Truong, who specializes in caring for patients with psoriasis, told HealthCentral that the systemic medications currently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat psoriasis, such as oral medications and biologic therapies, are helpful for moderate to severe cases.

Because no two cases are alike, she said, every patient deserves an individualized treatment plan. Some patients prefer using a cream or ointment, whereas others might want an injection every few months.

“The right individualized treatment plan often comes down to what side effects a patient might be willing to tolerate,” Truong explained.

Topical steroid treatments applied to the skin during a psoriasis flare are very effective, Truong told HealthCentral. She added that new steroid-free options are readily available to reduce the risk of side effects from long-term steroid use, such as skin thinning.

Topical steroids still work best at calming down the inflammation quickly, Truong said. But newer topical agents and topical calcineurin inhibitors can be combined with topical steroids and used as maintenance therapy when people are between psoriasis flares or need relief on harder-to-treat areas of skin, such as the armpits.

Truong told HealthCentral that in addition to topical treatments, oral medications, biologic therapies and phototherapy—which uses ultraviolet light to treat the skin—lifestyle modifications can help manage psoriasis symptoms and prevent flares. Those behaviors include stopping smoking, getting plenty of sleep, managing stress, maintaining a healthy weight and eating anti-inflammatory foods.

Click here to read the complete article from HealthCentral.