The National PSORIASIS Foundation offers this definition: Psoriasis is a non contagious, genetic disease of the immune system, which affects the skin and/or joints. According to the National Institutes of Health, as many as 7.5 million Americans have psoriasis. The most common form, plaque psoriasis, results in raised, red lesions covered by silvery white scales. Psoriasis can be limited to a few lesions or can involve moderate to large areas of skin. Having 3 to 10 percent of the body affected by psoriasis is generally considered to be a moderate case. More than 10 percent is considered severe. For most individuals, the palm of the hand is about the same as 1 percent of the skin surface. However, the severity of psoriasis can also be measured by how psoriasis affects a person's quality of life. Psoriasis can have a serious impact even if it involves a small area, such as the palms of the hands or soles of the feet. From 10 to 30 percent of individuals with psoriasis also develop psoriatic arthritis, which causes pain, stiffness and swelling in and around the joints.
There are several forms of light therapy or phototherapy used successfully for Psoriasis, alone or in conjunction with topical or ingested medications. Light therapy involves exposing the skin to wavelengths of ultraviolet light. Treatments may take place in a doctor's office, psoriasis clinic or at home with sunlight or a phototherapy unit prescribed by your doctor. The key to success with light therapy is consistency.
PUVA - This treatment regimen includes exposure to artificial light in conjunction with ingested or topical use of psoralen. It is a medication that causes the skin to be more sensitive to the light used during the therapy with increased benefit to controlling and preventing the spread of Psoriasis. Because of the ultraviolet contained in the light, the same precautions need to be taken with this treatment as with extended exposure to the sun.
UVB - This is an artificial light treatment using a special wavelength of light. Success of UVB treatment has been validated over and over in clinical trials and controlled studies. There are two types of UVB treatment, broadband and narrow band. The difference between them is that narrow-band UVB light bulbs release a smaller range of ultraviolet light. Narrow-band UVB is similar to broadband UVB in many ways and is becoming more widely used. Several studies indicate that narrow-band UVB clears Psoriasis faster and produces longer remissions than broadband UVB. It also may be effective with fewer treatments per week than broad-band UVB.
Most home care units will require a prescription and may be covered by your health insurance. A dermatologist should provide instructions on the schedule you follow for home light therapy. The length of exposure to ultraviolet light depends on skin type, the type of UVB device and the intensity of light emitted from the home lamps.
Once the skin clears, light therapy may be stopped. It may be resumed to maintain skin clarity as the lesions begin to reappear. However, studies show that continued UVB treatments after the skin clears can increase remission time. Most people need about eight maintenance treatments per month to prolong periods of skin clarity. However, your dermatologist is the right person to provide your maintenance exposures.
There are three primary manufacturers of home light therapy equipment, each offering several different units depending on the severity and location of the Psoriasis. There are other manufacturers and suppliers coming into this market place on a regular basis. The three below and the newcomers may be found quickly by your search engine.
- Daavlin - Offering full-body, hand/foot/scalp, narrow-band and broad-band units
- National Biological - Offering full-body, hand-held and localized broad-band and narrow-band units
UVBioTek - Offering full-body wrap around and single panel systems, plus hand/foot units
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