Definitions

Terms and their Definitions

Anti-inflammatory:
reducing swelling, pain or redness. Drugs with anti-inflammatory properties are often used in the treatment of psoriasis.
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Crohn’s disease:
an inflammatory bowel disease, which is normally associated with inflammation and/or bleeding of the lining of the bowel.
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Dermatology:
a specialist medical area which focuses on skin and skin conditions.
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Dermatologist:
a medically trained skin specialist.
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FTU:
finger tip unit. This is a guide to measure how much topical treatment to apply.
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Gluten:
a protein found in cereal grains such as wheat, barley oats and rye.
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Hypertension:
high blood pressure.
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Immune system:
the body’s defence mechanism that recognises any agents in your body, such as a virus, that may cause disease (this agent is called a ‘pathogen’). The immune system then effectively defends your body against the pathogen.
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Obesity:
a condition where someone has an excessively high amount of body fat for their height. Usually, someone with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 or over is considered obese.
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Psoriatic arthritis:
a condition associated with psoriasis which affects the joints, tissues and muscles. Symptoms can be similar to arthritis, including inflammation of joints, stiffness, and soreness.
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Rheumatologist:
a medically trained specialist who deals with rheumatic conditions including psoriatic arthritis.
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Short contact therapy:
leaving a treatment on your body for a short amount of time before removing it.
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Tolerance:
a resistance to treatment so the treatment is not as effective any more.
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Type 2 diabetes:
a condition where the level of a hormone (insulin) needed for uptake of sugar from the blood is reduced or is not effective.
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