Psoriasis- one of the most common and
mysterious skin diseases. The name "psoriasis" comes from the Greek word "psoriasis", which means itch, scabies.
"Devil's roses"- this is how a disease characterized by peeling of the skin was called in old age.
At the time of Hippocrates the term "psora" was introduced, a term used to indicate a group of skin diseases accompanied by flaking, dryness and itching.
The famous Greek physician Claudio Galen, at the beginning of our era, was the first to use the term "psoriasis" to refer to scaly skin changes with severe itching, but this disease had nothing to do with psoriasis.
In the old days, psoriasis was on a par with leprosy, scabies and vitiligo, and people suffering from these diseases were required to wear a special dress, a rattle or a bell.
At the beginning of the 19th century, the English doctor Willlen and his students distinguished between psoriasis and leprosy.
In the future, the science of dermatology has been enriched with new information on 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 disease remain a mystery.
During the entire existence of the Earth, 5. 5 billion people fell ill with psoriasis.
Psoriasis is believed to be the "sign of God" for people with a 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 often than whites. Drinking green tea reduces the risk of psoriasis. The risk of developing psoriasis in women who smoke is 78% higher than in non-smokers. Often, during pregnancy, psoriasis goes away without treatment. During the Second World War, the number of psoriasis patients In September 2009, a fashion show dedicated to psoriasis patients was held for the first time in the United States.
In the entire history of mankind, there has not been a single case of psoriasis being transferred from a sick person to a healthy one, even with a blood transfusion.
Causes of the disease
Psoriasis is considered a multifactorial disease. This means that psoriasis appears suddenly, coinciding with certain circumstances. Despite many years of research, scientists have not yet managed 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 sick);
- nervous stress (especially during adolescence) causes an exacerbation of the disease;
- nutrition (the abuse of fatty, salty foods, citrus fruits, chocolate, is directly associated with the onset of psoriasis);
- weakened immunity - long-term drug therapy, frequent colds, other diseases that reduce immunity, affect the condition of the skin, provoking the development of psoriasis;
- lack of vitamins and minerals;
- violation of metabolic processes.
And much more "Every person has their own psoriasis with their own causes".
Symptoms of the disease
People under 30, regardless of gender, are the most susceptible to this disease. The first symptoms of the disease are small scattered reddish or pink nodules, covered with silvery-white scales on top, when scraped under them, a reddish surface with small protruding droplets of blood ("blood dew") is exposed. As psoriasis develops, the nodules grow, merging with each other, covering a growing surface of the skin. The patient feels constant itching of the affected areas, combs them and, after intense scratching, psoriatic "plaques" are formed - 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 disappears completely, then suddenly returns, sometimes the patient's condition improves (more often in the summer), sometimes it gets worse (more often in the winter), in general, pure unpredictability.
Psoriasis does not make a person physically disabled, but it inflicts a severe blow on the patient's psyche, depriving him of adequate communication with others.
If you have psoriasis. . .
- Make sure the rash is indeed psoriasis.
- Don't panic.
- Try to analyze the events preceding 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 method of treatment.
- Do not delve into the disease, drive away anxiety, tune in to a favorable result. Your attitude is the first assistant in overcoming the disease.
Forms of psoriasis
Scalp psoriasis. Well-defined, pale pink scaly patches appear on the scalp, and the hair never falls out (hair loss in a limited area of the skin indicates another condition, such as ringworm).
Nail psoriasis(psoriatic onychodystrophy). The fingernails and toenails are affected. It is characterized by discoloration of the nail plate and nail bed, the appearance of spots, spots, transverse lines, thickening of the skin under the nails, thickening and layering of the nail plate, up to the complete loss of the nail plates.
Palmar-plantar psoriasis. Papules appear on the surface of the palms and soles of the feet, usually associated with nail psoriasis (to be distinguished from fungal diseases).
Guttate psoriasis.It is characterized by the appearance on the patient's skin of a large number of small circles raised above the surface of healthy skin, red or purple (up to purple), very dry, similar in shape to drops, tears or small dots. It occurs mainly on the thighs.
Exudative psoriasis.The scales on the surface of the papules acquire a yellow tint, become multilayered, stick together. When such a papule is scraped, the moist, bright pink surface of the skin is exposed.
Pustular psoriasis.Small bubbles with purulent contents 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 on the entire surface of the body), inflammation is pronounced, the skin color is bright pink, the patient feels severe unbearable itching and a deterioration in the general condition.
Arthropathic psoriasis.Not only the skin is affected, but also the small joints (hands, feet). When moving, pain in the joints appears, the joints are limited in movement, edematous.
Isophoric psoriasis or Koebner's 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 beginning of the disease, red papules appear, clearly limited and scaly, which merge during the progression of the disease, forming stable round or oval plaques of dark red color.
Inverse (intertriginous) psoriasis.An unusual form that occurs under the mammary glands and in the groin area. The plates are smooth, red, with clear contours and superficial maceration.
Erythrodermal psoriasis.Severe form, the skin surface is red, 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, against the background of psoriasis in humans, the following ailments occur:
- psoriatic arthritis;
- degeneration of the nail plates;
- damage to the mucous membranes (mouth, gastrointestinal tract, urethra, bladder, etc. );
- damage to the eyes;
- violations in the liver;
- organic disorders of the central nervous system;
- heart damage (myocarditis, myocardial dystrophy, etc. );
- amyotrophy;
- lymphadenopathy.
Features of psoriasis in children
As a rule, psoriasis in children develops at the age of 4-8, its appearance is often associated with an infectious disease (tonsillitis, chicken pox, etc. ), Stress, skin trauma, etc. It occurs mainly on the scalp, as well as on the skin of the face and groin area. The most common in childhood is the teardrop form and the 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 sufficient 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 to strengthen the body's immune system, eliminate nervous stress.
Puvotherapy.Application of special therapeutic agents to the skin, followed by activation by irradiation with ultraviolet radiation.
Cryotherapy.Placement in the cold room 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 climate change can, on the contrary, provoke 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 on the affected areas of the skin is done using special devices that irradiate only the right spots without touching healthy skin (which is important in the treatment of limited forms of psoriasis, for example, the treatment of nail psoriasis).
Traditional methods of treatment.Based on the therapeutic effect of medicinal herbs (celandine, Kalanchoe, eucalyptus, honey, kombucha, etc. ).
Phytotherapy.Treatment with medicinal herbs.
Hypnotherapy.Hypnosis treatment.
Acupuncture.Restores both the physical and mental state of a psoriasis patient.
Homeopathy.
Treatment of psoriasis with folk remedies.
Today you can easily find many articles on the treatment of psoriasis with folk remedies, there are really a lot of remedies for treatment, we will present some of them to your attention.
Quite good results, it gives the use of internal decoctions of herbs such as chicory, dandelion, parsley. For treatment, the ground roots of these plants are used, which are harvested in the spring or autumn on their own or bought at the 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, then drink the resulting decoction thirty minutes before meals, 3-4 timesper day.
Cleansing the liver and intestines can also help relieve psoriasis. The easiest way to clean is with pumpkin seeds, which you need to eat a glass a day for a month, plus a tablespoon of corn oil twice a day.
The use of coniferous baths, every other day, about half an hour, will help purify the skin. It is simple to prepare the broth: at the bottom of a large saucepan or bucket, you need to put spruce branches, add celandine leaves, 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 37-38 degrees.
For the preparation of baths, you can use other herbs: mint, motherwort, chamomile, valerian, lemon balm, oregano, cumin seeds, hops.
For the treatment of psoriasis, 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, however numerous studies confirm this. The presence of more relatives with psoriasis is explained by the possible hereditary transmission of the disease.
What are the guarantees of treatment?
There is no question of guarantees, only a stable remission 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 curettage for a fungal infection, to detect concomitant pathologies.
How does alcohol affect the psoriasis patient?
Alcohol, due to its toxicity, has a detrimental effect on the whole body as a whole, what can we say about the 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 becomes more severe.
Therefore, people with psoriasis are not advised to drink alcoholic beverages even in small quantities.
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. Thus, during stressful conditions, 56. 6% of patients experience an exacerbation of the disease.
If a relative has psoriasis, how likely am I to get psoriasis?
1. 2% of patients with psoriasis had no sick relatives 5% of patients had sick relatives If one of the twins has psoriasis, the other has psoriasis in 16% of cases, provided that one of the parents is sickIf both parents and one of the twins are sick, then 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 warmly.
- Avoid contact with caustic detergents and solvents whenever possible.
- For body care only mild soaps are allowed, sparing the acid mantle of the skin.
- The shower or bath you take shouldn't be hot and long. It is best to take a short to moderately warm shower.
- Try not to rub yourself too hard with a towel when washing and with a towel when drying.
- Check your emotions.
- Communication with other patients can be of additional help.
- Exercise will help improve the condition, yoga is especially recommended.
- A balanced diet and healthy intestinal microflora will improve the condition of your skin.
Rehabilitation of patients with psoriasis
Patient rehabilitation includes the following activities:
- elimination of side effects of the main treatment.
- stabilization of metabolic processes in the body.
- treatment of concomitant diseases.
- increasing the body's resistance to the factors provoking an exacerbation.
For a stable remission, you may need to radically change your lifestyle, work, in some cases even change your place of residence (moving to rural and ecologically clean areas often maintains a stable remission). The support of relatives 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, despondency, melancholy, cowardice, envy, hatred occupy a predominant place. Nobody doubts that you can get sick from the idea of disease, why not imagine yourself healthy to heal? "Perhaps these wonderful words will firmly enter your life and help you overcome the disease. Live according to Hufeland!