Infectious Disease

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Nose Holds Clues to Baby’s First Cold

When a baby starts sniffling and sneezing, the type of bacteria in their nose may predict...
New Chlamydia Test Offers Rapid Results

A new test for chlamydia can provide results within 30 minutes, potentially speeding up the start...
Many Cases of Polio-Like Illness in Kids May Be Misdiagnosed

There’s a good chance that some cases of the mysterious polio-like illness seen recently in U.S....

More Infectious Disease News

Health Tip: Safe Tips For Antibiotic Use
(HealthDay News) — Antibiotics are frequently prescribed to fight bacterial infections. But if used...
- Posted November 29, 2018
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It’s Safe to Eat Romaine Lettuce Again, But Check Labels: FDA
Caesar salad fans, rest easy: It’s safe to eat romaine lettuce again. Just be...
- Posted November 27, 2018
- 4
Freeze-Dried Vaccine May Help Rid World of Polio
A freeze-dried polio vaccine that could be used in locations without refrigeration might help...
- Posted November 27, 2018
- 1
Health Tip: Ease Your Child’s Flu Symptoms
(HealthDay News) — When a child gets the flu, it usually doesn’t require professional...
- Posted November 22, 2018
- 6
Worried About the Salmonella Scare With Turkey This Holiday? Don’t Be
Ongoing news alerts of potential salmonella contamination in certain brands of raw turkey might...
- Posted November 20, 2018
- 17
Arm Yourself Against the Coming Flu Season
If the last flu season is any indication, you need to take steps now...
- Posted November 11, 2018
- 15
AHA: Flu Season Can Send More Heart Failure Patients to Hospital
FRIDAY, Nov. 9, 2018 (American Heart Association) — Getting the flu may not only...
- Posted November 9, 2018
- 8
Health Tip: If Your Child Develops a Fever
(HealthDay News) — While a fever generally is not something to be overly concerned...
- Posted November 5, 2018
- 8
How Necessary Is HPV Cervical Cancer Screening for Women After Age 55?
Testing for human papillomavirus (HPV) has become the standard of care in screening for...
- Posted November 2, 2018
- 5
Hospital Infections in Stroke Patients Raise Other Risks
When stroke patients get an infection while in the hospital, that may raise the...
- Posted November 1, 2018
- 15
Trying to Get the New Shingles Vaccine? Join the Crowd
For weeks, Donna Greene got the brush-off when she asked the pharmacist about getting...
- Posted October 31, 2018
- 17

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.