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Should I treat my psoriasis?


Anguished woman with psoriasis on elbow
Anguish caused by having psoriasis: When psoriasis is visible, some people feel self-conscious and ashamed.
Treating psoriasis has benefits for both your body and mind.  Treatment can:

  • Help you see clearer skin

  • Slow the psoriasis, reducing your risk of getting more severe (and sometimes disabling) psoriasis

  • Reduce symptoms such as itch and pain

  • Lessen the effects of related health conditions such as heart disease

Research also shows that keeping psoriasis under control with treatment can:

  • Help you get a good night’s sleep

  • Improve your self-confidence

Many treatment options

While there is no cure for psoriasis, there are more treatment choices than ever before. Several new treatments have become available in recent years. Researchers continue to study treatment options for psoriasis and make improvements.

Treatment can help

Does psoriasis make your skin crack, bleed, or feel sore? Does it feel permanently sunburnt? Treatment can ease these problems.

When it comes to treating psoriasis, many people find that working with a doctor who has experience treating psoriasis helps. Dermatologists have this experience, so they understand the risks and benefits of the different treatments. They know which treatments can be safely combined and when a treatment is unacceptable for a patient.

To give their patients better results and reduce side effects, dermatologists may include two or more medications in a patient’s treatment plan. 

By speaking with a dermatologist, you can find what type of treatment can help ease your discomfort and lead to clearer skin.


Image
Image from Getty Images

References
Armstrong AW, Robertson, AD, et al. “Undertreatment, treatment trends, and treatment dissatisfaction among patients with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis in the United States: Findings from the National Psoriasis Foundation surveys, 2003-2011.” JAMA Dermatol. 2013 Oct;149(10):1180-5.

Voorhees, AV Fried R(2009). "Depression and quality of life in psoriasis." Postgraduate Medicine. 2009;121(4): 154-61.

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