The thyroid gland is a large gland located in the front of the neck. Most of us know it for being the gland that controls the metabolism which simply means the amount of energy that the body produces. Since energy is produced by breaking down food, we know that a person with a high thyroid activity will be thinner and a person with low thyroid activity will have more fat. However, the thyroid gland and the hormones it secretes has a wide range of effects beyond just weight gain or loss. Any disturbance in thyroid activity can even be life threatening.

What are thyroid problems?

Thyroid problems is a broad term for any number of disorders of the thyroid gland or its hormones. It does not specifically indicate the type of problem with thyroid function yet many people commonly use the word ‘thyroid problems’ for various thyroid diseases. Simply, thyroid problems can mean that the thyroid activity is low or high. This may also mean that the thyroid gland is underactive or overative.

Yet the problem is not always with the thyroid gland itself. Sometimes it involves the thyroid hormones of which there is two – triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4). Understanding the differences between low and high thyroid activity is important as the symptoms can vary and is often opposite to each other.

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Psoriasis Medication Systemic Therapy

The term ‘systemic therapy’ is sometimes confusing to patients. It simple means that substances will be used that can have an effect throughout the body. In other words it is not isolated to a specific area. Psoriasis systemic therapy involves the use of drugs that are taken through the mouth (oral medication) or drugs that are injected into the body (parenteral medication).

Mild psoriasis and the early stages of psoriasis can be treated with psoriasis creams and lotions. This treatment is topical meaning that it is only applied on the skin at the area where the problem exists. Once the psoriasis worsens and the topical treatment is not giving the desired effect, systemic therapy is considered. In most cases this involves the use of oral medication in the form of tablets or capsules.

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The human gut allows us to take in food and drink and process it so that we can get the nutrients we need. Waste products in the gut are then evacuated in the form of stool. The entire gut is continuous from the mouth to the rectum. The point where certain parts of the gut meet (junctions) may be prone to tears. One of these high risk areas lie in the upper part of the gut between the esophagus (food pipe) and stomach. If you have been vomiting and suddenly notice bright red blood in the vomit, it is possible that you have one of these tears in the gut known as a Mallory-Weiss tear.

continue reading Mallory-Weiss Tear (Esophagus-Stomach Tear)

A salty taste is one of the primary tastes in the mouth, along with sweet, sour, bitter and a savory taste known as umami. The various tastes a person experiences in life is a combination of these primary tastes. Although food and drink is the major trigger of the taste sensations, temperature, texture and other local factors may also be responsible. The taste sensation is also enhanced by the sense of smell.

Sometimes there is an abnormal taste sensation in the mouth. This is known as dysgeusia. It is abnormal in that there is no food, drink or other stimulus triggering the taste sensation yet a person is able to distinctively experience a certain taste sensation. One of these abnormal taste sensations is a salty taste in the mouth.

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Psoriasis Treatment

Several treatment options are available for psoriasis, but the outcome of treatment is often not satisfactory. Psoriasis may be controlled either by topical or systemic therapy. Topical treatment involves the use of creams, lotions, gels and sprays on the skin surface and it has a localized effect. Systemic treatment is administered orally (tablets, capsules) or parenterally (injections). A complete cure for psoriasis has not as yet been achieved with any of the currently available medication.

When to start psoriasis treatment?

• Psoriasis patients who are asymptomatic during a period of remission may not require any treatment.
• Mild types of psoriasis  affecting less than 10% of total body may be sufficiently controlled with topical treatment.
• Severe types of psoriasis affecting more than 20% of body usually require systemic therapy.
• Moderate and early stages of severe psoriasis may respond to topical therapy alone.

Phototherapy or combination of phototherapy with other forms of therapy is also an important treatment option in psoriasis.

continue reading Psoriasis Topical Treatment (Creams, Lotions) and Phototherapy (Light)