Psoriasis- one of the most popular and
mysterious skin disease. The name "psoriasis" comes from the Greek word "psoriasis", which means itchy, scabies.
"Rose of the Devil"- this is how a disease characterized by flaking of the skin is called in old age.
In the time of Hippocrates, the term "psora" was introduced, which was used to refer to a group of skin diseases accompanied by scaling, dryness, and itching.
The famous Greek physician Claudius Galen, at the beginning of our time, was the first to use the term "psoriasis" to refer to scaly skin changes accompanied by intense itching, but this disease is not associated with psoriasis. nothing to do with psoriasis.
In the old days, psoriasis was equated with leprosy, scabies, and vitiligo, and people with these diseases were required to wear a special outfit, ring or rattle.
In the early 19th century, English physician Willlen and his students distinguished between psoriasis and leprosy.
In the future, dermatology has been supplemented with new information on the causes of diseases (metabolic disorders, immune changes in the body, viral nature, environmental deterioration, genetic predisposition, etc. ), but the exact cause of the disease remains a mystery.
In the entire existence of the Earth, 5. 5 billion people have suffered from psoriasis.
It is believed that psoriasis is "God's mark" on people with exceptional artistic talent.
Among people with psoriasis, there are many great and successful personalities, for example, Benjamin Franklin, Henry Ford, Winston Churchill, John Rockefeller
Blacks have less psoriasis than whites. Drinking green tea reduces the risk of psoriasis. The risk of developing psoriasis in women who smoke is 78% higher than in nonsmokers. Usually, during pregnancy, psoriasis goes away on its own without treatment. World War II, the number of patients with psoriasis.
In the entire history of mankind, there has never been a case of psoriasis transferred from a sick person to a healthy person, even requiring a blood transfusion.
Cause of disease
Psoriasis is considered a multifactorial disease. This means that psoriasis appears suddenly, randomly of certain circumstances, despite years of research, scientists have not been able to find the exact cause leading to the development. of this disease but also many hypotheses have been put forward.
- genetics (although the presence of a person with psoriasis in the family does not always mean that their descendants will get the disease);
- nervous stress (especially in adolescence) causes exacerbations of the disease;
- nutrition (abuse of fatty foods, salt, citrus fruits, chocolate, is directly related to the onset of psoriasis);
- weakened immunity - long-term drug therapy, frequent colds, other diseases that lower immunity, affect the condition of the skin, provoke the development of psoriasis;
- lack of vitamins and minerals;
- violation of metabolic processes.
And more "Every person has their own psoriasis with its own causes. "
Symptoms of the disease
People under the age of 30, regardless of gender, are most susceptible to this disease. The first symptom of the disease is a small, scattered rash of red or pink color, the top is covered with silvery white scales, when scraped below, the surface will be slightly red, with small protruding blood drops (""blood mist"). As psoriasis develops, nodules develop that, together, cover an increasing surface of the skin. The patient feels constant itching in the affected areas, combs the hair, and after much scratching, psoriatic "plaques" form - dense, irritated areas of skin.
The areas of skin affected by psoriasis are endless, but most often the elbows, knees, extensor surfaces of the arms and legs, and the scalp are affected. Sometimes the disease completely resolves, then suddenly recurs, sometimes the patient's condition improves (more often in the summer), sometimes worsens (more often in the winter), in general, it is absolutely difficult. measure.
Psoriasis does not make a person physically disabled, but it does deal a heavy blow to the psyche of the patient, causing him to lose the ability to fully communicate with others.
If you have psoriasis . . .
- Make sure the rash is actually psoriasis.
- Not fear.
- Try to analyze the events before the onset of the disease, in the future it will help you avoid repeated exacerbations.
- Self-medication is very dangerous!
- Don't be fooled by expensive treatments, each psoriasis has its own unique treatment.
- Do not delve into the disease, dispel anxiety, adjust for a favorable outcome. Your attitude is the first aid in overcoming illness.
Types of psoriasis
Scalp psoriasis. There are clear, pale pink scaly patches on the scalp and the hair never falls out (limited skin loss indicates another condition, such as ringworm).
Psoriasis of the nails(psoriatic nail dystrophy). Fingernails and feet are affected. It is characterized by discoloration of the nail plate and nail bed, appearance of dots, spots, transverse lines, thickening of the skin under the nail, thickening and stratification, up to complete loss of the nail plates.
Palmar-plantar psoriasis.Papules appear on the surfaces of the palms and soles, often in association with nail psoriasis (to distinguish it from mycosis).
Intestinal psoriasis.It is characterized by the appearance on the patient's skin of a large number of small raised circles on the surface of the healthy skin, red or purple (to purple), very dry, similar in appearance to drops, tears or small dots. It occurs mainly on the thighs.
Exudative psoriasis.The scales on the surface of the papules are yellow, become layered, stick together. When such a papule is scraped off, a moist, bright pink skin surface is revealed.
Pustular psoriasis.Small bubbles containing pus appear on different parts of the skin, the patient's general condition worsens, and body temperature rises.
Erythema psoriatic.Large areas of skin (sometimes over the entire surface of the body) are defeated, inflammation is evident, skin color is bright pink, the patient has a strong, unbearable itching sensation, and the general condition worsens.
Arthritis psoriasis.Not only the skin is affected, but the small joints (hands, feet) are also affected. When moving, pain appears in the joints, the joints are limited in motion, edematous.
Isomphoric psoriasis or Koebner phenomenon.This form of the disease develops at the site of physical damage to the skin (abrasion, surgical wound, sunburn).
Plaque psoriasis.At onset of disease, well-defined, red scaly papules appear that coalesce during disease progression to form stable, dark red round or oval patches.
Intertriginous psoriasis.An irregular shape occurs under the mammary glands and in the groin area. The patches are smooth, red, clearly demarcated, and have a rough surface.
Skin psoriasis.Severe form, red skin surface, pain, high fever, chills.
Complications of psoriasis
Psoriasis- This is not just a skin disease, it is clear that psoriasis is a systemic disease that affects not only the skin but almost all body systems, so against the background of psoriasisIn humans, the following disorders occur:
- psoriatic arthritis;
- degeneration of the nail plates;
- mucosal damage (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. );
- muscular atrophy;
- lymphadenopathy.
Features of psoriasis in children
As a rule, psoriasis in children develops at the age of 4-8 years, its appearance is often associated with infectious diseases (tonsillitis, chickenpox, etc. ), stress, skin trauma, etc. . v. It manifests mainly on the scalp, as well as the skin of the face and groin area. The most common in childhood are the teardrop and exudative forms of psoriasis.
Treatment of psoriasis
Because determining the cause of the disease is extremely difficult, it is also difficult to identify a single formula for fighting psoriasis. The disease is very individual and the treatment approach should be individualized.
Diet.In most cases, dietary advice is enough to prevent the development of psoriasis. Foods that are traditionally considered allergens should be excluded - citrus fruits, chocolate, eggs, honey, peppers, strawberries.
Consolidation agents.It is necessary to take multivitamin preparations, which are meant to strengthen the body's immune system, eliminate nervous tension.
Therapy therapy.Application of special treatment agents to the skin, followed by activation by irradiation with ultraviolet radiation.
Cryotherapy method.Place in a cell with very low temperature.
Biological therapy.Exposure to weak electromagnetic oscillations.
Ozone therapy.The use of gas treatments and ozonated cosmetics.
Hirudotherapy.The use of leeches as medicine.
Spa treatment.This method of treatment is carried out without exacerbating the disease, in the spring-summer period with great care, since sometimes climate change can cause the disease, on the contrary. For psoriasis, the Dead Sea sanatoriums (Israel), Baku, etc. v. recommended.
External treatment(ointment, cream, etc. ).
Whole body treatment(tablets, injections, etc. ).
Phototherapy.Direct UV irradiation to the affected skin is done using special equipment that irradiates only the right area without touching the healthy skin (this is very important in the treatment of psoriasislimited, eg treatment of nail psoriasis).
Traditional methods of treatment.Based on the healing effects of medicinal herbs (celandine, Kalanchoe, eucalyptus, honeysuckle, kombucha, etc. ).
Phytotherapy.Herbal treatment.
Hypnotherapy.Hypnotic treatment.
Acupuncture.Restore both the physical and mental state of the psoriasis patient
Homeopathy.
Treatment of psoriasis with folk remedies.
Nowadays, you can easily find many articles on treating psoriasis with folk remedies, there are really many remedies, we will introduce you to some of them. there.
The result is quite good, allowing the use of internal decoctions of herbs such as chicory, dandelion, parsley. For treatment, people use the underground roots of these plants, collected in spring or autumn or bought at the pharmacy.
Cumin is good for psoriasis. It is useful to eat it in any available form, and it is better to grind the seeds in a coffee grinder. In the morning, you can prepare a decoction of dill seeds: pour boiling water into two tablespoons of dill seeds (0. 5 l), steep for an hour, then drink the resulting decoction thirty minutes before meals. minutes, 3-4 times a day.
Cleansing the liver and intestines can also help relieve psoriasis. The simplest way to clean the skin is with pumpkin seeds, which you need to eat a glass every day for a month, as well as a tablespoon of corn oil twice a day.
The use of coniferous baths, every other day, about half an hour, will help clean the skin. Preparing the broth is very simple: in the bottom of a saucepan or large bucket, you put spruce branches, add celandine leaves, pour it all over with water, bring to a boil and evaporate over very low heat for 20 minutes. . Then soak the steamed water for about 2-3 hours and then pour it into the prepared bath. The water temperature should be 37-38 degrees.
To prepare the bath, you can use other herbs: mint, wormwood, chamomile, valerian, perilla, marjoram, caraway seeds, hops.
To treat psoriasis, you can also use sea buckthorn oil, both externally and internally.
The most popular top psoriasis questions and answers.
Is psoriasis contagious?
Psoriasis is not contagious, in any case, many studies confirm this. The presence of several family members with psoriasis is explained by the heritability of the disease.
What are the guarantees of treatment?
There are no questions about any guarantees, only stable remission is possible.
What is the average cost of treatment?
It is almost impossible to calculate the cost of treatment due to the rigorous individual treatments and length of treatment.
How is the diagnosis made?
Check imaging and scraping for fungal infections, to detect concomitant pathology.
How does alcohol affect psoriasis patients?
Alcohol, by its toxicity, adversely affects the whole body, let alone skin changes.
In most patients who abuse alcohol, psoriasis disappears seasonally and exacerbations are frequent. The clinical course of the disease becomes more severe.
Therefore, people with psoriasis are not recommended to drink alcoholic beverages even in small quantities.
How do stressful situations affect psoriasis?
The human nervous system is closely related to the functioning of the brain. The brain controls all bodily functions, one's mental and emotional organs. It has been shown that in people who experience negative emotions, the amount of adrenaline in the blood increases, which leads to a malfunction of the nervous system, and, accordingly, all internal organs. Thus, under stressful conditions, 56. 6% of patients experienced exacerbations of the disease.
If a loved one has psoriasis, what are the chances that I will get psoriasis?
1. 2% of patients with psoriasis had no sick relatives. 5% of patients have a sick relative. If one of the twins has psoriasis, the other 16% will have psoriasis, provided that one of the parents has it if both parents have it. and one of the twins is sick, then another has psoriasis in 50% of cases, and if the twins are identical - in 73%.
Practical advice for psoriasis patients
- 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, which remove the acidic coating on the skin.
- The shower or tub you bathe in shouldn't be too hot and long. It is best to take a short to moderately warm bath.
- Try not to rub too hard with a towel while washing and with a towel when drying.
- Control your emotions.
- Communicating with other patients may be of additional help.
- Exercise will help improve the condition, especially encourage yoga.
- A balanced diet and a healthy gut microbiome will improve the condition of your skin.
Rehabilitation for psoriasis patients vẩy
Rehabilitation for patients includes the following activities:
- Eliminate the side effects of the main treatment.
- Stabilize metabolic processes in the body.
- treatment of concurrent diseases.
- increase the body's resistance to the factors that cause the exacerbation.
In order for the disease to be in stable remission, you may have to radically change your lifestyle, work, and in some cases change your place of residence (moving to a rural, ecologically clean area usually maintains stable remission). ). Communicating with people with the same disease will 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, disappointment, melancholy, cowardice, envy, hatred occupies a dominant position. If you think you are sick, no one will think you can get sick, why not imagine that you are healthy to recover from the disease ". Perhaps these wonderful sayings will firmly enter your life and help you overcome illness. Live by Hufeland!