Health Expert Heather J Durocher shares health management news and commentary at HealthCentral.com. HealthCentral.com is one of the top health destinations on the Web, with more than 35 condition-specific, wellness and general health Web properties. http://www.healthcentral.com/profiles/c/614008/index http://www.healthcentral.com/profiles/c/614008/rss self application/xml en-us 15 120 19 http://www.healthcentral.com/images/hc_logo_sm.gif http://www.healthcentral.com/profiles/c/614008/index http://www.healthcentral.com/skin-care/c/614008/145797/psoriasis-make Fri, 21 Oct 2011 19:00:00 -0400 Heather J Durocher Ever feel like tweeting the President of the United States? Here's your chance.   Throughout the past month, the National Psoriasis Foundation has been pushing for President Obama to proclaim Oct. 29, 2011 as World Psoriasis Day. Foundation leaders say asking the president to do this will bring attention to the serious physical and emotional impact of psoriasis for 7.5 million Americans and will give those of us dealing with the disease the... http://www.healthcentral.com/skin-care/c/614008/145797/psoriasis-make http://www.healthcentral.com/diet-exercise/c/614008/144160/exercise Mon, 19 Sep 2011 12:19:00 -0400 Heather J Durocher Maybe you can relate. I want to get to sleep at a reasonable time each night. I know I'll thank myself the next morning if I do. With a good night's slumber, reaching to turn off the alarm doesn't feel like such an exhausting task - and, most importantly, I can set the tone for a good day by rousing myself early enough to squeeze in a morning run before the daily to-list takes over.   But too often, it seems, I'm hitting snooze, telling... http://www.healthcentral.com/diet-exercise/c/614008/144160/exercise http://www.healthcentral.com/skin-care/c/614008/142040/tips-psoriasis Tue, 26 Jul 2011 10:10:00 -0400 Heather J Durocher Maybe you began to worry after a couple of dry, red patches suddenly appeared on your leg and wouldn't go away despite time and over-the-counter medication. Or it could have been something more widespread, like a "rash" that persisted and wasn't something your general practitioner understood well. However you've received your psoriasis diagnosis, know this: you're not alone, there's lots of support and information available, and life IS going to... http://www.healthcentral.com/skin-care/c/614008/142040/tips-psoriasis http://www.healthcentral.com/diet-exercise/c/614008/141414/running Thu, 14 Jul 2011 10:40:00 -0400 Heather J Durocher It could be you want to lose weight. Or your exercise routine has grown stale and you want to jump-start things with a new activity. Maybe you're returning to the sport after several years.   Whatever your reason for wanting to start running, you're far from alone. An increasing number of people are lacing up their running shoes and pounding pavement or taking to the trails. Races in particular are attracting an ever-growing number of... http://www.healthcentral.com/diet-exercise/c/614008/141414/running http://www.healthcentral.com/skin-care/c/614008/141381/psoriasis Tue, 12 Jul 2011 16:39:00 -0400 Heather J Durocher I know my friend didn't mean to offend me when she took one look at the red patches on my legs and told me bluntly, "You should really put some lotion on those." She didn't know I had psoriasis - back then, that summer I was in my early 20s and had my college roommates visiting my hometown during summer break, I wasn't open about having this disease. I'd been able to hide any patches I had throughout the school year under long sleeves and jeans.... http://www.healthcentral.com/skin-care/c/614008/141381/psoriasis http://www.healthcentral.com/skin-care/c/614008/141323/psoriasis Mon, 11 Jul 2011 13:04:00 -0400 Heather J Durocher Some of us with psoriasis fare better in sunnier weather while others (like me) may experience more spots. Either way, being mindful of your sun exposure is always smart - not only do we want to feel good about our bodies now that we're wearing shorts and swimsuits, we also don't want to increase our risk of skin cancer.Quick tips on managing your psoriasis during the warmer months: • Know your sun threshold. Ever since my first psoriasis... http://www.healthcentral.com/skin-care/c/614008/141323/psoriasis http://www.healthcentral.com/skin-care/c/614008/140251/dermatologist Thu, 23 Jun 2011 11:21:00 -0400 Heather J Durocher We all know it's essential to work with a knowledgeable and, ideally, friendly dermatologist - someone who not only understands our specific health issues and concerns but also is someone who has good bedside manner. I count myself lucky to have found a dermatologist who is this kind of individual, but it took some time to locate him. Whether you've recently moved to a new area and need to find a skin specialist, or you've decided it's time to... http://www.healthcentral.com/skin-care/c/614008/140251/dermatologist http://www.healthcentral.com/skin-care/c/614008/139912/strategies Tue, 21 Jun 2011 13:53:00 -0400 Heather J Durocher Psoriasis is challenging at any age, but I've often thought the disease must be especially trying when diagnosed as a child. The red, scaly patches are uncomfortable enough without having to try to explain it to teachers, classmates and friends. And if a child has psoriatic arthritis, there's the potential physical limitations that may occur, preventing the kind of participation a child may wish to have in certain sports and other... http://www.healthcentral.com/skin-care/c/614008/139912/strategies http://www.healthcentral.com/skin-care/c/614008/140005/dermatologist Thu, 16 Jun 2011 12:06:00 -0400 Heather J Durocher The relationship you have with your dermatologist is a pretty important one when you've got a chronic disease like psoriasis. While you may go months without seeing your doctor, a flare or other change in your health could mean more frequent visits to discuss treatment options.   But even if you feel super good about working with your dermatologist to manage your psoriasis, maybe you've wondered if there's more you could know and do when it... http://www.healthcentral.com/skin-care/c/614008/140005/dermatologist http://www.healthcentral.com/skin-care/c/614008/139655/psoriasis-area Thu, 09 Jun 2011 23:06:00 -0400 Heather J Durocher When my scalp psoriasis has been at its worse, I know this for sure: avoiding wearing black, or any dark-colored clothing for that matter, is wise. White flakes covering my shoulders and back, after all, isn't a look I'll ever be going for. If you're like me and have scalp psoriasis, you probably can relate. You also know how itchy and downright uncomfortable it can be. In addition to struggling with scalp psoriasis since my teen years, I've... http://www.healthcentral.com/skin-care/c/614008/139655/psoriasis-area