Effective treatment of psoriasis: a set of measures.

Psoriasis is a very unpleasant skin disease that brings many inconveniences to the patient who is unlucky enough to suffer from it.In addition to the fact that the skin has a very unsightly appearance, the patient constantly experiences many other unpleasant sensations.Yes, the disease is not fatal, but the patient often has to radically change his habits and lifestyle.

Unfortunately, even today it is simply impossible to completely cure psoriasis.However, there are many techniques and treatments that can help greatly and significantly alleviate the patient's suffering.

The best effect can be achieved through the use of complex therapy, in which an attempt is made to influence the disease from different angles.For this, different treatment methods are combined.In today's material, we will consider in more detail how to properly carry out complex psoriasis treatment and what can be included in it, as well as what points should be taken into account.

Factors to consider when choosing treatment

First, let us remind you that you should never self-medicate!Even if you are completely confident in your strengths and abilities, it is better to consult a professional dermatologist.It will be better this way.

Before prescribing treatment, the doctor will consider the following factors:

• age and sex of the patient: the older he is, the more difficult it is to treat the disease;
• hereditary factors: the risk of getting sick increases when parents or close relatives also suffer from psoriasis;
• phase of the disease: the later you contact a specialist, the more difficult the treatment will be;
• severity of the disease: when psoriasis is mild, it is much easier to combat;
• the form of the course and the parts of the body affected: the more severe it is, the more difficult it is to choose an effective treatment;
• possible allergic reactions;in this case, not all medications can be taken;
• place and type of work: some companies have very unfavorable working conditions, which has a very negative impact on the general state of health and the development of psoriasis;
• region of residence - if you live in a region with highly polluted air, this negatively affects the perception of various diseases and psoriasis develops more intensely;
• the presence of bad habits: regular smoking and drinking alcohol affects internal organs, increasing the risk of psoriasis;
• Concomitant diseases: If you suffer from certain diseases of the internal organs, psoriasis can become a complication.

It is unlikely that you yourself will be able to correctly determine all the factors.If you start self-treatment, this leads to serious complications.Therefore, a specialist dermatologist will definitely prescribe the necessary tests to determine all other factors, and only then prescribe treatment.

Packages of measures for the treatment of psoriasis.

In order for the treatment of psoriasis at home to be as effective as possible, several sets of measures are often used.Within its framework, different drugs that affect different systems of the body are used simultaneously.So, the treatment regimen may include:

• external treatment— various creams, ointments to affect the skin and eliminate external signs of the disease;
• systemic drugs- tablets, mixtures that affect internal organs and fight the disease from the inside;
• physiotherapy procedures- to reduce inflammatory processes: laser and cryotherapy, acupressure, ultraviolet irradiation;

• spa treatment- therapeutic procedures, for example, leeches, mud baths and clean air, since resorts are usually located in an ecologically clean area;
• special diet- exclude foods that can harm the gastrointestinal tract, for example, fried, spicy, salty and pickled foods.

In reality, there are many therapy methods.Let's consider each method of a set of therapeutic measures in more detail.

External treatment

Basically, how does psoriasis start to develop?First of all, the function of the epidermis (the stratum corneum of the skin) is impaired.Because of this, the skin no longer receives the necessary amount of moisture and becomes too dry.Little by little, dryness and peeling intensify, and because the dead skin particles do not have time to be eliminated, the so-called psoriatic plaques appear.All this is accompanied by itching and inflammation.During periods of exacerbation, they do not disappear day or night.

To eliminate all these symptoms, medications are prescribed for the external treatment of psoriasis.They are also prescribed strictly individually.What are external preparations used for?

1. It eliminates pain, relieves swelling, reduces peeling, and also improves appearance by reducing rashes and the number of psoriatic plaques.
2. Minimize the influence of various external factors.
3. Influence the foci of the disease as quickly as possible and provide quick relief.

External preparations for psoriasis include ointments, creams, lotions, gels and other preparations.All of them are divided into two main groups: hormonal and non-hormonal.Let's look at each group separately.

1. Non-hormonal medications.The name speaks for itself: the drugs do not contain hormonal components.They act on the epidermis and quickly remove dead layers of the skin, disinfect damaged areas, have an antiviral and antimicrobial effect, and also qualitatively moisturize the skin and increase its elasticity.These preparations contain beeswax, natural oils and other natural ingredients, as well as salicylic acid, dithranol, sulfur, urea and other substances.They have a series of excellent properties and act on the areas of the skin affected by psoriasis very quickly and effectively.
2. Hormonal medications.They contain a certain amount of synthetic hormone from the corticosteroid group.Many experts prefer them because, due to the presence of the hormone in the composition, they act almost instantly, literally in a matter of minutes, providing the desired effect.But unlike non-hormonal drugs, these drugs should be used with caution.First of all, if you delay therapy a little, this can lead to hormonal imbalance and, as a result, serious complications.Secondly, if the medication is suddenly stopped, the so-called "withdrawal effect" may occur, in which the symptoms not only return, but also intensify.

When and how to choose the right group of medications?What medications is better to use?

1. In the progressive stage, salicylic acid-containing ointments, as well as anti-inflammatory hormonal ointments, are most often used.Naturally, at first one will try to achieve the desired effect with drugs with a weaker concentration of the active substance.If there is no effect, stronger ones are used.These medications contain a higher dose of fluoride.For the most part, patients experience positive dynamics two weeks after the start of regular use.
2. For the treatment of elderly people and children, drugs that do not contain chlorine and fluoride are used, which significantly reduces the number of possible allergic reactions.These drugs are relatively new, they appeared on the pharmaceutical market just a few years ago, but they are gradually becoming more and more popular.
3. Ointments and creams based on dethranol have a quick and long-lasting effect when used.Starting treatment involves prescribing minimum doses with a gradual increase.The medications are primarily intended to reduce inflammation.However, other adverse reactions may occur, such as swelling, itching and redness, which, against the background of similar symptoms of psoriasis, somewhat limits the scope of use of drugs in this group.
4. One of the new drugs is a drug that directly affects the causes of psoriasis.Its main active ingredient is calcipotriol, which inhibits the development of pathogenic processes.After just two months, the general condition of the skin improves significantly, the number of inflamed and damaged areas, as well as peeling, decreases.It is noteworthy that in most cases there are no side effects characteristic of other psoriasis drugs.There are cases where a single course of treatment was enough for remission to last up to a year.The strongest effect is achieved when the treatment is carried out using an integrated approach and the effect occurs in conjunction with other means, most often physiotherapeutic procedures.

We would like to draw your attention to the fact that long-term use of drugs is not recommended, as addiction may develop.As a result, the effectiveness of the treatment decreases significantly.

Systemic drugs

As already mentioned, one of the possible causes of psoriasis is diseases of the internal organs.Consequently, to get rid of psoriasis, it is necessary to take medications that can help in the treatment regimen of diseases of the internal organs.These can be tablets, injections, intravenous and other medications, which must be selected individually.What therapy can be prescribed for psoriasis?

1. Anti-inflammatory drugs will relieve inflammation and reduce the influence of various viruses and microbes.A comprehensive treatment regimen is often used for psoriasis.
2. Anti-allergy medications.Since allergies often worsen psoriasis symptoms, these medications can help significantly.
3. Antipsoriatic drugs.They act on the skin restoration process, normalize the life cycle of its cells, and also eliminate the side effects of the disease.
4. Antifungal medications.Since fungal infection significantly complicates the course of psoriasis, it is very important to combat it effectively.
5. Medicines to combat the pathological formation of new cells that do not have a specific purpose.Over time, in the absence of a treatment regimen, these cells can accumulate in the body in large numbers.

Depending on the complexity of the condition and the degree of damage to other organs, other, more powerful drugs may be used.However, despite the good effect, it is not advisable to abuse them, since the side effects can be very serious.

Physiotherapeutic procedures.

Although it is impossible to cure psoriasis with physiotherapy procedures alone, with proper selection they can enhance the effect of medications and accelerate the recovery process at the final stage of complex treatment.What procedures are prescribed for the complex treatment of psoriasis?

1. Ultraviolet irradiation or phototherapy.A special agent is prescribed that improves the body's perception of ultraviolet radiation, after which the skin surface affected by psoriasis is irradiated with ultraviolet waves of a certain length.
2. Laser therapy.It should be noted that laser waves act only on diseased skin, without affecting healthy tissue.
3. Cryotherapy.Liquid air, nitrogen or helium, which has a temperature of up to -296 degrees, is briefly applied to damaged areas of the body surface.
4. Ichthyotherapy.The affected areas are treated with a special type of fish.
5. Hirudotherapy is a treatment that uses leeches.

6. Therapeutic baths that use calming and anti-inflammatory herbs such as chamomile or celandine, as well as starch and flax seeds.
7. Acupuncture.It is true that you have to be careful when choosing a specialist, since an incorrectly performed procedure can have unpredictable consequences that can take a long time to treat.

spa treatment

A visit to a sanatorium or resort can significantly improve the patient's well-being.True, they are sent there only in the final and regressive stage of the disease, as a final means of complex therapy.In addition to the fact that in such an institution the patient is prescribed various procedures, the opportunity to take a break from everyday worries and a more favorable environmental environment further contribute to recovery.

In addition to prescribing conventional medications, the sanatorium or resort will necessarily provide dietary nutrition, physiotherapy, as well as baths and medicinal procedures.Depending on the location, the sanatorium may offer hydrogen sulfide, silicon, radon, iodine-bromine and other baths.A good sanatorium will fill you with energy for many months.

Conclusion

Complex therapy is most often used to treat psoriasis.Only an integrated approach can achieve good results, since any type of individual treatment will be ineffective, especially at a later stage of treatment.