The Mercury (Pottstown, PA)

Treatment options for psoriasis

- Dr. Daniel Shurman Columnist

More than 8 million people are affected by psoriasis in the United States, and an estimated 30% will also develop psoriatic arthritis.

Psoriasis is a chronic autoimmune condition that causes the rapid buildup of skin cells. This buildup of skin cells can result in red patches that are covered with thick, silvery scales or small scaling spots.

While it is caused by a dysfunctio­n of the immune system, the cause of this dysfunctio­n is unknown. A person’s immune system and genetics play a major role in the developmen­t of the condition.

There are different types of psoriasis and their triggers vary from person to person.

Treatment options for psoriasis

Treatment options available aren’t one-size-fits-all and vary based on the location and type of the psoriasis (mild, moderate or severe). In partnershi­p with your dermatolog­ist, you can work together to find the right psoriasis treatment for you.

Here are some commonly recommende­d treatment options:

Topical therapy

Topicals are often the first treatment recommende­d to a newly diagnosed patient. The most frequently prescribed topical medication­s for treating mild to moderate psoriasis are corticoste­roids, which are available as ointments, creams, locations, gels, foams, sprays and shampoos. There are many other topical treatment options (steroids, non-steroids and over-the-counter) that your dermatolog­ist may recommend to a newly diagnosed patient to help manage flare ups.

Photothera­py

For those with moderate to severe psoriasis, light therapy is often recommende­d as a first-line treatment and can be used on its own or in combinatio­n with medication­s. During treatment, the skin is exposed to controlled amounts of natural or artificial ultraviole­t light. The key to these treatments is being consistent with follow-ups.

One type of light therapy, ultraviole­t light B (UVB), which is present in natural sunlight, can be an effective treatment for psoriasis. This therapy can treat single patches, widespread psoriasis and psoriasis that has not improved with topical treatments. The UVB light works by penetratin­g the skin and slowing the growth of the affected skin cells. UVB photothera­py involves exposing the skin to an artificial UVB light source for a set amount of time on a regular schedule. This treatment can be offered in different ways and can be effective in treating small areas such as hands and feet, or larger areas. UVB can be used in photothera­py or via an excimer laser. After the initial course of treatments, maintenanc­e therapy is recommende­d.

The excimer laser, which is approved by the FDA for treating chronic, localized psoriasis plaques, emits a high-intensity beam of UVB. It can target areas with mild-tomoderate psoriasis and research shows it is an effective treatment for scalp psoriasis.

Injections

Rather then a systemic drug that impacts your entire body, biologics only target specific parts of the immune system. Biologics that treat psoriasis block the action of a specific type of immune cell called a T-cell or they block proteins in the immune system that play a major role in developing psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis.

These treatments are taken by injection or IV infusion and will vary by your condition. These are often a recommende­d treatment of moderate to severe psoriasis in people who haven’t responded to first-line therapies.

The National Psoriasis Foundation is a great resource for those seeking to learn more about the symptoms and treatment options of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. You can visit their website at www. psoriasis.org.

If you’re struggling with psoriasis, it’s important to work closely with your dermatolog­ist to develop a treatment plan that works best for you and your situation. Call 610-288-2908 if you’d like to schedule an appointmen­t with our team.

Dr. Daniel Shurman of Pennsylvan­ia Dermatolog­y Partners in Amity Township completed his dermatolog­y training at Thomas Jefferson University. He is fellowship-trained in both Mohs micrograph­ic surgery and procedural dermatolog­y..

SAN RAMON >> Google’s next internet-connected home device will test whether consumers trust the company enough to let it snoop on their sleep.

New sleep-sensing technology will be a key feature on Google’s latest version of its Nest Hub, a 7-inch smart screen unveiled Tuesday. Like the previous generation, the $100 Nest Hub can display pictures and video in addition to fielding questions and handling household tasks through Google’s voice-activated assistant. It also doesn’t feature a camera.

But the latest Nest Hub’s new trick may help differenti­ate from similar devices, such as Amazon’s Echo Show, while also providing a springboar­d for Google to get more involved in helping people manage their help.

If you allow it, the device will also monitor your sleeping patterns from your bedside, negating the need to wear a fitness device or any other potentiall­y bothersome gadget in bed. The feature, which Google intends to offer for free through at least this year, relies on a new chip Google calls Soli, which uses radar to detect motion, including the depth of a person’s breathing.

The Nest Hub is supposed to generate weekly sleep reports with easy-toundersta­nd breakdowns on the length and quality of sleep, how frequently the user gets up at night and snoring and coughing frequency, along with tips developed in consultati­on with the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

Google says it honed the technology by studying 15,000 sleeping people over a combined 110,000 nights.

That kind of help may sound appealing to the millions of people who have trouble sleeping. But the feature may also raise privacy concerns — especially given Google’s long history of online surveillan­ce to collect personal details such as interests, habits and whereabout­s to help sell the digital ads that generate most of its revenue.

It also underscore­s Google’s obvious intent to extend its tentacles into new areas of people’s lives in its relentless quest to make more money, said Jeff Chester, executive director of the Center for Digital Democracy, a consumer and privacy rights group.

“Google’s goal is to monetize every cell of your body,” Chester said.

The sleep sensing feature will remain free through the rest of this year, but Google could eventually sell it as a subscripti­on service, acknowledg­ed Ashton Udall, Google Nest’s senior product manager.

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 ?? GOOGLE VIA THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ?? Sleep-sensing technology will be a key feature on Google’s next generation of its Nest Hub, a 7-inch display unveiled Tuesday.
GOOGLE VIA THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Sleep-sensing technology will be a key feature on Google’s next generation of its Nest Hub, a 7-inch display unveiled Tuesday.

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