Psoriatic Arthritis

Psoriasis
There are many triggers for a breakout of psoriasis, including climate, physical injury, infection, and emotional stress. Some studies prove that sunlight is beneficial in treating it, which means that cold or cloudy weather can be a trigger for a breakout. There is also a proven relationship between a skin injury and a psoriasis lesion. If a patient’s skin is injured or irritated, a lesion often appears in the same place. This is known as “Koebner’s Phenomenon.” Upper respiratory disease, strep throat, HIV, and boils are all proven triggers for psoriasis, sometimes for unknown reasons. Emotional stress is linked to increased itching in patients. Stress makes the psoriasis itch more, and the itching makes the patient’s stress level rise. It’s a continuing cycle.
Treatments for psoriasis usually occur in a three-step process. First, topical treatments are used for milder cases. Sunlight has proven to be very beneficial in moderation, which accounts for the rise of psoriasis problems in the winter. Coal tar can be used in shampoo, lotion, or alone. Cortisone, vitamin D3, anthralin, salicylic acid, and moisturizers can be applied alone or in combination with another treatment.
Another popular option is phototherapy, or ultraviolet radiation. This is used more often with moderate or severe cases because is helps treat the entire body. Forms of phototherapy use both UVA and UVB rays. UVB radiation is applied with light boxes in a doctor’s office or in a patient’s home. This form is often used together with another treatment like coal tar. A treatment called PUVA combines a topical medicine called psoralen with exposure to UVA rays. This is used only in severe cases and clears psoriasis better that UVB treatment. However, this is slower and comes with greater risks for skin cancer and other diseases.