Psoriasis treatment, diagnosis & prescriptions

Yes, a doctor on Maple will be happy to talk to you about your condition.
The doctor may suggest that you visit a dermatologist, or have a biopsy performed on the affected areas before offering a psoriasis diagnosis.
After you've received a definitive psoriasis diagnosis, a doctor from Maple will be able to offer psoriasis treatment suggestions, including psoriasis prescriptions.

Yes, our physicians can prescribe psoriasis medications online during your consultation. Once you accept a prescription, you’ll have the option to pick it up from any pharmacy or to have it delivered right to your door at no additional cost.

You can visit our How it works page to learn more.

Psoriasis is a common, long-term skin disorder brought on by the immune system attacking healthy skin cells, making it an autoimmune disease. The cause of psoriasis is not fully understood, but genetics, the immune system, and environmental factors all play a role.

Though it can affect people of all ages, it often appears in early adulthood.

There are several types of psoriasis that each affect different areas of the body, as well as their own unique appearances and symptoms. The types of psoriasis include:

• Plaque psoriasis - the most common form of psoriasis
• Guttate psoriasis
• Pustular psoriasis
  • Palmoplantar pustulosis (PPP)
  • Acropustulosis
  • Von Zumbusch (also called Generalized)
• Erythrodermic psoriasis
• Nail psoriasis
• Psoriatic arthritis
• Inverse psoriasis, also called flexural psoriasis

The most commonly seen psoriasis symptoms across most forms include:

• Red or dry patches of skin, usually covered in silvery scales and sometimes with raised edges
• Itchy, painful skin
• Rashes on the genitals, scalp, or skin folds
• Joint stiffness or swelling
• Joint pain
  Nail abnormalities, such as pitting, crumbling, thickening, or discoloration

Moreover, some forms of psoriasis have some additional signs and symptoms that are unique to them.

Nail psoriasis signs and symptoms:

• Crumbling nails
• Nail disconnecting from the finger
• Discoloration of the nail

Guttate psoriasis signs and symptoms:

• Small red or scaly teardrop-shaped spots
• Usually affects children and young adults
• Tends to affect the trunk, legs, or arms

Inverse psoriasis signs and symptoms:

• Smooth patches of red, irritated skin that worsen with sweating or friction
• Sexual problems due to discomfort
• Mainly affects the buttocks, groin, armpits, or breasts
• Sometimes mistaken for fungal or bacterial infections due to their similar appearance

Pustular psoriasis signs and symptoms:

• Pus-filled lesions
• Can affect large areas, or be contained to the palms of the hands, soles of the feet, fingers, and toes
• Bone damage (rarely and only with Acropustulosis)
• Fever, chills, muscle weakness, headache, weight loss, nausea, dehydration, racing heartbeat (rarely and only with Von Zumbusch)

Erythrodermic psoriasis signs and symptoms:

• This is the rarest form of psoriasis. Although it doesn't have unique symptoms, this form can cover the entire body in irritated, peeling skin and can burn or itch severely.

Psoriatic arthritis signs and symptoms:

• Progressive joint damage that can lead to permanent damage in severe cases
• It's possible to have this form of psoriasis with no symptoms other than joint pain and stiffness

Because psoriasis is an autoimmune disease, its main cause is genetics. However, some factors can increase the risks of experiencing psoriasis, such as:

• Obesity
• Infections - viral or bacterial
• Heavy alcohol consumption
• Certain medications
• Vitamin D deficiencies (observed in patients with psoriasis)
• Injury to skin or skin irritation
• Tobacco use or exposure to secondhand smoke
• Cold, dry weather
• Rapid withdrawal from systemic or oral corticosteroids

In addition to these, some forms of psoriasis have triggers that are unique to them, including:
Guttate psoriasis causes:

• Bacterial infections (strep throat)

Pustular psoriasis causes:

• Too much time in the sun
• Pregnancy (this condition is more common in pregnant women)

Erythrodermic psoriasis causes:

• As an allergic reaction to medications
• Severe sunburn
• Although evidence is conflicting, it’s believed that severe or chronic stress could also be an associated risk factor for experiencing psoriasis.

A doctor may be able to offer a psoriasis diagnosis by examining the affected areas and asking you some questions about your condition.

In many cases, the doctor may refer you to a dermatologist for further evaluation. Because some types of psoriasis can resemble eczema or other skin conditions, the doctor or dermatologist may recommend a biopsy of the affected skin be taken to confirm the condition or type of psoriasis.

If you're showing symptoms of psoriatic arthritis, the doctor may also suggest having blood tests or X-rays performed to rule out other forms of arthritis.

Psoriasis is a chronic disease that can significantly impact your quality of life. It’s important to seek treatments for both the physical and psychological aspects of this disease.

At this time, there’s no cure for psoriasis. Therefore, psoriasis treatments should focus on controlling the disease and its symptoms. The treatments chosen will depend on the severity of your condition, as well as its location.

Mild forms of psoriasis involve treatments using topical medications. Some of these topical psoriasis medications include:

• Coal-tar ointments and shampoos
• Calcitriol and calcipotriene
• Steroid-based creams
• Salicylic acid
• Prescription retinoids

In moderate to severe cases, dermatologists may prescribe phototherapy as a psoriasis treatment. Some forms of phototherapy used are:

• Ultraviolet B light (UVB)
• Narrow-band UVB therapy
• PUVA therapy (the drug psoralen combined with UVA light)

If other psoriasis prescriptions aren't working, the doctor may suggest drugs called biologics. These drugs target parts of the immune system to help reduce psoriasis symptoms. However, they can lower your body's defenses against other illnesses.

There are also new treatments becoming available using excimer lasers to deliver localized ultraviolet light to areas of the skin. These treatments are more potent, and require less frequent sessions than traditional light therapy to be effective.

Lifestyle adjustments like weight loss, quitting smoking, and reducing alcohol consumption have also been proven to help reduce psoriasis flare-ups and lessen negative symptoms.

If you believe you're experiencing a form of psoriasis, it's a good idea to talk to a doctor on Maple about it.

They will be able to help you monitor the condition and confirm whether or not you are experiencing psoriasis, or make recommendations for further testing.

You should also talk to your doctor about psoriasis if:

• You begin experiencing joint problems, such as pain, swelling, or less mobility
• You're concerned about the appearance of your skin
• You're experiencing chronic or severe pain and discomfort
• The pain becomes widespread
• Your condition doesn't improve with treatment

Maple is a virtual care platform that connects you with doctors and other healthcare providers via text, audio, or video. After you log in to your Maple account, you can request an online consultation.

Consultations work similarly to in-person appointments — the doctor can complete an assessment by asking questions about your symptoms, going through your health history, and determining what treatment is right for you. If they think your condition is more serious, they may tell you to go to a clinic for an in-person examination.

As a Maple member, you get 24/7 access to virtual primary care online and more. You can connect with our network of providers via text, audio, or video call within minutes.

Our membership costs $85/month and covers virtual care for patients and their families, including the primary account holder's spouse and any dependents.

For patients in eligible provinces, our membership includes:

• Access to daily primary care provider visits: One daily visit with a primary care provider for each family member in their household.
• Paediatric care: Covered paediatric primary care visits, available by appointment.
• Second medical opinions: Access to a network of experts for a second opinion if diagnosed with a complex condition (e.g. cancer).
• Personal Health Check-Ins: A series of personalized, evidence-based proactive care screenings to maintain and improve health.
• iCBT courses: Access to iCBT (internet-based cognitive behavioural therapy) self-assessment and courses.
• Access to specialists in eligible provinces: Easy access to specialists on Maple within days, not months. No referral is needed.
• Specialist referrals in eligible provinces: Ability to be referred to a physician specialist for in-person care, if needed.
• Credit discounts: An $80 credit per month to be applied to a Maple specialist visit.

Please note that our membership cannot be combined with other offerings, such as private insurance coverage and provincial programs, where available. In some cases, membership fees can be covered by a Healthcare Spending Account (HSA) — check with your HSA provider for more details.

We accept all major credit cards, including AMEX cards, as well as Google and Apple Pay.

At Maple, we proudly prioritize privacy as a cornerstone of our virtual care services. We strictly adhere to privacy and healthcare legislation in Canada, such as PIPEDA and PHIPA regulations, to ensure patients' personal and health information remains completely private and safeguarded.

Our policies and consent processes are designed to be simple and easily understood, empowering individuals with control and a clear understanding of their healthcare journey. When using our services, a patient’s session is protected by a comprehensive security infrastructure and stringent data policies.

Patients also retain full control of their personal health information, medical records and test results at all times. Our approach is reinforced by consultations with leading experts, guaranteeing comprehensive policy frameworks that are reviewed at a regular cadence.

All providers delivering healthcare through Maple are licensed in Canada and governed by their licensing regulatory colleges, and in all instances, must act in accordance with the governing principles set out in the telemedicine policies of each medical regulator in the applicable province.

Regulators across Canada support and recognize the value of services like ours, and the way in which they can benefit patients, physicians, and Canada’s broader healthcare system by improving access to care and increasing efficiencies in the delivery of care.