Psoriasis is a skin disease that causes itchy and scaly patches. You’ve probably seen ads for treatment on TV, but what is the best way to offer some relief? Dr. Anna Bahnson, a dermatologist with Avera Medical Group Dermatology has some answers to those common questions.
What are common signs and symptoms of psoriasis?
A person who has psoriasis might notice they get these pink, scaly patches on their elbows, on their knees, sometimes people might have involvement on the palms of their hands and soles of their feet. Also people might notice changes in their nails, people might notice they have small pits in their nails, might have pink spots or yellow spots, sometimes their nails might get a little thick or a bit crumbly. Sometimes people with psoriasis might be more at risk for psoriatic arthritis, so they might have some joint pain that is worse when they first wake up in the morning and then gets better throughout the day.
What are the treatment options?
There’s topical medications, which are creams or ointments that you might put on your skin. There are oral medications, some that have been out for a long time and there are some newer oral medications. There are also things like phototherapy where we use a narrow band of UVB light, which helps to treat psoriasis. Also you’ve likely seen commercials for what are called biologic medications. It gives our patients lots of options to treat psoriasis. All treatments, including topical treatments are not without risks, so it’s important to talk about all the risks and benefits of the medications.
