How to Treat Psoriasis
Psoriasis is characterized by red or white scaly patches that are painful, dry and itchy. It may affect any part of the body and can cause depression, anxiety or feelings of poor quality of life. The cause is poorly understood, but chronic inflammation and immune system function are involved. What are the Treatments? Over the course of history, hundreds of treatments have been recommended for the condition. Few have proven to be the solution that the patient was hoping for. Ancient treatments included onions, sea salt, urine and goose oil, semen, wasp droppings, sycamore sap and cat feces. These were applied directly to the skin and left on for a specified amount of time. In the 18th and 19th centuries, dermatologists prescribed Fowler's solution, a liquid that was taken by mouth. The liquid contained arsenic, which was then known to be a poison and is now known to be carcinogenic. The fatty acid found in castor oil was recommended for many years. Sulfur baths and solutions, as we...