Psoriasis- one of the most common and
mysterious skin diseases. The name "psoriasis" comes from the Greek word "psoriasis", which means itching, scabies.
"Devil's roses"- This is how a disease characterized by peeling skin was called in old age.
In the time of Hippocrates, the term "psora" was introduced, this term was used to denote a group of skin diseases accompanied by flaking, dryness and itching.
The famous Greek physician Claudius Galen, at the beginning of our era, was the first to use the term "psoriasis" to refer to scaly skin changes with intense itching, but this disease had nothing to do with psoriasis.
In the old days, psoriasis was on par with leprosy, scabies, and vitiligo, and people suffering from these diseases were required to wear a special suit, a rattle, or a bell.
At the beginning of the 19th century, the English physician Willlen and his students distinguished between psoriasis and leprosy.
In the future, the science of dermatology was enriched with new information about the causes of the disease (metabolic disorders, immunological changes in the body, viral nature, environmental discomfort, genetic predisposition, etc. ), but the exact causes of the diseaseremain. a mystery.
During the entire existence of the Earth, 5. 5 billion people became ill with psoriasis.
Psoriasis is believed to be "the mark of God" for people of special artistic talent.
Among people suffering from psoriasis, there are many successful and great personalities, for example, Benjamin Franklin, Henry Ford, Winston Churchill, John Rockefeller.
Blacks suffer from psoriasis much less frequently than whites. Drinking green tea reduces the risk of psoriasis. The risk of developing psoriasis in women who smoke is 78% higher than among non-smokers. Often during pregnancy, psoriasis clears up without treatment. World War II, the number of psoriasis patients In September 2009, a fashion show was held for the first time in the United States specifically for psoriasis patients.
In all of human history, there has not been a single case of transfer of psoriasis from a sick person to a healthy person, not even with a blood transfusion.
Causes of the disease
Psoriasis is considered a multifactorial disease.This means that psoriasis appears suddenly, by coincidence of certain circumstances. Despite many years of research, scientists have not yet been able to find out the exact causes of the development of the disease, but there are many hypotheses.
- heredity (although the presence of a person with psoriasis in the family does not always mean that his descendants will be ill);
- nervous stress (especially during adolescence) provokes an exacerbation of the disease;
- nutrition (the abuse of fatty, salty, citrus, chocolate foods, is directly associated with the appearance of psoriasis);
- weakened immunity - long-term drug therapy, frequent colds, other diseases that reduce immunity, affect the condition of the skin and provoke the development of psoriasis;
- lack of vitamins and minerals;
- violation of metabolic processes.
And much more "Each person has his own psoriasis with its own causes".
Symptoms of the disease.
People under the age of 30, regardless of sex, are the most susceptible to this disease. The first symptoms of the disease are scattered small reddish or pink nodules, covered with silvery-white scales on top, when scraped underneath, a reddish surface with small protruding droplets of blood is exposed ("blood spray"). As psoriasis develops, the nodules grow, fuse together, and cover an increasing surface area of the skin. The patient feels constant itching in the affected areas, combs them, and after intense scratching, psoriatic "plaques" form: areas of dense, thickened and irritated skin.
The areas of psoriasis on the skin are endless, but the elbows, knees, extensor surfaces of the arms and legs, and the scalp are most often affected. Sometimes the disease completely regresses, then suddenly returns, sometimes the patient's condition improves (more often in summer), sometimes worsens (more often in winter), generally pure unpredictability.
Psoriasis does not physically incapacitate a person, but it inflicts a crushing blow on the patient's psyche, depriving him of proper communication with others.
If you have psoriasis. .
- Make sure the rash is actually psoriasis.
- Do not panic.
- Try to analyze the events that precede the onset of the disease, in the future it will help you avoid repeated exacerbations.
- Self-medication is dangerous!
- Don't be fooled by the expensive treatment, each psoriasis has its own treatment method.
- Do not delve into the disease, drive away anxiety, tune in to a favorable outcome. His attitude is the first assistant in the victory over the disease.
Forms of psoriasis
Scalp psoriasis. Well-defined, pale pink, scaly patches appear on the scalp, and hair never falls out (hair loss in a limited area of skin indicates another condition, such as ringworm).
Nail psoriasis(psoriatic onychodystrophy). Fingernails and toenails are affected. It is characterized by discoloration of the nail plate and nail bed, appearance of spots, spots, transverse lines, thickening of the skin under the nails, thickening and stratification of the plate, up to the complete loss of the nail plates.
Palmar-plantar psoriasis. Papules appear on the surface of the palms of the hands and the soles of the feet, usually combined with psoriasis of the nails (to distinguish them from fungal diseases).
Guttate psoriasis.It is characterized by the appearance on the patient's skin of a large number of small raised circles on the surface of healthy skin, red or purple (even purple), very dry, similar to drops, tears or dots. It occurs mainly on the thighs.
Exudative psoriasis.The scales on the surface of the papules acquire a yellow tint, become multi-layered, stick together. When the papule is scraped off, the bright pink, moist surface of the skin is exposed.
Pustular psoriasis.Small bubbles with purulent content appear on various parts of the skin, the general condition of the patient worsens, and the body temperature rises.
Psoriatic erythroderma.The defeat of large areas of the skin (sometimes the entire surface of the body), the inflammation is pronounced, the skin color is bright pink, the patient feels strong and unbearable itching and a deterioration of the general condition.
Arthropathic psoriasis.Not only the skin is affected, but also the small joints (hands, feet). When moving, joint pain appears, the joints are limited in movement, edematous.
Isomphoric psoriasis or Koebner phenomenon.This form of the disease develops at the site of a physical injury to the skin (scratches, surgical wounds, sunburn).
Plaque psoriasis.At the onset of the disease, red, scaly and clearly limited papules appear, which coalesce during disease progression, forming stable round or oval dark red plaques.
Inverse (intertriginous) psoriasis.An unusual shape that occurs under the mammary glands and in the groin area. The plates are smooth, red, with clear borders and superficial maceration.
Erythrodermic psoriasis.Severe form, the skin surface reddened, painful, the patient has a high fever, chills.
Complications of psoriasis
Psoriasis- this is not just a skin disease, it is unequivocally clear that psoriasis is a systemic disease that affects not only the skin, but almost all body systems, therefore, in the context of psoriasis in humans, the following disorders occur:
- psoriasic arthritis;
- degeneration of the nail plates;
- damage to the mucous membranes (mouth, gastrointestinal tract, urethra, bladder, etc. );
- eye damage;
- violations in the liver;
- organic disorders of the central nervous system;
- heart damage (myocarditis, myocardial dystrophy, etc. );
- amyotrophy;
- lymphadenopathy.
Characteristics of psoriasis in children.
As a rule, psoriasis in children develops at the age of 4-8 years, its appearance is often associated with an infectious disease (tonsillitis, chickenpox, etc. ), stress, skin trauma, etc. It manifests itself mainly on the scalp, as well as on the skin of the face and the groin area. The most common in childhood is the teardrop and exudative form of psoriasis.
Psoriasis treatment
Since it is extremely difficult to identify the cause of the disease, it is also difficult to identify a single recipe for the fight against psoriasis. This disease is very individual and the approach to treatment should be strictly individual.
Diet.In most cases, dietary advice is enough to stop the development of psoriasis. It is necessary to exclude foods traditionally considered allergens - citrus fruits, chocolate, eggs, honey, peppers, strawberries. It is recommended to limit the consumption of acidic, spicy, fatty foods (oil, lard), alcohol.
Fortifying agents.It is necessary to take multivitamin preparations, means of strengthening the body's immune system and eliminating nervous stress.
Puvotherapy.Application of special therapeutic agents on the skin, followed by activation by irradiation with ultraviolet radiation.
Cryotherapy.Cell placement at very low temperature.
Bioresonance therapy.Exposure to weak electromagnetic vibrations.
Ozone therapy.The use of gas treatments and ozonated cosmetics.
Hirudotherapy.The use of medicinal leeches.
Spa treatment.This type of treatment is carried out without exacerbation of the disease, in the summer-spring period with great care, since sometimes a change in climate can, on the contrary, cause the disease. For psoriasis, the sanatoriums of the Dead Sea (Israel), Baku, etc. are recommended.
External treatment(ointments, creams, etc. ).
Systemic treatment(tablets, injections, etc. ).
Photochemotherapy.Exposure to ultraviolet rays directly to the affected areas of the skin is carried out using special devices that irradiate only the correct places without touching the healthy skin (which is important in the treatment of limited forms of psoriasis, for example, thenail psoriasis treatment).
Traditional methods of treatment.Based on the therapeutic effect of medicinal herbs (celandine, Kalanchoe, eucalyptus, honey, kombucha, etc. ).
Phytotherapy.Treatment with medicinal herbs.
HypnotherapyHypnosis treatment.
Acupuncture.Restores the physical and mental state of a patient with psoriasis.
Homeopathy.
Treatment of psoriasis with home remedies.
Today, you can easily find many articles on treating psoriasis with home remedies, there are really many remedies for treatment, we will introduce you to some of them.
Very good results, it gives the use of interior decoctions of herbs such as chicory, dandelion, parsley. For the treatment, ground roots of these plants are used, which are harvested alone in spring or autumn or bought in a pharmacy.
Dill is good for psoriasis. It is very useful to eat it in any available form, and it is best to grind the seeds in a coffee grinder. In the morning, you can prepare a decoction of dill seeds: pour boiling water over two tablespoons of dill seeds (0, 5 l), insist for an hour, and then drink the resulting decoction thirty minutes before meals, 3-4times a day.
Cleansing the liver and intestines can also help relieve psoriasis. The easiest way to clean is with pumpkin seeds, which you should eat a glass a day for a month, as well as a tablespoon of corn oil twice a day.
The use of coniferous baths, every two days, about half an hour, will help to cleanse the skin. It is simple to prepare the broth: in the bottom of a large saucepan or bucket, you need to put fir branches, add celandine leaves to them, pour all this with water, bring to a boil and evaporate over very low heat for 20 minutes. . Then infuse the broth for 2-3 hours and pour into the prepared bath. The water temperature should be 37 to 38 degrees.
For the preparation of baths, you can use other herbs: mint, motherwort, chamomile, valerian, lemon balm, oregano, caraway seeds, hops.
For psoriasis treatment, you can also use sea buckthorn oil, both externally and internally.
The most popular questions and answers about psoriasis.
Is psoriasis contagious?
Psoriasis is not contagious, in any case numerous studies confirm it. The presence of several relatives with psoriasis is explained by the possible hereditary transmission of the disease.
What are the guarantees of the treatment?
There can be no guarantee, only a stable referral is possible.
How much does the treatment cost on average?
It is practically impossible to calculate the cost of treatment due to strictly individual treatment methods and the duration of treatment.
How is the diagnosis made?
Visual examination and scraping for fungal infection to detect concomitant pathology.
How does alcohol affect the patient with psoriasis?
Alcohol, due to its toxicity, has a detrimental effect on the whole body as a whole, what can we say about changed skin?
In most patients with alcohol abuse, there is a loss of seasonality in the course of psoriasis and frequent exacerbations. The clinical course of the disease worsens.
Therefore, it is not recommended that people with psoriasis drink alcoholic beverages even in small amounts.
How do stressful situations affect psoriasis?
The human nervous system is associated with the activity of the brain. The brain controls all the functions of the body, the organs of intelligence and the emotions of a person. It has been established that in people who experience negative emotions, the amount of adrenaline in the blood increases, this leads to a malfunction of the nervous system and, consequently, of all internal organs. Therefore, during stressful conditions, 56. 6% of patients experience an exacerbation of the disease.
If a family member has psoriasis, how likely is it that I have it?
1. 2% of psoriasis patients had no sick relatives. 5% of the patients had sick relatives. If one of the twins has psoriasis, the other has psoriasis in 16% of cases, as long as one of the parents is ill. If both parents and one of the twins is sick, another has psoriasis in 50% of cases, and if the twins are identical, in 73%.
Practical advice for patients with psoriasis
- Wear loose, breathable clothing.
- Protect your skin, avoid mechanical irritation.
- Don't dress too warm.
- Avoid contact with caustic cleaning agents and solvents whenever possible.
- For body care, only mild soaps are allowed, avoiding the acid mantle of the skin.
- The shower or bath you take should not be hot or prolonged. It is best to take a short to moderately warm shower.
- Try not to rub too much with a cloth while washing and with a towel when drying.
- Control your emotions.
- Communication with other patients can be of additional help.
- Exercising will help improve the condition, yoga is especially recommended.
- A balanced diet and a healthy intestinal microflora will improve the condition of your skin.
Rehabilitation of patients with psoriasis
Patient rehabilitation includes the following activities:
- elimination of the side effects of the main treatment.
- stabilization of metabolic processes in the body.
- treatment of concomitant diseases.
- increase the body's resistance to the factors that cause an exacerbation.
For a stable remission, you may need to radically change your lifestyle, work, in some cases even change your place of residence (relocation to rural and ecologically clean areas often maintains a stable remission). The support of family and friends is especially important, communication with people who have the same disease will help to overcome difficulties together.
Life according to Hufeland
The eminent German physician-therapist Christoph Wilhelm Hufeland once said: "Among the influences that shorten life, fear, sadness, discouragement, melancholy, cowardice, envy, hatred occupy a predominant place. No one doubts thatthat you can get sick with the idea of illness, why not imagine yourself healthy to recover? "Perhaps these wonderful words enter firmly in your life and help you to overcome the illness. Long live according to Hufeland!