Psoriasis Series 2: How to treat psoriasis?

This is the 4809th article of Da Yi Xiao Hu

When people find out that they have psoriasis, the question they are most concerned about is: How to treat psoriasis?

In fact, there are many ways to treat psoriasis, including topical medications, oral medications, phototherapy, injections, etc. Different treatment methods are used according to the severity (for details on severity judgment, please refer to the previous article "Doctor, is my psoriasis serious?") or the different needs of patients. The general principle must be: regular, safe, and individualized!

Regular treatment: Don’t seek medical treatment rashly!

Mild psoriasis : Topical medications are the first choice. Topical medications act directly on the skin lesions, are quick to take effect, easy to use, and have few systemic adverse reactions. Common topical medications include: desonide, mometasone furoate, halometasone, calcipotriol, tazarotene, tacrolimus, pimecrolimus, lotions, and tar preparations. In addition, local phototherapy can be used in combination with Chinese medicine baths, fumigation, cupping, etc.

Moderate to severe psoriasis : Systemic treatment is the first choice. Generally speaking, systemic treatment refers to the use of medication inside the body, such as taking medicine or injections. Commonly used oral medications include methotrexate, cyclosporine, and acitretin. Injections refer to treatment with biological agents (see the previous article "I heard that psoriasis can be injected"), and commonly used ones include adalimumab, secukinumab, ixekizumab, ustekinumab, guselkumab, etc. In addition, whole-body phototherapy, oral Chinese medicine, Chinese medicine bath, fumigation, bloodletting, etc. can also be used.

Ensure safety: follow the doctor’s advice for follow-up visits and reexaminations!

All therapeutic drugs have certain side effects and need to be used under the advice of a specialist.

Although topical medications are quick to take effect and easy to use, long-term and large-scale use can also cause local skin adverse reactions. When taking oral medications, it is also necessary to regularly check liver and kidney function, blood lipids and other indicators. Before using biological agents for treatment, it is also necessary to check for hepatitis B, tuberculosis infection, and autoimmune and tumor indicators.

Personalized therapy: different methods for different needs!

Each of us is unique. Different psoriasis types, physical conditions, age stages, occupational nature, and medication habits will all affect the choice of medication. It is recommended that all patients inform their doctors of their needs and develop a treatment plan that suits you after comprehensive consideration of the severity of the disease.

Conclusion

Psoriasis has not yet been completely cured, and the goal of treatment is still to control and stabilize the condition and slow down the progression of the disease. At present, scientists are still developing new drugs for the treatment of psoriasis, and the efficacy is constantly improving. While taking medication, patients should also work hard to take good care of their skin and reduce the recurrence of psoriasis. Doctors and patients should work together to conquer psoriasis!

Author: Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine

Guo Dongjie, Li Fulun