The Challenges of Epidemiologic Research in Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Journal of American Medical Association (subscription), IL - Nov 4, 2008 27 Presence of celiac disease (odds ratio, 24.0; 95% CI, 8.8-65) and psoriasis (odds ratio, 2.25; 95% CI, 1.00-5.06) have been associated with increased ...
Local notes: Ballina/Killaloe Nenagh Guardian, Ireland - Nov 19, 2008 The Psoriasis Association of Ireland has recently launched a new website, - www.psoriasisuncovered.ie - for those suffering from this debilitating skin ...
New Findings From Genome-Wide Association Studies Medical News Today (press release), UK - Nov 14, 2008 Associations in the interleukin 23 pathway have also been associated with psoriasis and ankylosing spondylitis, which are inflammatory diseases of the skin ...
Fungal fuel Helena Independent Record, MT - Nov 10, 2008 Strobel, 70, has escaped illness, but bears the scars of psoriasis brought on by a major chigger infestation several years ago. But he repeatedly returns to ...
Biomarking the future of medicine: ThomWatch Stockhouse, Canada - Nov 7, 2008 As investors, we can support companies that appear to be devoting resources to assays for everything from mental retardation to psoriasis to cancers, ...
August is Psoriasis Awareness Month MarketWatch - Psoriasis is a noncontagious, chronic disease of the immune system that appears on the skin, causing red, scaly patches. Many of the estimated 7.5 million ...
Manhattan Falls Short on Phase II Trial for Psoriasis FDA news (subscription), VA - Manhattan Pharmaceuticals? Phase IIa clinical study of topical PTH (1-34) for the treatment of mild-to-moderate plaque psoriasis failed to improve patients? ...OTC:MHAN
When health problems are skin deep Chester DailyLocal.com, USA - Aug 4, 2008 Psoriasis, a chronic skin disorder, is one such condition. August is National Psoriasis Month, and several area medical professionals recently shared their ...
NullHap - a versatile application to estimate haplotype ... 7thSpace Interactive (press release), NY - As an example of application we used Nullhap to reanalyze published data on distribution of KIR genotypes in Polish psoriasis patients and controls showing ...
Model Focus Vogue.com, UK - I used to have psoriasis until about 12 years ago, which has always kept me humble. But every model goes through turbulence so you have to work out what ...
Severe psoriasis--oral therapy with a new retinoid. T Fredriksson, U Pettersson - Dermatologica, 1978 - ncbi.nlm.nih.gov Dermatologica. 1978;157(4):238-44. Severe psoriasis--oral therapy with
a new retinoid. Fredriksson T, Pettersson U. Ro 10-9359 is ...
Etanercept as Monotherapy in Patients with Psoriasis - CL Leonardi, JL Powers, RT Matheson, BS Goffe, R … - New England Journal of Medicine, 2003 - content.nejm.org Original Article from The New England Journal of Medicine -- Etanercept as Monotherapy
in Patients with Psoriasis. ... Fas Pulls the Trigger on Psoriasis. Am. ...
Psoriasis causes as much disability as other major medical diseases. - SR Rapp, SR Feldman, ML Exum, AB Fleischer Jr, DM … - J Am Acad Dermatol, 1999 - ncbi.nlm.nih.gov Click here to read Psoriasis causes as much disability as other major medical diseases. ...
HRQL was regressed on ratings of 18 aspects of psoriasis. ...
A Novel Targeted T-Cell Modulator, Efalizumab, for Plaque Psoriasis - M Lebwohl, SK Tyring, TK Hamilton, D Toth, S … - New England Journal of Medicine, 2003 - content.nejm.org Original Article from The New England Journal of Medicine -- A Novel Targeted
T-Cell Modulator, Efalizumab, for Plaque Psoriasis. ...Psoriasis. ...
Source: Google Scholar
Meeting the Challenges of Psoriasis
Human skin is the largest organ in the human body. It is also the most visible. More than seven million Americans suffer with psoriasis, a chronic skin disease characterized by an overproduction of skin cells that results in flaky and patchy raised areas on the skin's surface. And in addition to causing a great deal of pain for some patients, psoriasis can exact an enormous emotional toll on its sufferers.
Below, Gail Zimmerman, President of the National Psoriasis Foundation, describes the challenges faced by people living with this disease, and suggests ways to effectively meet the challenges of psoriasis. What effect does psoriasis have on the body?
GAIL ZIMMERMAN: Psoriasis can be mild-localized to just the knees and elbows. The milder forms are probably the most familiar to people.
It can also be severe, however, and cover 80-90% of the body. About 30% of the people who have psoriasis in this country have the more moderate to severe forms, which can have extensive physical effects. It can make the skin inflexible. The hands and feet won't operate. You can't type or walk. It can also be in the buttocks area. People can't sit down. If it's on the soles of the feet, they can't stand for long periods of time.
If it itches intensely, which it can in a number of people, it becomes impossible to sleep, which makes functioning in the day difficult. It can cause severe bleeding and splitting of the skin. Also, it interferes with intimacy. This is a large problem for many people. It affects the entire body, so it may become difficult to have sexual contact.
What are some of the most common emotional challenges that people with psoriasis face?
The most common one that we hear about at the Foundation is embarrassment. People are very aware of being looking at. They're very concerned about how people are going to react to their skin. They're afraid that people will think that they're dirty or that they did something to cause this. That's probably the chief concern. There is also fear of rejection, by an employer, spouse, or friends. For this reason, many people pull back from society, and from intimate relationships.
What are some coping strategies people can use to manage emotional issues?
There are two things people can do to help combat the psychological trauma or anxiety they may be feeling. The first thing is to get informed. Get as much information as you can about the disease, the treatments, and how it makes other people feel. If you're armed with information then you're in control. The disease is not controlling you. I think that's the first thing that has to happen. And then you'll feel more comfortable about educating others about your disease.
The second important way to manage the emotional impact of the disease is to meet others who have the disease. I am told by people who have psoriasis that this is the most therapeutic thing they've done.
How do people cope with the physical aspects of the disease?
First of all, take care of your skin. There are things you can do at home to minimize the effects. For example, you can relieve symptoms by moisturizing. A lot of people don't know this. Sometimes the physician or nurse forgets to emphasize it. But if you moisturize at home frequently, if you take baths at home with tar, liquid tar, or moisturizers, or add oil to the bath, it can really help the skin.
It's important to know, however, that you have to moisturize every day, and frequently. The results take time. You have to do it for an extended period of time before you start seeing the redness and inflammation reduced.
Second, find a physician who really supports you and knows about treatment and can treat the psoriasis.
Do you recommend that people with psoriasis see a dermatologist?
If you have a moderate to severe form of the disease, you're probably most apt to get the full range of treatments if you go to a dermatologist who is committed to treatment. But it's important to note that not all dermatologists specialize in treating all forms of psoriasis. So if you feel that you're not getting a complete range of information, you might go for a second opinion. Primary care physicians are certainly able to treat the milder forms of psoriasis. But if you have moderate to severe, I would recommend going to a dermatologist.
Do you think most people with psoriasis receive adequate treatment?
I would say that doctors tend to under-treat psoriasis, and it's often very hard for the physician to get proper training in administering all forms of treatment. Consequently, it can be difficult to get these treatments. And if you do get them, sometimes they're not properly administered. So it's important that patients be informed, and know what to expect from treatment.
What advice would you give someone newly diagnosed with psoriasis?
Be informed, and get information from a variety of sources. Use that information to make choices and to work with your physician, if you have one. Getting informed will help you feel you're in control of your disease and that you're a partner with the physician. It's important that you feel you can make decisions.
Also, try to educate others around you who may not know what the disease is. Often people are simply uninformed or ignorant about it. They aren't sure what to think when they see the psoriasis. One of the biggest problems with this disease is that many of us who have it are silent. We don't tell people about it, so they aren't aware how severe it is. Public understanding of the disease could make a big difference in how people who live with psoriasis feel about themselves.
