Psoriasis Health Video

Video Transcript

SUSAN MCGLADDERY: Hello. My name is Dr. Sue McGladdery. I'm the medical director from FirstMed Centers in Budapest, Hungary, and I'd like to give you a little information about psoriasis. This is a common skin condition that causes redness and irritation. Most people with psoriasis have thick red skin with flaky silver-white patches or scales on it. It's a common condition affecting people of any age. And most commonly it starts between the ages of about 15 and 35 years. It can appear suddenly or slowly and it may go away for long period of time and then return. Psoriasis seems to be an inherited disorder. It's not contagious. You can't catch it. It may be triggered by bacteria or viral infections including strep throat and upper respiratory infections, also dry air or dry skin, injury to the skin, some medications, and stress. Up to 30% of people with psoriasis may also have an associated arthritis. How is psoriasis diagnosed? It's a clinical diagnosis but sometimes skin biopsy is needed to rule out other possible conditions. What about the treatment options for psoriasis? The aim is to control the symptoms and prevent secondary infections from developing. Mild cases of psoriasis are usually treated at home and rarely, psoriasis may affect most of the body and in this case it's an emergency and a hospital stay is required for treatment. The kinds of medications that we use for psoriasis involve topical medicines including steroid, coal tar, and retinoids. Oatmeal baths for example may be soothing and help to loosen scales and sometimes antibiotic is needed for skin infections. Some people also find that exposure to sunlight may help the symptoms go away. In fact, some people choose phototherapy as a form of treatment. This is a kind of medical procedure where the skin is carefully exposed to ultraviolet light. It may be ultraviolet light alone or exposure to ultraviolet light after taking a drug that makes the skin more sensitive to the light. People with very severe psoriasis may need immunosuppressant treatment and this also applies to those people with significant psoriatic arthritis. Psoriasis is a lifelong condition, but it can be controlled with treatment with help from you doctor. It usually does not affect your general physical health.