Health & Technology

Don't Miss

For Kids, Summer Is Time for Other Types of Learning

It’s important for children to socialize during their summer holidays, a family medicine and psychiatry expert...
When DEA Cracked Down on Opioids, Abusers Moved to Black Market: Study

Illegal opioid sales on the internet have surged in the wake of U.S. government crackdowns on...
Who Will and Who Won’t Get the Flu?

Doctors can’t yet predict if someone exposed to the flu will become sick. But such predictions...

More Health & Technology News

Health Tip: What To Expect From Joint Replacement Surgery
(HealthDay News) –Joint replacement surgery removes damaged parts of a joint and replaces them...
- Posted June 5, 2018
- 8
Cancer Drug Keytruda a New Weapon Against Advanced Lung Tumors
A cancer drug that boosts the immune system outperforms chemotherapy in fighting advanced lung...
- Posted June 3, 2018
- 8
Extended Chemo Extends Life for Children With Rare Cancer
Children suffering from rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare cancer of the muscle tissue, may have better...
- Posted June 3, 2018
- 10
Could a Blood Test Spot Lung Cancer Early?
Genetic blood testing is showing potential as a means of catching some early stage...
- Posted June 2, 2018
- 5
Experimental Drug Shows ‘Modest’ Benefit in Slowing Advanced Breast Cancer
A new and highly targeted drug slowed the growth of advanced breast cancers by...
- Posted June 2, 2018
- 7
AI Better Than Docs at Catching Skin Cancers
A computer can beat even highly experienced dermatologists in spotting deadly melanomas, researchers report....
- Posted May 31, 2018
- 13
Seniors Slow to Embrace Online Access to Doctors
Many doctors have internet portals to help patients manage their care. But that doesn’t...
- Posted May 30, 2018
- 9
Wise Words on Women’s Health
May is Women’s Health Month. With that in mind, doctors are offering suggestions for...
- Posted May 30, 2018
- 9
‘Markers’ of Alzheimer’s Don’t Doom You to Dementia
(HealthDay News) — Even if you discover that you have the first biological signs...
- Posted May 30, 2018
- 10
How to Do a Self-Check for Skin Cancer
Learning how to do a skin self-exam could save your life. “Skin cancer is...
- Posted May 26, 2018
- 6
Leave Tablets, Smartphones Out of the Bedroom for Better Sleep
Are tablets, smartphones and laptops robbing Americans of shut-eye? Absolutely, said researchers who found...
- Posted May 25, 2018
- 2

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.