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SUNDAY, Aug. 14 (HealthDay News) -- A new generation of drugs and therapies is providing hope for people driven to distraction by the irritation and discomfort of psoriasis.
The chronic skin disease creates misery for millions of Americans every year, with its lesions, scales and blisters causing severe physical discomfort and embarrassment.
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That misery is compounded by the disease's resistance to treatment. People can spend years -- and possibly their entire lives -- waiting for the itch to go away.
"The one thing for people who have psoriasis is if you haven't been to a dermatologist recently, go back," said Paula Fasano, director of marketing and communications for the National Psoriasis Foundation. "Many people have given up on their treatment, and there are so many options where there are new treatments available and combination therapies."
Psoriasis affects between 2 percent and 2.6 percent of Americans, or between 5.8 million and 7.5 million people.
The disease occurs when the body suddenly begins overproducing skin cells. The cells pile up on the surface of the skin before they have a chance to mature, creating bright red patches covered with silvery scales.
These patches of skin cause itching, burning and stinging sensations. They most often occur on the elbows, knees, other parts of the legs, scalp, lower back, face, palms, and soles of the feet. But they can occur on skin anywhere on the body, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Doctors believe the disease is linked to the immune system and is genetic in nature. But no one is certain why some people suffer from psoriasis while others do not, or what causes the disease to first start and then spread.
The therapy chosen for a particular patient depends in large part on the severity of their psoriasis, according to the NIH. Doctors use what is called the "1-2-3" approach to determine treatment, based on the size of the affected area, the type of psoriasis and the patient's response to initial treatments.
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