My name is Marilyn Baker, and I have horrible allergies. I’m 42 years old and have been suffering from allergies since I was a child. I have seasonal and environmental allergies. Allergies plague me year round. When I was young, my parents even moved to a dryer area in the hope of helping me. Over the past eight years, I have done extensive research both through doctors and online. I have managed to come up with some combinations that have helped me a great deal. My allergies aren’t gone, but they have become manageable. I do have to have allergy shots, but I also use some natural remedies. I am happy to be able to share my findings with you here on my blog. I hope you can find some of this of value.
One of the treatments your doctor may suggest for your psoriasis is phototherapy. This involves exposing your skin to natural or artificial light to heal your skin lesions. Even though you can expose your skin to sunlight yourself, you should always work with a doctor when undergoing phototherapy. That's because too little or too much light can cause an adverse reaction. Also, your lesions may get worse temporarily before they get better, and you need medical direction on whether to press on with phototherapy. Here are a few more things you should know about using this form of treatment.
UVA or UVB
If you expose your skin to natural sunlight, you receive both UVA and UVB rays. However, the light machines used to treat psoriasis emit one or the other. UVB is more effective at healing psoriasis lesions because it can deeply penetrate the skin. UVA rays can be effective also if they are combined with a medication that sensitizes your skin to light. The type of psoriasis you have, as well as the location of the lesions, helps your doctor decide which type of phototherapy is best for your situation.
Receiving Treatments
In order to be effective, you must undergo the phototherapy sessions on a regular basis. You may need to go to your doctor's office for the treatments, or you may want to buy a light device and give yourself treatments at home. Your insurance carrier might even pay for the light since it is considered a medical treatment. Even if you take the treatments at home, you must still see your doctor regularly and let him or her monitor your progress.
If you expose your lesions to sunlight instead, you must take care to protect the rest of your skin from too much sun exposure. Be sure to use sunscreen or cover your skin except in the areas bothered by psoriasis. Keep in mind, certain medications may make you more sensitive to light, which will cause you to burn more easily. Your doctor will probably have you start with very short, frequent exposures to build up your sun tolerance.
Phototherapy might be used alone, or your doctor may also prescribe oral medications or topical creams. Sometimes psoriasis can be difficult to heal, and it takes dedicated and consistent effort to see results. Even after it heals, the lesions may return at some point in the future since the condition is considered a life-long disease. Fortunately, with proper treatment from a doctor like Henry D. McKinney M.D., you may be able to go a very long time between outbreaks.
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