Infectious Disease

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Flu Season Is Coming: Here’s How to Protect Yourself

If you don’t want to be one of the 40 million Americans who get the flu...
Sinus Infections: What You Need to Know

Along with the flu, this is the time of year for sinus infections with their make-you-miserable...
Childhood TB Shot May Offer Long-Term Protection from Lung Cancer

A tuberculosis vaccine commonly used in other parts of the world might reduce a person’s risk...

More Infectious Disease News

Health Tip: Seasonal Flu Vaccine Fast Facts
(HealthDay News) — Influenza, commonly known as the flu, is a potentially serious disease...
- Posted September 30, 2019
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How to Keep Your Feet on a Sound, Pain-Free Footing
Don’t let foot problems hobble your autumn activities, a foot surgeon says. “Foot health...
- Posted September 14, 2019
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Health Tip: Understanding Mononucleosis
(HealthDay News) — Mononucleosis, sometimes called mono, has a group of flu-like symptoms that...
- Posted September 11, 2019
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New Strain of Strep Causing Cases of Scarlet Fever
A new, more toxic strain of strep A bacteria is causing an outbreak of...
- Posted September 11, 2019
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Some People Vaccinated Against Mumps May Not Be Protected: Study
There are gaps in immunity against mumps among college-aged Americans who were vaccinated in...
- Posted September 6, 2019
- 11
High Post-Hospital Death Rate Trails Ebola Survivors
The overall death rate of the Ebola outbreak in West Africa may have been...
- Posted September 5, 2019
- 4
Got High Blood Pressure? Get Your Flu Shot
If you have high blood pressure, getting a flu shot could save your life,...
- Posted September 1, 2019
- 11
Health Tip: Preventing Norovirus
(HealthDay News) — Norovirus is the most common cause of foodborne diarrhea and vomiting,...
- Posted August 23, 2019
- 7
TB Cases Drop Among the Young, But Racial Disparities Persist
There’s good and bad news in a new report on tuberculosis rates among American...
- Posted August 22, 2019
- 2
5 Health Tips to Promote Back-to-School Success
Healthy kids do better in school — something parents need to think about as...
- Posted August 17, 2019
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Health Tip: Recognizing a Staph Infection
(HealthDay News) — A staph infection is caused by bacteria commonly found on the...
- Posted August 16, 2019
- 11

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.