Central Florida Specialist Offers Trinity Laser Tattoo Removal with Astanza Technology

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DUNDEE,Fla., Jan. 10, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Dr. Christopher Mondello and Mondello Medical Spa feature non-invasive laser tattoo removal with the world's most advanced laser systemthe Astanza Trinity. Dr. Mondello's professional focus lies in anti-aging medicine with a specialization in aesthetic and cosmetic treatments. The primary goal of Dr. Mondello and the Mondello Medical Spa is to help every patient achieve ideal personal health and wellness.

Dr. Mondello is a board certified physician and surgeon, and he uses his knowledge and experience to provide services that enhance and refine patients' natural appearance. Central Florida has recently seen an extremely high demand for the removal of tattoos, and Dr. Mondello has added Astanza Trinity tattoo removal not only to serve as a solution for those high numbers of tattoo regret, but also to provide a professional procedure with extremely high success and satisfaction rates.

"Our patients come from all over Polk County and Central Florida we have the most advanced technology in the region," says Dr. Mondello. "We can remove tattoos of any ink color from all skin types safely and effectively with our Astanza Trinity laser system."

Laser tattoo removal requires a series of treatments for full ink removal. The Astanza Trinity minimizes the number of sessions necessary with its three laser wavelengths and unparalleled power production. The combination of three wavelengths 1064nm, 532nm, and 694nm gives Dr. Mondello the ability to treat the entire spectrum of ink colors, including resistant shades. The Q-switching power of the Astanza Trinity allows for tattoo ink deep inside the dermis to be treated without harming surrounding skin.

"Mondello Medical Spa is in a part of the country known for its exceptional cosmetic and aesthetic procedures, and we are proud to have a renowned physician like Dr. Mondello add Astanza's Trinity laser tattoo removal technology to his already extensive procedure offerings," said Ryan Lambert, president of Astanza. "Dr. Mondello's practice of aesthetic medicine combined with the Astanza Trinity laser will give each and every patient at Mondello Medical Spa a successful removal experience."

ABOUT MONDELLO MEDICAL SPA & DR. CHRISTOPHER MONDELLO, DO, MBA

Dr. Christopher Mondello has established Mondello Medical Spa to be the premier facility for excellence in laser resurfacing, Smart Lipo, and laser tattoo removal, among many other procedures. Dr. Mondello's primary focus is to enhance natural beauty using non-surgical methods of aesthetic medicine. Dr. Mondello's board certification includes recognition from the ACOFP and AAM. Both Dr. Mondello and each member of his medical staff share a passion for beauty and cosmetic medicine. Dr. Mondello and his professional staff have been trained on the tattoo removal procedure by the Q-switched laser experts of New Look Laser College.

For more information or to schedule a free consultation, visit http://www.mondellomedicalspa.com, or call (863) 422-5476. Mondello Medical Spa is located at 28149 US Hwy 27, Dundee, FL 33838.

ABOUT ASTANZA

Astanza is a leading manufacturer of Q-switched lasers designed for many applications, but with a unique focus on the application of laser tattoo removal. In addition to developing cutting-edge medical laser devices such as the Trinity and Duality lasers, Astanza offers its customers a complete range of training, marketing, and business consulting services specific to achieving success in this growing field.

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Central Florida Specialist Offers Trinity Laser Tattoo Removal with Astanza Technology

Comets, Asteroids, Meteorites and Impacts

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What's covered here: What exactly are comets? Where do comets come from? What are asteroids? Why aren't they planets? What types of asteroids are there? What's the difference between meteor, meteoroid and meteorite? What causes "meteor showers"? What types of meteorites are there? What sort of objects have hit the Earth? How much damage can these objects do? When is the next chance for an Earth impact? Finally, we come to the last bit of detail involving the solar system - the junk. This is really just all of the little bits that can't be put into the categories of planet or satellite. We'll start off with the very spectacular comets, then the elusive asteroids, followed by the meteoroids-meteors-meteorites and end up with the problems that occur when worlds collide. Get ready for a bumpy ride! Comets Image of comet Hale-Bopp taken by Dr. Morgan, 1997.

Comets are quite different from planets in how they move around the solar system. While the planets tend to have fairly circular orbits, the orbits of comets are very elliptical, so that they are stretched out from near the Sun to the very edges of our solar system. Some of the orbits aren't even elliptical - the comets just do one passage in toward the solar system and then are gone forever. The orbits are also rather randomly oriented to the ecliptic; they could come in toward the Sun at pretty much any angle relative to the ecliptic. We know that comets are composed primarily of many varieties of ice, including water, carbon dioxide, methane and ammonia ice. There is also a bit of dirt mixed in, usually in the form of carbon. This makes them appear as dirty snowballs, which is actually the name for the model that is proposed for their compositions. The best way to think of a comet is that it is like a big chunk of ice, dirt and slush that gets stuck to the wheel well on your car during the winter.

Figure 1. The orbital paths of comets are very elongated (elliptical) and randomly oriented to the ecliptic.

Comets may appear as huge objects in the sky, but they are typically only about 10 km in diameter, much smaller than many other objects going around the Sun. This core or nuclei is how most comets appear when located in the outer solar system (beyond Jupiter's orbit). However, they don't always remain as small, dirty, frozen icebergs. Comets change as they orbit around the solar system, especially when they get into the inner solar system. As a comet moves closer to the Sun, the heat from the Sun will start to evaporate the ices that make up the core of the comet. The material is then in a gaseous state and will form around the core of the comet as a coma, or head of the comet. As the comet gets closer to the Sun, the gas starts getting blown off by the solar wind. Not only is the gas blown off, but also the heavier, dusty material gets blown away. Due to the motion of the comet, which is pretty fast, and the force exerted by the solar winds, the trail that this evaporated material leaves can grow quite large and will develop into tails. The coma can be thousands of times (or more) larger than the cometary nuclei, while the tails can be up to 1 A. U. in size (remember, 1 A. U. is about 100 million miles!).

Two tails are usually seen. These include the gas tail (also called the ion tail), which is made up of material that is blown straight back by the solar wind. This is generally made of the really lightweight gases. Within the gas tail you find stuff such as water vapor, CO, CO2, N2, ammonia and methane gases and particles. The gas tail has a rather ragged appearance and is sometimes rather bluish. It is always pointed directly away from the Sun. The other tail, the dust tail, is made up of heavier particles and is not as greatly affected by the solar wind. It has a very fuzzy appearance, often looking rather yellow-ish or whitish. This is, of course, made up of mainly dust (rocks and silicates). This is much heavier material, so it is not pushed into a straight line like the gas tail but often has a curved shape that is sort of symbolic of comets. Both tails get longer as the comet gets closer to the Sun. Actually, the tails start developing when the comet is still quite a ways from the Sun, well beyond the orbit of the Earth.

Another thing about comets that people are confused by is how fast they move. Comets orbit the Sun, so they obey Kepler's laws, just like the planets. Over the course of an evening it is possible to see tiny motions of a comet relative to the stars, especially if it is close to perihelion, but they don't go streaking across the sky as is often portrayed in cartoons. Think of it this way - you know that the Moon moves relative to the background stars, right? Can you actually see its motion if you sit there looking at the Moon for some time? No, because from our view point it looks like it is hardly moving along, but if you look at it the next evening, you'll see it is in a different location relative to the stars. The same is true for comets; their motions may be apparent from one night to the next, but to see motion with your eyes over the course of a few minutes during one evening would be difficult, if not impossible.

A comet is made up of material that gets evaporated easily by the Sun, so comets lose mass with each passage around the Sun. As much as one percent of their masses can be blown away. Comets may start out very icy, but this is not how they'll look for long, since the ice is the first thing to go. After a while, their nuclei will look very dark and dirty, since the dark, dirty material (mainly carbon) will not get blown away as easily. Comets that can't withstand the strong solar winds can also shatter apart. This has been observed recently in the case of Comet LINEAR (C/1999 S4), and Comet Schwassmann-Wachmann 3, both of which broke apart into smaller pieces. Other comets that pass very close to the Sun can either completely disintegrate or actually hit the Sun!

Where do comets come from? Comets were originally thought to come from the Oort Cloud, a spherical region that extends about 50,000 AU from the Sun where the cores of comets reside. Every once in a while, the comets are perturbed by a passing star or collision with other comets and some fall in toward the solar system. These comets tend to have orbits that are very elongated. In some cases the comet will only pass near the Sun once. In other cases the comet will have its path altered, usually by going too close to Jupiter, and it will become trapped into a shorter period around the Sun. The existence of the Oort Cloud is based on the characteristics of comets. Many comets tend not to be aligned with the ecliptic, so it makes sense that they originate from a place that surrounds the solar system in all directions. Also, the very long period (greater than 1000 years) comets have paths that stretch out to such great distances that it is logical that they originated at great distances from the Sun. It is estimated that there are about 100 billion comet cores out in the Oort cloud.

There is also evidence that many of the short period comets do not come from the Oort Cloud but from a closer reservoir of cometary material that was previously mentioned (in the last set of notes), the Kuiper Belt. This region is much closer than the Oort Cloud, extending from about 40 AU out to a few hundred AU at most. The characteristics of Kuiper Belt Objects can help explain the shorter period comets (less than 1000 years), especially those with orbits that tend to be closer to the ecliptic. Remember, if the distance from the Sun is smaller, the time for an orbit is smaller - Kepler's Third Law is action.

Figure 4. The two comet sources are shown. First is the Oort cloud, located much further from the solar system, and the second is the Kuiper belt, located just beyond the orbit of Neptune. Image from Calvin J. Hamilton.

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Comets, Asteroids, Meteorites and Impacts

Brown, Rans help lead Lady Comets’ resurgence

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A key to Castons resurgence in girls basketball in recent years has been the play of post players Anna Brown and Mickayla Rans.

The duo are putting up good numbers for the 7-4 Comets this season. In fact they have been rebounding machines as they are combining for almost 16 rebounds per game.

Five-foot-11 Brown is averaging 8.0 points and 7.9 rebounds per game, and 5-foot-9 Rans is at 11.4 points and 7.9 rebounds per contest.

I think they do a good job of setting the tone inside, Caston coach Carl Davis said. We want to get the ball inside to them and were at our best when we get the ball inside to start our offense. Theyve both done a good job of developing their game and both can score with their back to the basket. Thats something a few years ago that we really didnt have. They also do a good job of controlling the boards and both do a good job of rebounding for us.

The duo helped the Comets go 13-10 a year ago, their best season since they went 13-6 in 1997. The Comets are one game ahead of last years pace when they started 6-5 after 11 games.

Both Brown and Rans said the Comets have a close-knit group this year. The team features five seniors that make up the core of the team that have been playing basketball together since they were in elementary school.

Were really good at communicating and were so close as a team, and that has really helped, Brown said. Weve all kind of grown together.

Were not surprised [with the recent success] because weve all worked hard as a team. Were not surprised at the outcome.

The Comets finished runner-up at the Cass County Tournament. They were able to stay within 24 points of Class 4A No. 8 Logansport that features Miss Basketball candidate Whitney Jennings in a 64-40 loss in the Berry Bowl. Brown along with teammate Marli Leazenby were named to the all-tournament squad.

The Comets opened Midwest Conference play with a 46-45 win in double overtime at Frontier on Dec. 21. Rans had a double-double of 26 points and 14 rebounds in the win.

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Brown, Rans help lead Lady Comets' resurgence

Gameday: Comets at Oklahoma City

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January 9, 2014 - American Hockey League (AHL) Utica Comets UTICA COMETS (11-18-1-2) @ OKLAHOMA CITY BARONS (13-17-1-5)

Cox Convention Center, 8 p.m.

Radio: Radio: 94.9 K-Rock

Tonight's Game: The Utica Comets continue their road swing with a trip to the Midwest as they visit Oklahoma City for the first time this season. The game is delayed by a day due to poor weather conditions that pushed back the Comets flight.

When They Last Met: Tonight is the first ever meeting between Utica and Oklahoma City.

Comets Outlook: Alexandre Grenier and Kellan Lain each found the back of the net, but it was not enough as the Comets dropped a 5-2 decision to the Toronto Marlies, their first loss of the season north of the border. Darren Archibald, Pascal Pelletier, Alex Mallet and Yann Sauve picked up assists for the Comets. Playing in his first game since Dec. 20, Joacim Eriksson failed to extend his personal winning streak to five games. The Utica goaltender stopped 25 of 29 shots in the defeat.

Barons Outlook: Oklahoma City was victorious in its last contest, 5-3 over the San Antonio Rampage. Anton Lander (1-1-2) and Martin Gernat (2-0-2) each collected two points for the Barons, who were victorious for the 13th time this season. Curtis Hamilton and Derek Nesbitt also scored for Oklahoma City. Richard Bachman picked up his fifth win of the season between the pipes, with 28 saves on 31 San Antonio shots.

Big Benn is Back: Following two games played with Vancouver of the NHL, Benn Ferriero was reassigned to the Comets last evening. Ferriero has recorded 22 points (10-12-22) this season through 32 games played, which ranks second on the team.

Pass-cals the Puck: With his assist against Toronto, Comets center Pascal Pelletier has now picked up 10 points over his past 10 games. The Utica man is currently tied for eighth in the AHL with 21 assists this season and is fourth in assists per game (0.75) amongst players with at least 25 games played.

Going Grenier: Alexandre Grenier has cemented his place in Comets history as the first rookie to record ten goals in a season. Grenier is tied for tenth in rookie goal scoring and 15th amongst all first year AHL players in points with 21. The Laval, QC native has also recorded seven points (5-2-7) over his past six games played.

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Gameday: Comets at Oklahoma City

Late Goals Doom Comets

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January 10, 2014 - American Hockey League (AHL) Utica Comets The Oklahoma City Barons stunned the Utica Comets by a score of 3-2 Thursday Night at the Cox Convention Center, with a goal with four seconds left in regulation, and then the game-winning goal just 17 seconds into overtime.

With the defeat, the Comets fell to 11-18-2-2, and the Barons improved to 14-17-1-5. Nicklas Jensen netted two goals for the Comets, while Anton Lander picked up three points, all assists, for the Barons.

The Comets struck first just 5:13 into the game, as Nicklas Jensen deflected a Yann Sauve shot from the point past Bachman. Cal O'Reilly picked up the secondary assist.

Exactly a minute into a late period power play, the Barons tied the game at one. Anton Lander from the hashmark on the boards, found Tyler Pitlick all alone in the slot. Pitlick one-timed the Lander feed through the five-hole of Joe Cannata. Brad Hunt picked up his 16th point of the season with the secondary assist.

The score remained locked at one until 4:11 into the third period, where Jensen would find the back of the net yet again. Benn Ferriero blasted a one-timer on the power play, the puck found Jensen's stick on the back door, after it was deflected by Alex Grenier in front. Jensen knew what to do from there, and banged home the puck for his second goal of the night.

The Comets snagged defeat from the jaws of victory as they gave up a goal with four seconds remaining in the game. Landers streaked down Cannata's right-hand side, and threw the puck in front. The puck found Ryan Hamilton in the slot, who found the back of the net to tie the game at two.

Just 17 seconds into overtime Taylor Fedun skated through several Comets defenders, and roofed the game-winning goal past Cannata. Anton Lander and Andrew Miller picked up the assists on the goal.

Joe Cannata stopped 29 of 32 shots en route to the loss.

The Comets are back in action Saturday night as they take on the Texas Stars at 8 p.m. EST.

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Late Goals Doom Comets

Workington Comets Grajczonek and Campton continue on fine form

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Last updated at 12:51, Thursday, 09 January 2014

Workington Comets Josh Grajczonek and Mason Campton both continued with their fine form in the second round of the Australian championship at Undera yesterday.

Mason Campton and Josh Grajczonek

Grajczonek again made the B final, as he had done in the first round at Kurri Kurri, while Campton scored in all five of his rides finishing off with a victory.

His total of eight points meant that he only missed out on a place in the B final by a single point.

Grajczonek had started strongly with two victories and a second from his first three rides taking the scalps of Sam Masters, Rohan Tungate and Justin Sedgmen.

However, his last two rides only yielded one point but his total of nine was still enough to make the B final, where he was up against 2012 world champion Chris Holder, Dakota North and Tungate, and finished third.

Meanwhile Campton finished second in his first ride after being overhauled by Somersets Jason Doyle and followed that up with three consecutive third places.

He produced a brilliant gate in his last race to lead home the field.

It meant he finished on eight points and tied for eighth place an improvement on his six points and 11th place at Kurri Kurri.

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Workington Comets Grajczonek and Campton continue on fine form

Comets in control vs. BV

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The Newman Comets used surges in the first and third quarters to take control of a Three Rivers North home game Thursday, downing the Bureau Valley Storm 59-50.

Mary Alice Oswalt had 19 points, Julie Hurd scored 14, and Sarah Trujillo added 12 for the Comets (5-10, 4-2), who led 16-11 after one period, 28-15 at halftime, and 48-25 after three quarters. Aubree Schmitt had 12 rebounds, 12 assists and three steals, while Kayci Howell and Elexia Sanders pulled down six boards each.

Helena Osk Arnadottir led all scorers with 20 points for BV ( 7-9, 0-4), and she also had three assists and three steals. Darcy Kepner added 15 points, 11 rebounds and three steals, and Nicole Bornsheuer added nine points, 12 rebounds and three steals. Carlie Bickett pulled down eight boards, and Val Reuter had seven rebounds and three steals.

Riverdale 45, Amboy 36: The Rams 25-10 run in the second and third quarters did in the Clippers at home.

Kennedy Dinges had 13 points, and Kaitlyn Liebing scored 12 for Amboy (10-5, 4-2 Three Rivers North). Sydney Mericle led Riverdale (11-7, 4-2) with 20 points.

Morrison 40, Fulton 22: Lakin Goodman poured in 25 points, and the Fillies (10-9, 2-4) coasted to a Three Rivers North win on the road.

Averi Leitzen led Fulton (3-15, 0-5) with 12 points, including a pair of 3-pointers. The Steamers trailed 22-17 at halftime, then failed to score in the third quarter, and were ultimately outscored 18-5 in the second half.

Boys basketball

Polo 64, Pecatonica 54: The Marcos led throughout, but never could quite pull away from pesky Pec at home.

AJ Dollmeyer had 21 points, eight rebounds, four blocks and three assists for Polo (16-1, 3-0 NUIC East), while Brad Cavanaugh added 11 points, five rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks.

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Comets in control vs. BV

Barons Rally to Beat Comets in Overtime, 3-2

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January 10, 2014 - American Hockey League (AHL) Oklahoma City Barons The Oklahoma City Barons (14-17-1-5) pushed their winning streak to three games in an exciting fashion with a 3-2 overtime thriller over the Utica Comets(11-18-2-2)Thursday Night at the Cox Convention Center.

After a flurry of chances in the final seven minutes of the third period and adding the extra attacker, Oklahoma City finally capitalized when Ryan Hamilton beat Joe Cannata with only four seconds remaining. Assists were credited to Anton Lander and Brad Hunt.

Nearly as soon as overtime began, it was all over. Taylor Fedun rushed into the offensive zone, made a move around the Utica defenseman and then shoveled the puck over Cannata's glove for the game-winner just 17 seconds in. Miller and Lander assisted on the goal.

The Comets and Barons got off to a fast start, with back and forth action dominating for much of the even strength action. The Comets got on the board first when Nicklas Jensen deflected a Yann Sauve point shot past Bachman's blocker 5:13 into the first period.

Oklahoma City evened things up with 1:50 remaining in the initial frame. The goal started with an Alexandre Grenier holding minor penalty where Tyler Pitlick made the Comets pay. Pitlick's one-timer beat Cannata to the blocker side off a beautiful, cross-ice pass from Lander. Hunt was credited with the second assist.

The second period was dominated between the pipes for both teams, as Richard Bachman and Cannata had an answer for the 10 shots each faced. The Barons had a brief 5-on-3 power play opportunity, but were unable to capitalize. After scoring on their only power play chance in the first period, they failed on both attempts in the second.

The final period began with a quick penalty to Roman Horak for holding the stick just 1:06 in. This time, the Comets made the Barons pay.

Jensen netted his second goal of the game to give the Comets a 2-1 lead, which nearly ended up being the game-winner.

Lander assisted on all three Barons goals and has caught fire of late. In his last eight AHL games, Lander has recorded seven goals and five assists for 12 points.

Bachman had 30 saves and Cannata answered with 26 of his own. Hunt recorded two assists in his return to the Barons after returning from the Edmonton Oilers.

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Barons Rally to Beat Comets in Overtime, 3-2

Psoriasis – My Home Remedies

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WARNING: This home remedies site is intended to be archival in nature. The natural remedies here are submitted by numerous people from around the world, and we have no way to test or verify every remedy. As such these home remedies should be used for academic purposes only. Never use any home remedy or other self treatment without being advised to do so by a physician.

NOTICE: This page was generated previously and may not be up to date. To view the most recent page, go to the dynamically generated version of the Psoriasis home remedies page.

Psoriasis Home Remedies:

Submitted by Jason at 2012-06-25 03:00:11 Recently on a trip, I noticed my psoriasis reduced dramatically. When I got back home I showed my wife and asked what she thought the cause was.....within a day however, it was back in full force.

I began to back track and see what was different and low and behold I found it. At our house, we have big jugs of juice in our fridge that we all drink from. I drink on an average 5-10 glasses per day.

I realized that was the only thing missing from my trip. I stopped drinking the juice.....and within one week, the redness, flaking, cracking, and hurting in my fingers is 95% better. Almost completely gone in fact for the first time in several years.

I then began to research the juice and psoriasis relationship. It was the ASPARTAME!!!!!!!!! I have eliminated it completely and I am all (dare I say) but psoriasis free..... My fingers show little signs of anything. In fact, at a normal glance, you can't see a drop of psoriasis.

This may be an all too overlooked contributor to the horrible red appearance, painful cracking, and flare ups.

While trying ointments, medicine, ultraviolet therapy, and spending $$ with no success, I found the answer literally under my nose in the cup I was drinking from. I hope this works for you!!! DOWN WITH ASPARTAME!!! rating: 9 (140 votes)

Submitted at 2012-05-23 23:16:52 steroids,enbrel,humira,petroleum jelly bleach !!!!!!!!! are you kidding me. i've had 'p' for 25 years. everything i recommend or say is my own opinion and works for me you will have to do your own research and experimentation.

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Psoriasis - My Home Remedies

Psoriasis: MedlinePlus en español

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La psoriasis es una enfermedad de la piel que causa picazn o parches dolorosos de piel engrosada y enrojecida con escamas plateadas. Suele aparecer en los hombros, las rodillas, el cuero cabelludo, la espalda, la cara, las palmas de las manos y las plantas de los pies, pero tambin puede presentarse en otras partes del cuerpo. Algunas personas con esta condicin pueden adquirir una forma de artritis conocida como artritis psorisica.

La causa de la psoriasis es un problema en el sistema inmunolgico. En un proceso llamado recambio celular, las clulas de la piel que crecen en la parte ms profunda de la piel avanzan hacia la superficie. Normalmente, esto demora un mes. En la psoriasis, ocurre en algunos das debido a que las clulas avanzan demasiado rpido.

La psoriasis puede persistir por mucho tiempo, incluso durante toda la vida. Los sntomas aparecen y desaparecen y los factores que pueden empeorarlos incluyen:

La psoriasis suele ocurrir entre los adultos. Algunas veces es hereditaria. Los tratamientos incluyen cremas, medicinas y fototerapia.

NIH: Instituto Nacional de Artritis y Enfermedades Musculoesquelticas y de la Piel

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Psoriasis: MedlinePlus en español

Psoriatic arthritis – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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Psoriatic arthritis (also arthritis psoriatica, arthropathic psoriasis or psoriatic arthropathy) is a type of inflammatory arthritis[1][2] that will develop in up to 30 percent of people who have the chronic skin condition psoriasis.[3] Psoriatic arthritis is said to be a seronegative spondyloarthropathy and therefore occurs more commonly in patients with tissue type HLA-B27.

Common symptoms of psoriatic arthritis include:[4]

Along with the above noted pain and inflammation, there is extreme exhaustion that does not go away with adequate rest. The exhaustion may last for days or weeks without abatement. Psoriatic arthritis may remain mild, or may progress to more destructive joint disease. Periods of active disease, or flares, will typically alternate with periods of remission. In severe forms, psoriatic arthritis may progress to arthritis mutilans. [5]:1096

Because prolonged inflammation can lead to joint damage, early diagnosis and treatment to slow or prevent joint damage is recommended.[6]

The exact causes are not yet known, but a number of genetic associations have been identified in a genome-wide association study of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis including HLA-B27.[7][8]

There is no definitive test to diagnose psoriatic arthritis. Symptoms of psoriatic arthritis may closely resemble other diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis. A rheumatologist (a doctor specializing in diseases affecting the joints) may use physical examinations, health history, blood tests and x-rays to accurately diagnose psoriatic arthritis.

Factors that contribute to a diagnosis of psoriatic arthritis include:

Other symptoms that are more typical of psoriatic arthritis than other forms of arthritis include inflammation in the Achilles tendon (at the back of the heel) or the Plantar fascia (bottom of the feet), and dactylitis (sausage-like swelling of the fingers or toes).[9]

There are five main types of psoriatic arthritis:

The underlying process in psoriatic arthritis is inflammation; therefore treatments are directed at reducing and controlling inflammation. Milder cases of psoriatic arthitis may be treated with NSAIDS alone; however there is a trend toward earlier use of Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs or biological response modifiers to prevent irreversible joint destruction.

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Psoriatic arthritis - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Psoriasis can be managed with proper treatment

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By Erik Gilbertson, M.D. 6 a.m.Jan. 9, 2014

This column is written by experts in the medical field and provides health-care insights to help educate consumers.

Psoriasis is a chronic autoimmune disorder in which white blood cells, called T-lymphocyctes, cause inflammation on the skin. In particular, skin cells multiply too rapidly, causing red raised patches and a scaly plaque to grow on the skin.

Psoriasis is the most prevalent autoimmune disease in the United States. According to the National Psoriasis Foundation, approximately 7.5 million Americans have the condition. It generally develops in the 20s or 30s, although it may develop in later life as well. About 50 percent of people who have psoriasis have some family history of the disorder.

Psoriasis can range from mild cases that cause a few spots on the elbows and knees, to severe cases that cover most of the body. It can have a significant psychosocial impact, as people with the disorder are often very self-conscious and reluctant to pursue personal relationships. Even work can be affected. For example, people with psoriasis on their hands are not allowed to work in food service.

Because psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory condition, patients may have a higher incidence of heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, or other concerns. Studies show that between 10 and 30 percent of people with psoriasis also develop psoriatic arthritis, which causes pain, stiffness and swelling in and around the joints. It is very important for psoriasis patients to have a full physical evaluation and mention any arthritis symptoms to their physicians.

For mild cases, the first lines of treatment are topical creams applied to the skin to slow the rate of cell reproduction and decrease inflammation. Steroid creams are used most often, but topicals that contain vitamin A or synthetic vitamin D may also be recommended. These are generally available only by prescription. Creams that contain aloe vera, neem oil and other natural substances also may help soothe symptoms and are available over the counter.

Patients who do not get results from topical treatments, have moderate to severe psoriasis, or also have psoriatic arthritis may be treated with systemic medications that work throughout the body to reduce inflammation. Oral systemic drugs include retinoids, which are synthetic forms of vitamin A, and methotrexate, a low-dose chemotherapy medication that can greatly reduce psoriatic arthritis symptoms. Immunosuppressants like cyclosporine and CellCept (mycophenolate mofetil), which slow the growth of immune cells, may be used for up to a year in qualified patients.

A newer class of systemic therapies called biologics target a protein that is largely responsible for the inflammation and rapid cell growth associated with psoriasis. Products like Enbrel (etanercept), Humira (adalimumab) and Stelara (ustekinumab) are injected every week or every two weeks and can be very effective in treating both psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. However, these drugs do come with potentially severe side effects, including lowered immunity and an increased risk of serious infections.

Patients must be screened for tuberculosis before starting biologics therapy. Clinical studies are under way to explore a new generation of biologics that will ideally have fewer side effects and require less frequent injections.

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Psoriasis can be managed with proper treatment

CNN anchor: How I fight psoriasis

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STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Editor's note: Zain Verjee anchors the Europe morning show for CNN International from London. Earlier this month, she wrote about her battle with psoriasis, a condition that sees skin cells duplicate too frequently, resulting in scale-like plaques. Verjee successfully sent the condition into remission after attending a clinic that focused on mind, body and spirit and adapting her diet. In response to questions from readers, Verjee now shares more detail of how she tackled psoriasis. This is her personal experience only and is in no way an endorsement by CNN of the methods described.

(CNN) -- One of the most powerful experiences in life is to have deep, meaningful connection. Without it we are empty. Each message I received about my struggle with psoriasis was a new connection that brought with it a tapestry of fulfillment, gratitude and inspiration for me. Thank you.

Many of you have asked me about diet. For me, it was, the most long-term solution to heal my severe psoriasis then, requiring the toughest self-discipline and a team of cheerleaders. Here's what I did, with what I learned at the clinic in South Africa, and my mother, Yasmin's help. Mum and I also used the book "Healing Psoriasis: The Natural Alternative" by Dr. John O.A. Pagano to help explain diet in more detail and the science of natural healing.

Stuff I did not eat: Sugar, coffee, tea, soda, red meat (except for lamb), shellfish, oranges (I had very little citrus at all), "hot" spices, pumpkin, onions, garlic, tomato, mushrooms, eggplant, peppers, chili, paprika, cheese, white rice, white flour, bread, eggs, butter, cookies, chocolate, alcohol, tobacco, cranberries, blueberries, plums, strawberries, cream, lentils, peas, white potatoes, yeast.

Stuff I could eat: Brown rice or wild rice, plain chicken or lamb, honey, apple, melon, banana, leafy green salads (no dressing), plain low-fat yogurt, celery, spinach, broccoli, corn, sweet potato pear, papaya, apricot, grilled fish, turkey, wholegrain muffin or bagel, bran, almonds, low-fat milk, wholegrain pasta. Loads of water.

Famous folks with psoriasis

Famous folks with psoriasis

Famous folks with psoriasis

Famous folks with psoriasis

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CNN anchor: How I fight psoriasis

Dream Come True To Travel With FIFA World Cup Trophy – Annamaria Gazda

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By Karina Imran

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 9 (Bernama) -- "It is like a dream come true," said the 32-year old Hungarian woman who had travelled with FIFA World Cup Trophy tours to 32 countries, when it made its stopover in Malaysia recently.

Annamaria Gazda, who works for the Coca-Cola Company as a Global Asset Manager in Atlanta, United States, for almost seven years could not imagine how she felt when first asked to join the tours.

"This is a once in a lifetime experience, only few people have a chance to be here... to be a representative for the company (Coca-Cola) and the World Cup trophy. Travel with the trophy around the world.. I am glad, I am the chosen one.

"I feel like I am a small ambassador.. It is not only once in a lifetime opportunity but it was like dream come true for me to be involved in such an amazing project," she told Bernama in an exclusive interview during her tour to Malaysia from Jan 3 to 5.

Gazda said in total there were 90 stopovers (countries) but her tour involved only 50 of them. The trophy arrived in Malaysia from Vietnam thereafter made its way to Jakarta. Malaysia was the 56th stopover.

Gazda said the experience travelling with the trophy around the world was eye opening for her to see and learn about others culture and lifestyles.

"Everyone that I have met in this country were extremely nice and very welcoming. Malaysian football fans are full of passion. Wherever the trophy stopped in this country, there were always big crowds. They are happy to see it although nobody is allowed to touch it.

"No matter where you go, football is very powerful. Wherever you come from, what language you speak but in football, it has its own language...everybody can understand it. It is something that can unite everybody no matter where you come from, it brings us together," she said.

She said her first World Cup experience was very memorable as it gave her a chance to see how people got so excited and united because of the trophy.

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Dream Come True To Travel With FIFA World Cup Trophy - Annamaria Gazda