Bath solutions and moisturizers (to help) ________ sooth affected skin and reduce the dryness.

Ddaily, short, non-burning exposure to sunlight (to help) _________ to clear or improve psoriasis.

Ultraviolet light treatment (to combine) _______frequently _____________ with topical (coal tar, calcipotriol) or systemic treatment (retinoids).

Psoralen and ultraviolet A phototherapy (PUVA) combines the oral or topical administration of psoralen with exposure to ultraviolet A (UVA) light.

PUVA is associated with nausea, headache, fatigue, burning, and itching.

Psoriasis which (to be) ____resistant to topical treatment and phototherapy (to treat) ____________by medications. They (to take) ______________ internally by pill or injection. This (to call)___________ systemic treatment. Patients undergoing systemic treatment (to require) _______________ to have regular blood and liver function tests because of the toxicity of the medication.

The three main traditional systemic treatments (to be) ______ methotrexate, cyclosporine and retinoids.

Eczema[‘ekzi:me] (to be) ____a form of dermatitis, or inflammation of the upper layers of the skin.

The most common types of common eczemas (to include) ____________________

• Atopic eczema

• Contact dermatitis

• Seborrhoeic dermatitis

Eczema diagnosis (to base)____ generally ________ on the appearance of inflamed, itchy skin in eczema sensitive areas such as face, chest and other skin crease [kri:s] areas.

A doctor (to analyze) ____________:

• An insight to family history

• Dietary habits

• Lifestyle habits

• Allergic tendencies

• Any prescribed drug intake

• Any chemical or material exposure at home or workplace

The blood can also (to send) __________ for a specific test called Radioallergosorbent Test (RAST) or a Paper Radioimmunosorbent Test (PRIST).

Another test for eczema (to be) ____ skin patch testing. The suspected irritant (to apply) ____________ to the skin. It (to hold) _________ in place with an adhesive patch. Another patch with nothing (to apply) ____ also _____________ as a control. After 24 to 48 hours, the patch (to remove) _____________. If the skin under the suspect patch (to be) ____ red and swollen, the patch test result (to be) ________ positive and suggests that the person (to be) ____ probably allergic to the suspected irritant.

Occasionally, the diagnosis may also (to involve) _______ a skin

Moisturizing (to be) ____ one of the most important self-care treatments for sufferers of eczema.

Dermatological recommendations in choosing a soap generally include:

• Avoid harsh detergents or drying soaps

• Choose a soap that has an oil or fat base;

• Use an unscented soap

• Patch test your soap choice, by using it only on a small area until you are sure of its results

• Use a non-soap based cleanser [‘klenzez]

Anti-itch drugs, often antihistamine, may (to reduce) __________ the itch during a flare up of eczema.

Dermatitis (to treat) ____ often _________ by doctors with prescribed glucocorticoid (a corticosteroid steroid) ointments, creams or lotions.

Topical immunomodulators (to develop) ____________ after corticosteroid treatments, effectively suppressing the immune system in the affected area.

Light therapy using ultraviolet light can (to help) _________ control eczema.

When eczema (to be) _____ severe and (not to respond) ____________ to other forms of treatment, immunosuppressant drugs (to prescribe) ______ sometimes _______________.

Dietary elements that (to trigger) __________ eczema (to include) __________ dairy products and coffee (both caffeinated and decaffeinated), soybean products, eggs, nuts, wheat and maize (sweet corn), though food allergies may (to vary) __________ from person to person.

Non-conventional medical approaches (to include) ________ traditional herbal medicine and others.