Psoriasis is a skin disease which severely affects skin and joints. Generally, patient suffering from this disease have red scaly patches over the skin, these patches are known as plaques. Excessive cell production on the psoriasis affected area is the cause of plaque generation and inflammation. Sometime the plaque also acquires slivery-white appearance. Psoriasis can be localized or it can cover whole body according to the severity of disease. Psoriasis has affected the human beings for very long time; though earlier it was believed to be a type of leprosy.
An exact cause for Psoriasis is not known. It is believed that Psoriasis affects the body because of malfunctioning of the immune-system. Several factors can lead to Psoriasis like stress, depression, consumption of alcohol amongst others. Psoriasis is recurring and chronic in nature. This poses great difficultly in invention of a better treatment for Psoriasis.
Psoriasis has various types which include Plaque Psoriasis, Guttate Psoriasis, Nail Psoriasis Erythrodermic Psoriasis and Flexural Psoriasis. But, most common and most frequently affecting psoriasis is Plaque Psoriasis. This affects about 85% people suffering from psoriasis. Diagnosis of psoriasis generally begins with appearance of the skin; sometime biopsy is also needed for its diagnosis.
There is no exact medical remedy for this disease. Many techniques are adopted for psoriasis treatment. Oral medication ointment application and use of ultra violent rays over the affect area are some of the methods adopted by the dermatologist. The methods which are generally applied can be classified into following categories:-
*Topical Treatment
*Phototherapy
*Photo chemotherapy
*Systemic Treatment
*Alternative methods
Under topical treatment psoriasis is generally cured with the help of bath in a solution of moisturizer which preserves psoriasis affected areas from dryness. Ointment and creams containing moisturizing substances are part of this treatment.
Regular contact with moderate sunlight can also produce a healing effect for psoriasis. Sunlight contains ultraviolet rays which have property to heal psoriasis affected cells but excess of sunlight can be dangerous. This method of Psoriasis treatment is known as phototherapy.
The combination of Psoralen (a natural substance used for curing skin diseases) and ultraviolet is also used for curing Psoriasis. Psoralen is given either orally or directly applied on affect spots. This can block rapid growth of psoriasis. The method is known as Photo Chemotherapy.
Systemic treatment of the psoriasis includes all above described methods. Selection of particular technique at a particular moment is depends on doctor's discretion. Systemic treatment of psoriasis requires great skill of the doctor. Most the people operated by this technique get rid of recurrence of the disease.
Medication in the case of psoriasis should be taken with the great care as many medicines can produce toxic effect. Doctor's advice for starting treatment psoriasis is compulsory.
There are some alternative ways for the treatment of psoriasis like use of antibiotic, fish therapy, herbal methods but effectiveness of these methods is not completely established.
