Psoriasis Treatment in India

Psoriasis

Psoriasis is a skin disease that causes red, itchy scaly patches, most commonly on the knees, elbows, trunk and scalp. Psoriasis is a common, long-term (chronic) disease with no cure. Psoriasis is the result of a sped-up skin production process. Usually, skin cells grow deep in the skin and slowly rise to the surface. Eventually, they fall off. The typical life cycle of a skin cell is one month. In people with psoriasis, this production process may occur in just a few days. Because of this, skin cells don’t have time to fall off. This rapid overproduction leads to the buildup of skin cells.

 They may develop anywhere on the body, including the:

• Hands
• Feet
• Neck
• Scalp
• Face

Symptoms

• Red patches of skin covered with thick, silvery scales
• Small scaling spots (commonly seen in children)
• Dry, cracked skin that may bleed or itch
• Itching, burning or soreness
• Thickened, pitted or ridged nails
• Swollen and stiff joints

The most commonly affected areas are the lower back, elbows, knees, legs, soles of the feet, scalp, face and palms.

Types of Psoriasis

• Plaque psoriasis - Common form, plaque psoriasis causes dry, raised, red skin patches covered with silvery scales. The plaques might be itchy or tender, and there may be few or many. They usually appear on elbows, knees, lower back and scalp.
• Nail psoriasis - Psoriasis can affect fingernails and toenails, causing pitting, abnormal nail growth and discoloration. Psoriatic nails might loosen and separate from the nail bed (onycholysis). Severe cases may cause the nail to crumble.
• Guttate psoriasis - This primarily affects young adults and children. It's usually triggered by a bacterial infection such as strep throat. It's marked by small, drop-shaped, scaling lesions on the trunk, arms or legs.
• Inverse psoriasis - It mainly affects the skin folds of the groin, buttocks and breasts. Inverse psoriasis causes smooth patches of red skin that worsen with friction and sweating. Fungal infections may trigger this type of psoriasis.
• Pustular psoriasis – It’s a rare form of psoriasis causes clearly defined pus-filled lesions that occur in widespread patches or in smaller areas on the palms of the hands or the soles of the feet.
• Erythrodermic psoriasis - The least common type of psoriasis, erythrodermic psoriasis can cover your entire body with a red, peeling rash that can itch or burn intensely.
• Psoriatic arthritis - It causes swollen, painful joints that are typical of arthritis. Sometimes the joint symptoms are the first or only symptom or sign of psoriasis. And at times only nail changes are seen. Symptoms range from mild to severe and psoriatic arthritis can affect any joint. It can cause stiffness and progressive joint damage that in the most serious cases may lead to permanent joint damage.

Contact your doctor if you it:

• Becomes severe or widespread
• Causes discomfort and pain
• Causes concern about the appearance of your skin
• Leads to joint problems, such as pain, swelling or inability to perform daily tasks
• Doesn't improve with treatment

Risk Factors

• Family history. The condition runs in families. Having one parent with psoriasis increases your risk of getting the disease, and having two parents with psoriasis increases your risk even more.
• Stress. Because stress can impact your immune system, high stress levels may increase your risk of psoriasis.
• Smoking. Smoking tobacco not only increases your risk of psoriasis but also may increase the severity of the disease. Smoking may also play a role in the initial development of the disease.

Diagnosis

Doctor will ask questions about your health and examine your skin, scalp and nails. Your doctor might take a small sample of skin (biopsy) for examination under a microscope. This helps determine the type of psoriasis and rule out other disorders.

Treatment

Psoriasis has no cure. Treatments aim to reduce inflammation and scales, slow the growth of skin cells, and remove plaques. Psoriasis treatments fall into three categories:

Topical treatments

Creams and ointments applied directly to the skin can be helpful for reducing mild to moderate psoriasis.

Topical psoriasis treatments include:

• Topical corticosteroids
• Topical retinoids
• Anthralin
• Vitamin D analogues
• Salicylic acid
• Moisturizer
• Systemic medications
• People with moderate to severe psoriasis, and those who haven’t responded well to other treatment types, may need to use oral or injected medications. Many of these medications have severe side effects.

Light therapy

In this psoriasis treatment uses ultraviolet (UV) or natural light. Sunlight kills the overactive white blood cells that are attacking healthy skin cells and causing the rapid cell growth. Both UVA and UVB light may be helpful in reducing symptoms of mild to moderate psoriasis. Most people with moderate to severe psoriasis will benefit from a combination of treatments. This type of therapy uses more than one of the treatment types to reduce symptoms. Some people may use the same treatment their entire lives. Others may need to change treatments occasionally if their skin stops responding to what they’re using.

Medication for psoriasis

If you have moderate to severe psoriasis or if psoriasis stops responding to other treatments your doctor may consider an oral or injected medication. The most common oral and injected medications used to treat psoriasis include:

Biologics

This class of medications alters your immune system and prevents interactions between your immune system and inflammatory pathways. These medications are injected or given through intravenous (IV) infusion.

Retinoids

Retinoids reduce skin cell production. Once you stop using them, symptoms of psoriasis will likely return. Side effects include hair loss and lip inflammation. People who are pregnant or may become pregnant within the next three years shouldn’t take retinoid because of the risk of possible birth defects.

Cyclosporine

Cyclosporine prevents the immune system’s response. This can ease symptoms of psoriasis. It also means you have a weakened immune system, so you may become sick more easily. Side effects include kidney problems and high blood pressure.

Methotrexate

Methotrexate suppresses the immune system. It may cause fewer side effects when used in low doses. It can cause serious side effects in the long term. Serious side effects include liver damage and reduced production of red and white blood cells.

If you have any related query, you can send us your report on below mention email address or you can call us or whatsApp for any second opinion.

Video/tele consultation also available

E-mail address- query@satyughealthcare.com
Phone number- +91888-242-4372, +91991-065-5125

Frequently asked questions

Q. What is the main cause of psoriasis?

When the immune system mistakenly attacking healthy skin cells, If you're sick or battling an infection, your immune system will go into overdrive to fight the infection. This might start another psoriasis flare-up.

Q. How can you cure psoriasis?

Try these self-care measures to better manage your psoriasis and feel your best:

• Take daily baths
• Use moisturizer
• Cover the affected areas overnight
• Expose your skin to small amounts of sunlight
• Apply medicated cream or ointment
• Avoid psoriasis triggers
• Avoid drinking alcohol

Q. Why do I suddenly have psoriasis?

Common psoriasis triggers include: Infections, such as strep throat or skin infections. Usually, Cold Weather, dry conditions, Injury to the skin, such as a cut or scrape, a bug bite, or severe sunburn.

Q. What happens if psoriasis is left untreated?

Untreated psoriasis can lead to plaques that continue to build and spread. These can be quite painful, and the itching can be severe. Uncontrolled plaques can become infected and cause scars.

Q. When does psoriasis usually start?

Symptoms often start between ages 15 and 25, but can start at any age. Men, women, and children of all skin colors can get psoriasis.

Q. How do I know if it's eczema or psoriasis?

• Psoriasis causes well-defined, thick, red, scaly patches, commonly in areas like the elbows and knees. Children who have psoriasis tend to have mild itching.
• Eczema tends to appear in the crooks of the knees and the elbows.