves the administration of drugs within the body. This is only resorted to when attempts to use topical treatments and phototherapy have been proven futile. For patients suffering from pustular psoriasis, the use of retinoids may be necessary from the onset of treatments. After administration of retinoids, psoralen and ultraviolet A treatment follows. For mild and chronic varieties of pustular psoriasis, the first two approaches are tried out first. However, in the case of active psoriatric arthritis, the use of systemic agents is usually recommended. Likewise, people hampered by people suffering from conditions as a result of psychological, social, or economic reasons are treated using systemic approach.

Diagnosis and Treatment for Psoriasis – Psoriasis is bad but it is not the end of the world

People diagnosed with psoriasis should not worry too much as there are various treatments available at their disposal. Consultation with a doctor to determine the severity and the type of psoriasis before you begin treatment is recommended. It is important to remember that there is no cure and you will need to deal with your psoriasis for the long term. With this in mind you should look at any treatment as part of your daily regimen.  A consistent treatment schedule is the best way to get this disease under control so you can lead a normal life with healthy looking skin.