Psoriasis And Sunlight
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For some, the disease brings periodic bouts of mild itching; for others, it’s a lifetime of discomfort and unsightly skin changes that can affect their overall livelihoods. The disease affects approximately 2.6 percent of Americans which translates into more than 7 million individuals nationwide. Yet, sunlight is shedding some GOOD NEWS on the disease. 10
Although doctors choose treatments based on the type and severity of psoriasis and the areas of skin affected, the traditional approach is to start with the mildest treatments - topical creams and ultraviolet light therapy (phototherapy) - and then progress to stronger ones if necessary. The goal is to find the most effective way to slow cell turnover with the fewest possible side effects. 18
Much of sunlight is composed of bands of different wavelengths of ultraviolet (UV) light. When absorbed into the skin, UV light suppresses the process leading to disease, causing activated T cells in the skin to die. This process reduces inflammation and slows the turnover of skin cells that causes scaling. Daily, short, nonburning exposure to sunlight clears or improves psoriasis in many people. Therefore, exposing affected skin to sunlight is one initial psoriasis therapy. 24
When sunlight penetrates the top layers of the skin, this ultraviolet radiation bombards the genetic material, the DNA, inside skin cells and injures it. This can cause wrinkles, aging skin, and skin cancers. However, these same damaging effects can destroy the skin cells that form psoriasis patches. 49
You are the highest risk of skin cancer if you are fair or red-haired and your skin does not tan easily. Because ultraviolet light is so effective for so many psoriasis sufferers, it is often used in various artificial forms by doctors. Ultraviolet treatment with a sunlamp is often given in hospitals for plaque psoriasis (the most common type) and guttate psoriasis. 1
Ultraviolet A (UVA) is the other main part of sunlight. The treatment using UVA requires a photosensitizing medication (usually psoralen) in combination with UVA radiation to be effective. A photosensitizing medication makes a person more sensitive to light. Treatment with psoralen and UVA is referred to as PUVA. This approach is very powerful and effective in more than 85% of patients who use it. However, it poses a higher risk for skin cancers than UVB. 49
PUVA treatments cause inflammation and redness in the skin to develop within 2 - 3 days after treatment. Such damage inhibits skin cell proliferation and reduces psoriasis plaque formation. PUVA employs a combination of a psoralen drug and UVA radiation. Forms of psoralen include methoxsalen, 8-methoxypsoralen (8-MOP), or bergapten (5-MOP). The effectiveness of the treatment is based on a chemical reaction in the skin between the psoralen and light, which creates redness and inflammation that prevents the psoriasis disease process. 49
The treatment using UVA requires a photosensitizing medication (usually psoralen) in combination with UVA radiation to be effective (and therefore the treatment is referred to as PUVA. This approach is very potent and is effective in more than 85% of patients that use it. However, it also poses a higher risk for skin cancers, including melanoma, than UVB. 36
PUVA treatments cause inflammation and redness in the skin to develop within two to three days after treatment. Such damage inhibits skin cell proliferation and reduces psoriasis plaque formation. PUVA employs a combination of a psoralen drug and ultraviolet A (UVA) radiation. Forms of psoralen include methoxsalen, 8-methoxypsoralen (8-MOP), or bergapten (5-MOP). The effectiveness of the treatment is based on a chemical reaction in the skin between the psoralen and light, which creates redness and inflammation that prevents the psoriasis disease process. 36
Phototherapy (exposure to ultraviolet light) also can help clear up psoriasis for several months at a time. Phototherapy is often used in combination with various topical drugs, particularly when large areas of skin are involved. Traditionally, treatment has been with phototherapy combined with the use of psoralens (drugs that make the skin more sensitive to the effects of ultraviolet light). This treatment is called PUVA (psoralens plus ultraviolet A). Some doctors are now using narrow-band ultraviolet B (UVB) treatments, which are equally effective but avoid the need to use psoralens and the side effects they cause, such as extreme sensitivity to sunshine. 35
Vitamin D has widely been known to help some psoriasis suffers. However, simply using Vitamin D creams, and taking Vitamin D tablets will not work by its self. Your body can only accept so much vitamins, and pass the excess. UVB and Sunlight CAUSE your skin to manufacture NATURAL Vitamin D which is many times more effective than synthetic Vitamin D products. This is another reason UVB treatment is so successful. Synthetic vitamins or retinoid are known to cause birth defects and cancers. 31
As you may know, many dermatologists have prescribed phototherapy for patients with psoriasis. Sunlight and ultraviolet light slow the rapid growth of skin cells. Although there may be risks involved, light treatment can be safe and effective under a doctor’s care. 10
Plaque psoriasis (psoriasis vulgaris) (L40.0) is the most common form of psoriasis. It affects 80 to 90% of people with psoriasis. Plaque psoriasis typically appears as raised areas of inflamed skin covered with silvery white scaly skin. These areas are called plaques. 8
For many years, people have known that exposure to sunlight is helpful for certain skin disorders. Doctors now know that one component of sunlight – ultraviolet (UV) light – is responsible for this effect. UV light has many different effects on skin cells, including altering the amounts and kinds of chemicals they make and causing the death of certain cells that can be involved in skin diseases. The use of UV light to treat disease is called phototherapy. Psoriasis and atopic dermatitis are the disorders most commonly treated with phototherapy. 35
Natural sunlight and artificial ultraviolet light slow the rapid growth of skin cells. Although ultraviolet light or sunlight can cause skin wrinkling, eye damage, and skin cancer, light treatment is safe and effective under a doctor’s supervision. People with psoriasis all over their entire body may require treatment in a medically approved center, equipped with special light boxes for full body exposure. Psoriasis patients who live in warm climates may be directed to carefully sunbathe. Seek the advice of a doctor before self-treating with natural or artificial sunlight. 43
References
The Panacea offers these health-extracts to help people investigate health-related subjects in greater depth using the references given in each paragraph. Kindly note that these are current extracts from the web, meant for research, and that these are not meant to be medical advise. For all your health-related needs you must consult trained and licensed personnel.
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