What is guttate?
Psoriasis can be a chronic skin condition. Psoriasis is a chronic skin condition that results in an overactive immune system. This causes too many skin cells to be produced. These extra cells build up on the skin’s surface and cause red, scaly “plaques”.
Guttate psoriasis, which is second most common type of the disease, is also the most prevalent. This type of psoriasis affects about 8 percent. Red, teardrop-shaped patches can develop on guttate psoriasis.
- Arms
- Legs
- Stomach
- Back
This type of psoriasis is usually treated by your doctor with creams and lotions.
Guttate psoriasis can often develop a few days after you have had strep throat, or any other bacterial infection. Your doctor may prescribe antibiotics in order to prevent it from recurring.
Antibiotics
Antibiotics are medications that kill bacteria. These medications are prescribed by doctors to treat streptococcal infection, such as strep throat and tonsillitis. These illnesses can cause guttate psoriasis.
For treating strep infection, antibiotics like penicillin and erythromycin can be effective. There is no evidence to suggest that these antibiotics can improve guttate pisoriasis, or prevent flare-ups.
Topical medications
As the first line defense, your doctor will recommend that you use skin lotions and creams. These medications can slow down the growth of skin cells and reduce swelling, redness, itching, and itching.
Topical medicines are used to treat guttate-psoriasis.
- steroid cream
- Prescription vitamin D cream
- salicylic acid
- Coal tar
- certain moisturizers
- Ultraviolet light therapy
Your doctor may recommend ultraviolet light therapy to reduce redness and swelling if the creams don’t work.
Your doctor will use ultraviolet A (UVA), or UVB (UVB) light to treat your skin. The UVA and UVB light penetrate the skin, slowing down cell growth. You will first use a medication called “psoralen” to make your skin more sensitive.
Biologics
Biologics are also available to treat mild to severe guttate pisoriasis. These include:
- etanercept, Enbrel
- infliximab (Remicade)
- adalimumab
- certolizumab
- ustekinumab
- secukinumab
- ixekizumab
- brodalumab
- Guselkumab
- tildrakizumab
- risankizumab
When should you see your doctor?
If you find red, teardrop-shaped spots on your body, consult your doctor. A strep test will tell you if your guttate psoriasis has been triggered by an infection.
Although antibiotics may be necessary to treat the infection, they should not be used to treat psoriasis. Guttate psoriasis is not a condition that antibiotics can treat.
Antibiotics that aren’t effective in treating a condition should not be taken. Unnecessary antibiotic usage can result in the spread of drug resistant bacteria.