Finding Purpose Amid Health Challenges
- Actor Ted Danson, 76, says he’s lived with plaque psoriasis for decades. He recently joined a marketing campaign designed to empower millions of others living with chronic skin conditions.
- There are seven types of psoriasis, with plaque psoriasis being the most common. People with a family history of psoriasis have an increased risk of developing the chronic disease.
- Symptoms for psoriasis can often be managed with different treatments and some lifestyle adjustments.
- Although psoriasis is incurable, treatment options to manage symptoms include topical ointments and creams. To further help manage symptoms, people diagnosed should discuss with their doctor to learn what could trigger flare-ups, such as foods or environmental factors.
He’s since used his diagnosis to empower others living with psoriasis as the face of a marketing campaign spotlighting the resilience of people living with the incurable skin condition.
Although psoriasis is incurable, treatment options to manage symptoms include topical ointments and creams. To further help manage symptoms, people diagnosed should discuss with their doctor to learn what could trigger flare-ups, such as foods or environmental factors.
Danson is part of the “SO, Have You Found It?” campaign, which Bristol Myers Squibb, a biopharmaceutical company, spearheaded.
“This isn’t just another role,” Danson said in a press release.
“It’s a part of my life. I’ve dealt with the ups and downs of plaque psoriasis for decades. This campaign gives so many of us living with the condition a platform to openly share our stories and feel empowered to self-advocate and honor our identity,” Danson said.
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Helping Your Manage Psoriasis
Psoriasis is Chronic, But Can Be Managed
According to the National Institute of Health, “Many people with psoriasis have a family history of the disorder. Researchers have identified certain genes linked to the disease but still don’t fully understand the disease process. They do know that it isn’t contagious.”
Dr. Saakshi Khattri, a dermatologist/rheumatologist at Mount Sinai Health System, told SurvivorNet. “It is a chronic condition, which can ebb and flow. You can have good days and bad days.”
WATCH: Understanding the various types of psoriasis.
Dr. Saakshi explained that while anyone can develop psoriasis, the disease is more common in people between 30 and 50. Researchers believe genetics and environmental factors may play a role in the development of psoriasis.
Common symptoms often include:
- Red patches of skin covered with silvery-like scales
- Small scaling spots
- Dry, cracked skin that may bleed or itch
- Itching, burning sensation, or soreness
- Thickened or ridged nails
- Swollen or stiff joints
Topical medicines like skin creams are considered mainstays in treating psoriasis symptoms. The topical you take depends on the kind of psoriasis you’re dealing with and its related symptoms.
The seven different types of psoriasis include:
- Plaque psoriasis: The most common form of the disease causes dry, raised skin patches that may be covered in scales. The patches may be itchy and tender.
- Nail psoriasis: This disease can affect fingernails and toenails and might cause nails to loosen from the nail bed.
- Guttate psoriasis: This disease typically affects young adults and children and is often caused by a bacterial infection like strep throat.
- Inverse psoriasis: This type of psoriasis mainly affects skin folds, so it will often present in areas such as the groin, buttocks, or breasts and can worsen with friction or sweating.
- Pustular psoriasis: This rare form of psoriasis causes pus-filled blisters to develop in widespread patches across the body.
- Erythrodermic psoriasis: This is another rare form of the disease. It can involve the entire body and cause a red, peeling rash that may itch or burn intensely.
- Psoriatic arthritis: With this form of the disease, joints may become swollen and painful. Sometimes, joint pain is the first or only symptom, while other symptoms, like nail changes, occur.
How is Psoriasis Treated?
Sometimes, psoriasis is treated with oral drugs, which may include:
- Methotrexate: This medication was approved for psoriasis in 1972 and can be administered orally or intravenously. It works as an immunosuppressant that inhibits rapidly dividing cells. According to the American Academy of Dermatology and National Psoriasis Foundation guidelines, methotrexate is typically administered in doses ranging from 7.5 mg to 25 mg weekly as one dose or divided into three dosages over 24 hours. Common side effects include fatigue and nausea.
- Apremilast (Otezla): This medication suppresses an enzyme inside inflammation cells. The most common side effects are diarrhea, nausea, upper respiratory tract infection, and headache.
- Cyclosporine: This drug isn’t used for long-term psoriasis treatment due to potentially serious adverse effects. However, it does have a role “as a rapid-acting medication for severe, recalcitrant disease, acute flares, and erythroderma.” Nephrotoxicity (kidney issues) and hypertension (high blood pressure) are cyclosporine’s most common adverse side effects.
Other systemic treatment options for psoriasis include Biologic drugs or biologics, which are given by injection or intravenous (IV) infusion (a slow drip of medicine into your vein).
These drugs target only specific parts of the immune system, while other systemic drugs target the whole system.
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