Infectious Disease

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Discharge Day Won’t Affect Heart Surgery Outcome: Study

Contrary to popular belief, heart surgery patients who leave the hospital on a weekend or holiday...
Skip the Cold Meds for Kids Under 6, Experts Say

School is in full swing, and with it comes a plethora of colds passed back and...
Here’s Another Good Reason to Not Pick Your Nose

Your Mom told you not to do it, and new research confirms that nose-picking isn’t healthy...

More Infectious Disease News

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Too few teens and young adults with an opioid addiction are tested for hepatitis...
- Posted October 5, 2018
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Every now and then you might not feel well enough to exercise and decide...
- Posted October 5, 2018
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Severe Infections Rising Among Americans With Diabetes
TUESDAY, Oct. 2, 2018The number of Americans with diabetes who wind up in hospitals...
- Posted October 3, 2018
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Colds Especially Bad? Your Nose Might Be to Blame
For people suffering from a cold, the severity of their symptoms may be linked...
- Posted October 1, 2018
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Blood Infection Sepsis Tied to Heart Attack, Stroke
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- Posted September 10, 2018
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All Children Should Receive Flu Vaccine ASAP, Doctors Advise
All children 6 months of age and older should have a flu shot, the...
- Posted September 3, 2018
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Health Tip: Avoid a Pinworm Infection
(HealthDay News) — Pinworms are thin and white and typically measure 1/4 inch to...
- Posted August 24, 2018
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Newer HIV Therapies Yield Big Gains But Racial Gaps Persist
Improved treatment has nearly tripled viral suppression rates among HIV patients in the United...
- Posted August 21, 2018
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Most Parents Say Tsk, Tsk to Tattoos for Their Teens
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- Posted August 20, 2018
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New Drug of Last Resort Tackles Resistant HIV
HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, is typically a manageable infection, but medications that...
- Posted August 16, 2018
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No Link Between Tdap Vaccine, Autism: Study
Children born to women who got the Tdap vaccine during pregnancy have no greater...
- Posted August 13, 2018
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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.