Psoriasis is a common chronic skin disease. Psoriasis causes many discomforts such as red spots, skin flakes, itching and sometimes pain. The visibility of the disease, as with other skin diseases, entails a psychological burden with an impact on the quality of life. Also, many people with psoriasis believe there are limited treatment options.
There is still great ignorance among the population about psoriasis, which is why prejudices and myths about eg contagiousness are still under discussion today. ‘If I can live with psoriasis, can you do that too?’ Is the central question of the psoriasis campaign of the NVDV, the professional association of dermatologists. Presenter Geraldine Kemper is the face of the campaign. She was diagnosed with psoriasis in 2013. The online campaign started on October 8. For more information see www.omarmpsoriasis.nl.
The Dutch Association for Dermatology and Venereology, the scientific association of dermatologists, together with its partners, is launching a new broad awareness campaign. Targeting both people with psoriasis and people without psoriasis. The connecting theme? ‘If I Can Live With Psoriasis, Can You?The campaign aims to improve the acceptance and support of people with psoriasis as well as their environment, and to inform about the wide range of treatment options for psoriasis. The campaign is organized around World Psoriasis Day on October 29, 2020.
Big impact
The Netherlands has about 500,000 people with psoriasis. People with severe psoriasis, in particular, end up in social isolation, rather than taking up the challenge with groups. They avoid birthdays, dinners, sports clubs and all kinds of social events. Bad experiences and shame for their skin condition are the basis for this. In short, shame, stigmatization, isolation, itching, pain and risks of other health complaints dominate the lives of these people with psoriasis.
New treatment options
Psoriasis is incurable; once you have psoriasis, you cannot get rid of it. Psoriasis can be treated well. In recent years, many new treatment options for psoriasis have emerged. These options are very diverse, ranging from tablets and injections to ointments and light therapy. The treatment of psoriasis is also very personal; what works for one person doesn’t work for another.
In addition, the most suitable treatment also depends on other things. For example, the dermatologist examines the severity of the psoriasis and the degree of impact on a person’s life. Nowadays there is also a decision aid and consultation card available, with which the doctor and patient can come together to find the most suitable treatment. The development of new medicines is still in full swing.
Source: NVDV
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