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In the course of searching for a cure, the psoriatic patient may encounter other weird or wacky treatments. My advice: don't be conned into trying experimental therapies unless instructed by a reliable physician. You might regret it later. "Patients with psoriasis, desperate for relief, may end up trying some ‘far out' recommendations. These include dietary changes, sleep therapy, tonsillectomy or antibio­tics, none of which I have ever known to make any difference whatsoever in the course of the disease," said Dr. Isadore Rosenfeld of the New York Hospital - Cornell Medical Center in “Second Opinion.” "I have been reading scattered reports of the use of dialysis in the treatment of psoriasis. Dialysis is the process in which body wastes are washed out of the system via an 'artificial kidney.' I know of no convincing evidence that it works," he added. Although psoriasis cannot be cured, many treatments are available that can relieve symptoms and control flare-ups. Therefore, the best thing for sufferers to do is to educate themselves on current medically accepted therapies. How is psoriasis treated? Below is a rundown of various drugs, creams and ointments your dermatologist may pres­cribe. Since there is no cure for psoriasis, the most that these substances can do is offer temporary relief from symptoms.   In choosing the right treatment, the physician normally takes into account the following factors: the patient's age, employment, overall health and extent of the lesions. Not all patients will benefit from the same treatment. To make the most out of each therapy, follow your doctor's orders carefully and report any unusual symptoms immediately. Coal tar is one of the oldest and safest treatments for psoriasis. It is available in a crude and refined form to treat mild, moderate and severe forms of the disease. Aside from slowing up the production of skin, tar therapy can reduce the inflammation, itching and scaling associated with psoriasis. It can be applied directly to the skin, taken in the bath, or applied to the scalp. "Improvement should be observed within a couple of weeks of starting the tar therapy though it may take up to two months for the maximum benefit to be obtained," according to the National Psoriasis Foundation (NPF) in Portland, Oregon. But some people may not tolerate tar because of its smell and the mess it creates. For this reason, the best candidates for tar therapy are those whose patches are limited to small areas such as the knees, elbows and scalp. Refined coal tar preparations are less messy but less effective. (Next: Effects of tar therapy for psoriasis.) To strengthen your body, take Immunitril – your first line of defense in maintaining a healthy immune system. For details, visit http://www.bodestore.com/immunitril.html. Read also artilcle order lansoprazole