Psoriasis is a disease that affects, according to estimates by WHO specialists, from 2 to 4% of the world's population. A characteristic of the disease is that only representatives of the white race suffer from psoriasis. Determining the causes and treatment of psoriasis is considered one of the priority tasks of modern medicine. Today science has advanced a lot in these questions, but the causes of the disease are not yet fully understood, as well as no means of a complete cure for this disease have been found.
Causes of psoriasis
Physiologically, psoriasis is caused by a very short life cycle of skin cells. While this cycle normally lasts from 21 to 28 days, in patients with psoriasis the cycle lasts only 3-6 days. This is what causes the formation of psoriatic plaques. The reason for this phenomenon is debated mainly among specialists. While some consider psoriasis to be a disease caused by hereditary factors, others believe that the disease occurs as a result of malfunctions in the immune system, which are a direct consequence of a whole host of various external factors.
Today, among physicians, the multifactorial theory prevails, which explains the occurrence of psoriasis for the following reasons:
- Heredity;
- Immune system malfunction due to:
- Delayed infectious diseases;
- Inadequate nutrition;
- Alcohol abuse;
- Unfavorable weather conditions.
However, absolutely all experts agree on one thing: psoriasis is not a contagious disease and it is impossible to "catch" it on the street like the flu or sore throat.
psoriasis symptoms
Today, doctors consider psoriasis to be a systemic pathology, that is, it is customary to speak of psoriasis as a pathology with complex effects.
The first signs of the development of psoriasis are believed to be:
- A constant feeling of general weakness;
- Feeling tired;
- Frequent depression and depression.
These symptoms must be alarming. However, the clinical symptoms of psoriasis manifest in skin lesions. In the case of psoriasis, these are, in most cases, psoriatic plaques that appear suddenly on the patient's body. Initially they may be small (a few millimeters) but over time they can grow significantly (up to 10 centimeters in diameter).
Due to the nature of the eruption, psoriasis is usually divided into:
- Spot (the diameter of the plates is small, not exceeding the diameter of a match head);
- Drop-shaped, the size of a lentil grain, but drop-shaped;
- Round coin-shaped plates that resemble a coin up to 5 millimeters in diameter.
A feature of psoriasis is the formation of scales on the plaques, which are very easy to remove. This is due to the fact that they are formed by cells in the keratinized epidermis. The scale is first formed in the center of the plate and then spreads out to the edges. Sometimes a pink ring forms around the plaque, which indicates growth of the plaque itself. When the scales are removed, a smooth, shiny surface of the skin remains, which is pink in color due to the proximity of the location of blood vessels (capillaries).
Classification of psoriasis, how is psoriasis (photo)
In most cases, doctors deal with common (ordinary) psoriasis. However, in about 10% of cases, the manifestations of psoriasis have other external signs, which can be clearly seen in the photo.
According to the external manifestations of psoriasis, it is customary to distinguish the following forms:
- Psoriasis vulgaris (common). It starts with a rash of small papules that range in size from a match head to a pea. Desquamation occurs in these papules, and the wheal develops into a typical psoriatic plaque. As a rule, plaques have well-defined boundaries, allowing them to be clearly seen against healthy skin. Plaque can itch. If the patient tries to remove a papule or plaque, desquamation is seen. After the flake is removed, a smooth, shiny surface is revealed. If you continue the scraping process, blood droplets appear very quickly, the so-called "blood dew";
- Psoriatic erythroderma. This, an extremely unpleasant disease like form of psoriasis, occurs in about 2% of people who suffer from this disease. Erythroderma manifests as intense itching, diffuse skin redness, and lamellar desquamation. Psoriatic erythroderma is often associated with generalized pustular psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. Infections such as streptococcal infections often complicate the course of the disease. Sometimes, erythroderma spontaneously manifests itself in the first stage of psoriasis. In some cases, erythroderma develops as a result of inadequate psoriasis treatment;
- Pustular psoriasis. This form of the disease is characterized by the formation of pustules that resemble small abscesses. With flow, this form of psoriasis can be generalized and localized. Locally, the pustules are located on the soles of the feet and palms. Generally speaking, the patient has an increase in body temperature and signs of body intoxication. This form of psoriasis is very dangerous and can even be fatal;
- Psoriatic arthritis. Many experts distinguish it as an independent autoimmune disease. It appears as an inflammatory process in the patient's joints and muscles;
- Nail plate psoriasis. In some cases, common psoriasis affects the nail plates, and then they talk about nail psoriasis. The elimination of the nail plates by psoriasis is very similar to a fungal infection. As a result of the disease, the nail plate can deform and even disappear completely in the end.
psoriasis treatment
Modern medicine still does not have in its arsenal of means capable of completely curing psoriasis, there is still not enough knowledge about the causes and characteristics of the course of the disease. However, in the arsenal of physicians there are a number of drugs that can significantly alleviate the manifestations of psoriasis and transfer it from the acute phase to long-term remission. In the treatment of psoriasis, the doctor takes into account the age, sex, lifestyle, health status of the patient and only taking into account all these factors chooses a treatment strategy.
Treatment of psoriasis often begins with external therapy. These include:
- Salicylic ointment, which is used when the disease progresses;
- Hormonal drugs that are prescribed if salicylic ointment is useless;
- Creams containing ditronal. They have anti-inflammatory effects and help to eliminate psoriasis symptoms quickly.
But the means of external therapy do not always bring the desired result. Then a different treatment tactic is chosen and a systematic approach is considered to be one of the most effective methods today.
Traditional medicine in the treatment of psoriasis
There are a large number of traditional medicine recipes for psoriasis. Many of them really help in treating this disease. But don't overestimate the possibilities of such prescriptions, as traditional medicine can be used as an adjunct therapy, but in no case as a means of primary treatment.
Probably the most common traditional medicine for psoriasis is celandine. Unfortunately, this method can only be treated in the summer, when celandine is not a problem. The essence of the method is in the action of the plant's sap on the plates. Just break the stem and direct the juice drops from this fracture to the skin affected by psoriasis. This must be done every day for three months. The maximum treatment effect is believed to occur in the third year of treatment.
Second in popularity is birch tar, which is simply spread over the affected surface for an hour. According to another method, after applying tar, the use of celandine juice is recommended. The course of treatment in the first and second case is 15 days.
Egg-based ointment is considered to be very popular in the treatment of psoriasis. For preparation, take two raw eggs and mix with sunflower oil (olive) and beat. After that, add half a tablespoon of vinegar to the resulting mixture. Affected areas are smeared with a mixture once a day. The mixture itself is stored in a cool, dark place.
It helps very well in the aggravation of psoriasis and in a bath to which a decoction of walnut shells is added. For a bath, you need to prepare shells with half a kilo of walnuts. The bath is taken for a maximum of 15-20 minutes at a temperature not exceeding 37 degrees. It is recommended to take ten baths at intervals in one day.
psoriasis diet
According to many experts, proper nutrition in psoriasis is extremely important to avoid prolonged periods of disease exacerbation. It is believed that the essence of the diet is to maintain the acid-base balance in relation to the alkaline component. Therefore, 70-80% of the products should be alkaline and only 20-25 acid-forming.
Alkali formers include:
- Fruits (except black and red currant cranberries, plums, plums and grapes);
- Vegetables (except vegetables, Brussels sprouts, pumpkin, potatoes, tomatoes, peppers and eggplant).
It is common to refer to acid-forming products:
- Starch;
- Cheese;
- Sugar;
- Me at
- Butter;
- Cream.
Thus, a psoriasis patient's diet should include:
- Water (at least 2 liters per day);
- Fresh and steamed fruit (canned fruit is not desirable). Apples, dates, figs, apricots, oranges, peaches, raisins are recommended;
- Vegetables, also fresh or steamed. Recommended beets, cucumbers, lettuce, carrots, celery, spinach, zucchini, watercress, cabbage.
- Cereals (in small amounts). Recommended are buckwheat, wheat, barley, corn porridge, as well as rice and cornmeal confectionery;
- Low-fat fish four times a week;
- Poultry (chicken), two to three times a week. It is permissible to give to a sick young ram once a week;
- Milk (skimmed is best);
- Boiled eggs two to three times a week;
- Vegetable oil at the rate of 3 teaspoons per day.
Prophylaxis
And while there is no way to prevent psoriasis, there are ways to significantly reduce its manifestations and maximize the remission phase.
For this you need:
- Take good care of your skin and keep it moist;
- Excessive exposure to hot or cold air must be avoided;
- Minimize the likelihood of damage to the skin surface;
- Give up alcohol and smoking;
- All illnesses come from the nerves, so you need to minimize the stressful effects and try to be in harmony with yourself and the world around you.