Plaque Psoriasis and Its Cures

Plaque psoriasis is the most common form of psoriasis: it is estimated that around ninety percent of the various psoriasis sufferers, from guttate to pustular to psoriatic arthritics, will have this form of psoriasis as well. So common it is a form of psoriasis, in fact, that its scientific name, psoriasis vulgaris, means “common psoriasis.” It manifests in what are called plaques: raised areas where skin has accumulated and inflamed, usually marked with hard, silvery, scaly skin. These areas are the result of excessive skin production that is the trademark of this disease: as excessive amounts of skin do not slough off the way normal skin does, they accumulate into plaques. In addition to being unsightly, plaques are often swollen, dry, and annoyingly itchy, with the plaque areas having the tendency to bleed when excessively scratched, making it an agonizing experience for any sufferer. Combine this with the fact that psoriasis is infamous as a chronic disease, meaning that it is one that is always recurring, and you will see why psoriasis is such an inconvenience for those suffering from it.

There is, unfortunately, no ultimate cure for psoriasis. There are, however, numerous treatments one can use to alleviate the symptoms of psoriasis. Plaque psoriasis, being one of the most common, has perhaps the most treatments available. The following is a short list of them, along with descriptions for each:

Oral Medication – This option usually consists of substances used in order to prevent cells from communicating pain and inflammatory signals throughout the body. Drugs used here will often fall into one of two categories: anti-T cell drugs (which block molecules used by some cells to transmit pain and inflammation signals) and anticytokine drugs (which focus on blocking inflammatory signals).

Topical Medication – Some substances, such as petroleum jelly, aloe vera and the like, can be applied onto the skin during a psoriasis breakout in order to reduce swelling, numb itching and moisturize dry, flaking skin. There are disadvantages to using these, though, as they usually take time and effort to apply, may have strong smells, might be uncomfortable especially during humid weather, may evaporate too quickly to have a great effect on the inflammation, and can sometimes even stain clothing.

Phototherapy – This form of treatment evolved from what was recognized as one of the earliest treatments for psoriasis breakouts: exposure of the affected areas to the sun. From then on, doctors discovered that the ultraviolet spectrum was the part of sunlight responsible for the therapeutic effects. Phototherapy, then, evolved into the practice of exposing psoriasis affected areas to special ultraviolet light emitting lamps. Nowadays, this is even used alongside other methods (usually alongside topical medications) for better relief against psoriasis inflammations.

Plaque psoriasis is a lifelong condition, meaning that once you have it, it stays with you for the rest of your life. The aforementioned list of treatments, however, shows that you do not have to let psoriasis inconvenience you for as long as you live as well.