Living With Psoriasis Is Agonizing: What Are Your Treatment Options?

Psoriasis is a common skin disorder that affects 125 million people globally; however, many people don’t realize it is an autoimmune disease. When the body’s immune system is triggered, skin cells become overactive and produce more skin than what can naturally be sloughed off, resulting in red, irritated skin with dry patches that eventually peel. It can affect the scalp, ears, feet, limbs, and everywhere in between.

Psoriasis is an outbreak that causes a “rash” on the skin, but it can also affect the nails, tendons, and joints. Some of the most common symptoms are red rashes or spots, dryness, cracking, flaking, peeling, depression, and joint pain.

Psoriasis is a progressive disorder and can, in extreme cases, turn into psoriatic arthritis, which is an inflammatory arthritis (also autoimmune). The typical treatments for psoriasis are medications to reduce pain, topical treatments, corticosteroids, laser, photo-light therapy, biologic medicine, and in advanced cases of psoriatic arthritis, systemic therapies, surgery to replace the affected joints.

Getting a few minutes of sunshine each day is also a great way to control and improve psoriasis patches. It’s important to note that getting a sunburn is a bad idea, as this will only aggravate your psoriasis along with the harmful UV exposure that damages your skin and overall health.

Because psoriasis is an autoimmune disease, adhering to a diet that doesn’t intensify autoimmune symptoms can be very helpful. Avoiding things like gluten, sugar, and dairy can help control outbreaks.

Details on Advanced Treatment Options
Laser Therapy: An in-office treatment, laser therapy offers excellent results without damaging healthy skin. Your practitioner will use a hand-held laser wand and place the laser light on the psoriasis patches for a few seconds, and it does not touch or affect the surrounding skin. It usually requires two sessions each week. Based on the severity of your psoriasis, your dermatologists will adjust the dosage of laser light.

Photo-Light therapy: PUVA is a long-lasting treatment that utilizes UVA light, and topical or an oral medication called Psoralen, which treats psoriasis quickly and effectively. However, it should be reserved for severe cases and should not be overused, as it can increase the risk of skin cancer. This treatment is done in the office approximately two times per week for 20 to 30 minutes at a time.

Biologic Medicine: The plaque and patches on the skin are formed when the skin cells and white blood cells adversely interact. Biologic therapy mechanisms do a few things to counteract this reaction. It works by interrupting the T-cell formation, which is a type of white blood cells. It also blocks a primary messenger chemical to protect immune function, blocks interleukins (cytokine storm), and inhibits inflammation.

ForCare Medical Group in Tampa, FL
ForCare medical Group is dedicated to improving the health of Tampa, FL and surrounding areas. With advanced treatment options and passionate providers. They have a comprehensive practice that includes, dermatology, primary care and a clinical trials division.

Let the ForCare team help you take charge of your health for both preventative and proactive medical care.

Seth B. Forman, M.D.
Dr. Seth B. Forman, award-winning Dermatologist, is owner of the ForCare Medical Group and has provided patient care for 12 years. He is Board Certified in Dermatology and Dermatopathology.

Dr. Forman graduated from the Medical College of Virginia in Richmond and completed his residency in a training program dedicated to dermatology and skin care at the Medical College of Virginia. He served as Chief Resident during his final year of training. Following that, he completed an advanced fellowship in dermatopathology at the Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, PA. Additional fellowships include the Radiation Oncology Summer Fellow at The Medical College of Virginia and the Microsoft Interactive Fellow at the University of Southern California.

Dr. Forman’s research has led to his writing numerous peer-reviewed articles about various dermatological issues printed in select publications. Additionally, he is the primary author of two chapters in Comprehensive Dermatologic Drug Therapy, the leading reference textbook for dermatological therapeutics.

Dr. Forman is the winner of the AAMC/Pfizer Caring for Community Grant, American Cancer Society Community Service Grant and Mellette Cancer Scholarship. He is a member of the American Academy of Dermatology, Hillsborough County Medical Association and The American Medical Association.

A much sought-after speaker, Dr. Forman is a Regional Board Member for the American Cancer Society, Board Chair of Hillel Academy and has served as Board Member of The Liaison Committee for Medical Education (LCME), The Medical College of Virginia.

To schedule your appointment, please call ForCare today at 813-960-2400.

For Care
Medical Care
15416 North Florida Ave., Tampa, FL 33613