Doctors and Health Care

Don't Miss

It’s Not Medical Outcomes That Drive Patients’ Hospital Reviews

Rave online reviews about a hospital stay may not mean much about the actual medical care...
Too Many Antibiotics, Opioids Given to Dental Patients in the ER

Too many patients who go to U.S. emergency rooms for dental problems are prescribed antibiotics and...
Coronavirus: Are U.S. Hospitals Prepared?

Hospitals are bracing for the potential spread of coronavirus in the United States, trying to plan...

More Doctors and Health Care News

A Flu Shot May Spare Your Young Child a Hospital Visit
This flu season is hitting children particularly hard, but new research shows that a...
- Posted January 24, 2020
- 3
Sepsis Causes Far More Deaths Worldwide Than Thought
Sepsis kills more than twice as many people worldwide as once believed, and children...
- Posted January 17, 2020
- 2
When Does Your Child’s Flu Merit an ER Visit?
It’s hard not to worry when your child suffers from the flu, but pediatricians...
- Posted December 22, 2019
- 5
Even in Small Doses, Air Pollution Harms Older Americans
Even a little exposure to the fine particles of air pollution can translate into...
- Posted November 28, 2019
- 9
Gunshot Wounds Have Long-Term Health Consequences: Study
Emergency department patients treated for gunshot wounds to the chest or abdomen are more...
- Posted November 27, 2019
- 11
Health Tip: Visiting a Hospital Patient
While people who are in the hospital enjoy seeing friends and loved ones, it’s...
- Posted November 26, 2019
- 1
Common Muscle Relaxant Could Pose Mental Dangers for Seniors
A commonly prescribed muscle relaxant known as baclofen can leave older kidney patients so...
- Posted November 11, 2019
- 11
Give Newborn to Mom Right Away — After Moving the Electrodes
Immediate skin-to-skin contact between newborns and their mothers is encouraged, but poses some potential...
- Posted November 8, 2019
- 4
What Do Hospital Cyber Attackers Want to Know About You?
Cyber attackers who target hospital databases mostly go after patient contact and financial information,...
- Posted September 24, 2019
- 16
A Kid-Friendly Emergency Room Saves Lives
Critically ill kids are far more likely to survive if they’re treated at hospital...
- Posted August 23, 2019
- 5
One Man’s False Teeth Got ‘Lost’ in His Throat After Surgery
Scheduled for surgery? Don’t forget to take your dentures out. According to a new...
- Posted August 13, 2019
- 4

Are You Living with Psoriasis?

A growing knowledge of the skin disease called psoriasis is leading to greater treatment choices, including personalized therapies, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration reports.

Psoriasis is an immune system disorder that causes overproduction of skin cells, resulting in scaling, pain, swelling, redness and heat. The condition affects about 7.5 million Americans.

“As we better understand the disease, researchers know more about what specific factors to target in order to develop effective treatments,” FDA dermatologist Dr. Melinda McCord said in an agency news release.

There is no cure for psoriasis, so the main goals of treatments are to stop skin cell overproduction and reduce inflammation. Current therapies include medicines applied to the skin (topical), light treatment (phototherapy), or drugs taken by mouth or given by injection.

Doctors used to take a step-by-step approach, starting patients with mild to moderate psoriasis on topical therapy. If that was ineffective, doctors moved on to phototherapy or drug treatment.