About Psoriasis
Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin condition characterized by itchy, hardened, scaly skin (known as plaques). It can be a very difficult condition to live with. As the disease progresses one might find that their skin becomes dry and cracks, leading to bleeding. Psoriasis can also affect a person’s nails, causing them to become thickened, pitted (small dents or holes), discoloured, or seperated from the finger. Psoriasis also leads to psoriatic arthritis in up to 30% of patients.
The exact cause of psoriasis is still unknown but it is suspected that it is related to an over-active immune system. Recent research has made significant progress towards understanding this disease, but it is still not fully understood.
Our incredible team of dermatologists are able to help treat your psoriasis. We have been serving the Barrie and Simcoe area for decades and have extensive experience in diagnosing and treating difficult skin diseases.
Treatment for Psoriasis
It is essential that our patients feel comfortable, and our dermatologist will take the time to develop an approach specifically tailored to you. We will look for signs and symptoms and base our diagnosis on your skin’s appearance and medical history. We will discuss treatment options with you and answer any questions you may have about psoriasis.
A biopsy may be necessary during diagnosis to ensure prescription of the proper treatment.
Our leading team of dermatologists may prescribe Corticosteroids (also known simply as steroids). For more mild cases, a topic cream might be prescribed. This cream is put on the skin and has anti-inflammatory properties that help manage flareups.
Unfortunately severe cases of psoriasis are still very difficult to treat. Recent developments in the field of psoriasis treatment are hopeful though.
Clinical Trials for Psoriasis
If your symptoms do not go away with normal treatment, you may consider volunteering to participate in a clinical trial. Our clinical trial department is running trials to test new treatments for psoriasis.
A clinical trial is an experiment to determine the safety and effectiveness of an investigational treatment. There are two primary reasons to consider participating in a clinical trial.
If your psoriasis has resisted standard treatment options, you might be interested in trying something that is currently in development. This is the best way for people to get access to the newest treatment options at no cost.
Also, participating in a clinical trial helps advance scientific knowledge on treatment options, which can help others who suffer from the same condition by moving along development on new treatments.
If you would like to participate in a clinical trial for psoriasis in Barrie, please click here to see our current listings, or call us at # 647-202-6393