Guttate Psoriasis Treatment

Guttate psoriasis is a form of psoriasis (irritated skin condition consisting of scaly, red patches and itchiness). In the case of guttate psoriasis, the main symptom is experiencing tiny, pink drops all over the skin. The word "guttate" comes from the Latin term "gutta," which means "drop." This condition is not contagious and usually occurs on body parts such as the legs and arms, although it can be found in other areas as well. With this condition, the focus is on control and ensuring that secondary infections don't occur.

Mild Instances

With milder instances of guttate psoriasis, the majority of people treat the problem at home. Some common at-home treatments include dandruff shampoo (either over-the-counter or purchased with a prescription), moisturizers, lotions consisting of the ingredient coal tar, anti-itch cortisone creams, and prescription medication containing either vitamin A or vitamin D.

Severe Instances

People suffering from more severe cases of gutten psoriasis often are prescribed antibiotics from dermatologists. A common type of medication used for guttate psoriasis is one that works to suppress the immune response given by the body. Some common medicines that do this include methotrexate, cyclosporine and corticosteroids.

Phototherapy

One natural way of treating this lifelong condition is by using sunlight. Sunlight assists in eliminating guttate psoriasis symptoms on the skin. However, it is crucial to avoid getting sunburn in exposing your skin to sunlight, as that could trigger a whole other set of skin problems. Another procedure for exposing skin suffering from guttate psoriasis to sunlight is called phototherapy. Phototherapy is a type of medical process that exposes the skin to ultraviolet (UV) light. In many situations, phototherapy is conducted on patients who have taken a drug that temporarily renders the skin more sensitive to light.

Prevention

It is believed that guttate psoriasis could be hereditary, which might mean that it is not preventable. However, there are some easy ways in which to lessen the chances of inflammation and having to endure more flareups. Some ways in which to do so are avoiding trauma to the skin, such as excessive rubbing and scratching (this could cause lesions on parts of the body that previously were not afflicted with guttate psoriasis). Skin trauma leading to new guttate psoriasis outbreaks is known as Koebner phenomenon.

Systemic Medications

In extremely severe cases of guttate psoriasis, a dermatologist might consider prescribing a patient with systemic medicine. Usually systemic medications for guttate psoriasis consist of brief runs in taking them, which have the goal of leading to fast and enduring clearing of the area that is experiencing the pink drops.