Psoriasis is a common skin disease. Its name derives from the Greek word "psora" (translated as "itch"). Today, about 5% of the world's inhabitants suffer from this disease.
Psoriasis can occur in people of all ages, from infants to the elderly. Practice shows that most of the patients are young. They go to the doctor with a suspicion of psoriasis.
Before visiting the clinic, you need to know which specialist you need to contact for such complaints.
Which doctor should i contact if i suspect psoriasis?
In case of manifestation of the first signs of psoriasis, it is necessary to visit a dermatologist. After all, the symptoms of this disease first appear on the skin.
A specialist who carries out competent treatment of skin diseases will make the correct diagnosis and carry out all necessary therapeutic measures.
If the patient has a complicated type of psoriasis (psoriatic arthropathy), treatment should be done by a professional rheumatologist.
Regardless of which specialist the patient turns to, the doctor can easily confirm or, conversely, refute the presence of this disease.
Treating any form of psoriasis is a laborious process. By the way, a complete cure does not occur in principle. Even with the disappearance of symptoms, the disease passes to the stage of regression. In this case, the symptoms can disappear completely.
Which doctor treats psoriasis?
Psoriasis is a systemic disease, the symptoms of which are not limited to skin rashes. Often, its course is accompanied by a change in metabolism, immune disorders and endocrine system malfunctions.
Violations quite often affect the work of internal organs. Consequently, the consultation of a dermatologist in this case is not enough.
Psoriatic plaques in many patients form on the scalp. In this case, the advice of an appropriate specialist is also necessary.
Dermatologist
It is very important that a patient with psoriasis is regularly monitored by an experienced dermatologist. This is very important, as this disease can worsen even several years after remission.
In addition, the specialist conducts the necessary studies to determine the underlying disease, which may have caused the development of a skin disease.
In this case, it is necessary to carry out its effective treatment.
All therapeutic measures, regardless of the severity of the disease, must be agreed with a dermatologist. Sometimes psoriasis causes the development of a pathology that affects the joints: psoriatic arthropathy. In case of complications, the specialist refers the patient to a rheumatologist.
Specialized Doctors
When answering a common question, which specialist treats psoriasis, many people forget that it is important to eliminate not only the external manifestations of the disease, but also the cause that caused the deterioration of well-being. Accordingly, for effective treatment of the disease, one cannot do without the help of highly specialized specialists.
The following are the doctors who treat psoriasis and its common complications:
- gastroenterologist: This doctor's help is needed in case of severe organ damage. In this case, it is often necessary to take strong drugs. Despite the fact that they adversely affect the condition, the work of the stomach, liver, the course of treatment with the use of these medicines produces a good effect;
- cardiologist: pathology can be accompanied by significant disturbances in the work of the heart (pericarditis, myocarditis). In these cases, the patient simply needs the professional help of a cardiologist;
- nephrologist:some forms of the disease are accompanied by severe failures, partial dysfunction of the bladder, kidneys. The treatment of such pathologies must be carried out by a qualified doctor;
- neurologist:neurological diseases often cause a recurrence of a skin disease. Consequently, patients prone to developing prostatitis (or when it recurs) should have a preventive examination every 3-6 months;
- rheumatologist: in case of arthropathy it is necessary to consult a rheumatologist. It is impossible to get rid of the disease without a properly selected principle of treatment.
Treatment of pathology is effective only with timely action. Compliance with the recommendations of the doctor will allow you to cope with mental discomfort and exclude the development of complications in the future.
It is recommended that all psoriasis patients be observed by a psychologist. More than 78% of exacerbations of the disease are manifested by nervous tension, severe stress.
An experienced psychologist will help each patient cope with emotional stress. Thanks to this, it will be possible to adapt much better in society.
Clarification of the diagnosis: what medical examinations do you need to undergo?
During the initial diagnostic examination, if psoriasis is suspected, the patient should undergo the following mandatory tests during the initial examination:
- Urine analysis: necessary to determine the water-salt balance;
- fecal analysis:necessary to detect the possible presence of helminths in the body;
- blood test: general, as well as biochemistry. Many patients mistakenly believe that blood helps refute or confirm the diagnosis. However, this is not entirely true. Such a study is conducted to identify possible complications caused by the disease. Blood also makes it possible to determine the presence of allergic reactions in the body.
Further studies include:
- bacteriological culture: carried out if rashes appear on the mucosa. This is necessary to exclude (acute) pharyngitis;
- radiography: if the patient has pain in the joints and the doctor suspects the presence of psoriatic arthritis, an auxiliary study of the bone structure is performed;
- skin biopsy: to clarify the diagnosis, a cytological examination of the epidermis is performed, which has been removed from the affected skin. Samples are taken from one or more areas of the body.
What does comprehensive patient medical support include?
The ultimate goal of the doctor's work is to preserve a person's working capacity, as well as prevent the disability of a patient suffering from psoriasis.
If the patient has already sought qualified help in a serious condition, inpatient treatment is required. Under satisfactory conditions, experts recommend observation of the dispensary.
In this case, it is necessary to visit the doctor regularly. Thanks to this, it will be possible to better control the dynamics of the disease.
Full medical support for a patient suffering from psoriasis involves treatment in a special sanatorium or dispensary. It is not uncommon for patients to go to a specialized retirement home for two weeks.
In such medical institutions, the patient is under the constant supervision of experienced specialists. At the same time, not only the effectiveness of the treatment is checked. The sanatoriums also think about the most suitable menu for guests suffering from psoriasis.
Many will agree that psoriasis is an unpleasant disease for the patient (physically and morally). Fortunately, medicine today knows numerous ways to effectively treat psoriasis.
Patients should be aware that today there are many specialists who can come to their aid. Regardless of the degree of the disease, this disease must be approached competently. Only in the case of the right approach will it be possible to achieve positive results and achieve sustainable remission.