TDC Health News

Psoriasis is a much more common skin condition than many people might realize. It affects 2-3% of the population, which translates to about 8 million Americans. Psoriasis is a chronic skin condition that usually starts in people between the ages of 15 and 35, but it can begin at any age. In this condition, the body's immune system begins to attack what are otherwise normal cells, accelerating the life cycle of skin cells so that they build up at a faster rate. This leads to thickening of skin, most commonly over joints or areas where there is a lot of friction or trauma. These changes can be seen as red and dry patches on the skin. Sometimes it can be very itchy, so not only are patients bothered by the appearance, but they also find it uncomfortable.

These changes that occur in the skin can also affect other parts of the body. All of this inflammation can impact the joints. It is thought that between 10-30% of patients with psoriasis on the skin will develop psoriatic arthritis.

The good news is that in the past 20 years, there have been remarkable advances in the treatment of psoriasis. Many of the older medications used to treat patients with severe disease had significant side effects. Although the newer medications have some side effects to consider, they are far less compromising to the immune system than some of the traditional therapies. Patients with debilitating psoriasis that was difficult to control are now seeing clear or nearly clear skin with control of their joint pain as well. It is nice to know how many treatment options there now are for this disease.