Psoriasis is a very unpleasant chronic autoimmune condition, and a lot of people can be tempted to stay away from such a patient. The disease is characterized by red and itchy patches of skin covered with silvery scales. Millions of people worldwide deal with this condition, which causes physical discomfort through itches and pain, as well as social isolation in more severe cases. However, it’s important to keep in mind that psoriasis is not contagious, but obviously, a lot of people don’t know that.
One of the most common questions of those who deal with psoriasis is this: Can you ever truly get rid of it, or are you condemned to live with the disease for your entire life? To answer that question, we first need to learn a lot about the nature of the disease, treatment options, as well as the possibility of long-term remission.
Understanding the disease
When a patient is dealing with psoriasis, it means that his immune system mistakenly attacks healthy skin cells, causing an overproduction of new cells. This rapid turnover leads to the formation of thick, scaly patches known as plaques.
One of the saddest aspects about psoriasis is that the exact cause of the disease remains unknown. However, factors such as genetics, environmental triggers as well as immune dysfunction are believed to play a role in the development of the disease.
Treatment
Long story short: There is no cure for psoriasis. However, treatments can help manage symptoms of the quality of life for patients. These include:
Phototherapy: Exposure to ultraviolet light, whether we are talking about natural sunlight or artificial light sources, can help the patient get his immune system suppressed and inflammation in the skin reduced.
Topical treatments: If you deal with psoriasis, you need to help reduce inflammation and slow down cell turnover. To do so, creams, ointments, as well as shampoos containing corticosteroids, vitamin D analogues, or retinoids can help you a lot.
Lifestyle Changes: By adopting a healthy lifestyle and maintaining a balanced diet, as well as avoiding excessive alcohol, and managing stress, you can also have great chances to keep psoriasis at bay.
Systemic medications: If you deal with more severe cases of psoriasis, oral or injectable medications, cyclosporine, and methotrexate can be prescribed.
Achieving remission
Even though psoriasis is considered a chronic condition, some individuals are lucky enough to have achieved long-term remission. During such a period, the symptoms are significantly reduced or even disappear altogether.
For the factors that could contribute to remission, we can mention lifestyle modifications, periods of quiescence, ongoing management, and effective treatment. Doctors need to do their best to find the right combination of medications and therapies for individual needs and help control symptoms and induce remission of psoriasis.
What is for sure is that psoriasis can present serious challenges for an individual. It’s a disease that requires ongoing management, and it’s important to keep in mind that you are not condemned to live with the disease permanently if you have it now, so don’t lose hope! With the right treatment approach, a lot of people can achieve major relief from symptoms and experience long-term remission.
