Psoriasis is a disease that affects 2-4% of the world's population, according to WHO experts. One feature of the disease is that only members of the white race suffer from psoriasis. Determining the causes and treatment of psoriasis is one of the priorities of modern medicine. Today, science has made great strides in these matters, but just as no cure has been found, the causes of the disease are not yet fully understood.
Causes of psoriasis
Physiologically, psoriasis causes an extremely short lifespan of skin cells. Normally, this period is 21 to 28 days, while in patients with psoriasis, the period lasts only 3-6 days. This is what causes psoriatic plaques. The cause of this phenomenon is mainly discussed among experts. Although some believe that psoriasis is a disease caused by hereditary factors, others believe that it is caused by a malfunction in the immune system, which is a direct result of a whole complex of various external factors.
Today, multifactorial theory prevails among doctors explaining the occurrence of psoriasis for the following reasons:
- heredity;
- Immune system disorders:
- Delayed infectious diseases;
- Malnutrition;
- Alcohol abuse;
- Unfavorable climatic conditions.
However, absolutely all experts agree that psoriasis is not a contagious disease and it is impossible to "catch" it on the street like the flu or sore throat.
Symptoms of psoriasis
Today, doctors consider psoriasis to be a systemic pathology, that is, it is common to speak of psoriasis as a pathology of complex effects.
The first signs of psoriasis are believed to be:
- Constant general feeling of weakness;
- Feeling tired;
- Frequent depression and depression.
These symptoms should be of concern. However, the clinical symptoms of psoriasis are manifested in skin lesions. In the case of psoriasis, these are often psoriatic plaques that appear suddenly on the patient's body. At first they may be small (a few millimeters), but over time they can grow significantly (up to 10 centimeters in diameter).
Depending on the nature of the rash, psoriasis is usually divided into:
- Stain (the diameter of the boards is small, not more than the diameter of the match head);
- In the form of drops, the size of a lentil grain, but in the form of drops;
- Coin-shaped, round plates reminiscent of a coin up to 5 millimeters in diameter.
One of the features of psoriasis is the formation of scales on the plaques, which are very easy to remove. This is due to their formation by keratinized epidermal cells. The scale is first formed in the center of the board, then spread to the edges. Sometimes a pink ring appears around the board, which indicates the growth of the board itself. When the scales are removed, a smooth, shiny pink surface of the skin remains due to the proximity of the blood vessels (capillaries).
Classification of psoriasis, what does psoriasis look like (photo)
In most cases, doctors deal with ordinary (vulgar) psoriasis. However, in about 10% of cases, the appearance of psoriasis has other external signs that are clearly visible in the photo.
According to the external manifestations of psoriasis, it is common to distinguish the following forms:
- Vulgar (common) psoriasis. It begins with the eruption of small papules, the size of which varies from the head of the match to the pea. Scaling occurs in these papules and the papule becomes a typical psoriatic plaque. As a rule, the boards have well-defined boundaries, which allows them to be clearly shown in relation to healthy skin. The plaque may be itchy. If the patient tries to remove a papule or plaque, desquamation is observed. After removing the flakes, a smooth, shiny surface appears. If you continue the bleeding process, blood droplets appear very quickly, the so-called "blood dew";
- Psoriatic erythroderma. This is a very unpleasant disease, such as psoriasis, which occurs in about 2% of those who suffer from this disease. Erythroderma manifests itself in the form of severe itching, diffuse redness of the skin, as well as radial peeling. 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 manifests itself spontaneously in the early stages of psoriasis. In some cases, erythroderma develops as a result of improper treatment of psoriasis;
- Pustular psoriasis. This form of the disease is characterized by the formation of pustules resembling small abscesses. By the way, this form of psoriasis can be generalized and localized. Pustules with a local shape are located in the heel and palm area. In a generalized form, the patient has an increase in body temperature and signs of intoxication of the body. 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 in the form of an inflammatory process in the joints and muscles of the patient;
- Psoriasis of the nail plates. In some cases, common psoriasis affects the nail plates and then they talk about nail psoriasis. Defeat of nail plates with psoriasis is very similar to a fungal infection. As a result of the disease, the nail plate can become deformed and even disappear completely.
Treatment of psoriasis
Modern medicine still does not have the means to completely cure psoriasis, and there is still insufficient information about the causes and characteristics of the disease. However, there are a number of drugs in the arsenal of doctors that can significantly alleviate the manifestations of psoriasis and move from acute to long-term remission. When treating psoriasis, the doctor takes into account the patient's age, sex, lifestyle, health status and chooses a treatment strategy only taking into account all these factors.
Treatment of psoriasis often begins with external therapy. These include:
- Salicylic ointment used as the disease progresses;
- Hormonal drugs prescribed when salicylic ointment is useless;
- Creams containing ditronal. They have anti-inflammatory effects and help to get rid of psoriasis symptoms very quickly.
However, external therapies do not always give the desired result. Then different treatment tactics are chosen, and a systematic approach is considered one of the most effective methods today.
Traditional medicine in the treatment of psoriasis
There are many traditional medical prescriptions for psoriasis. Many of them really help in the treatment of this disease. But do not overestimate the possibilities of such prescriptions, because traditional medicine can be used as adjuvant therapy, but in no case can it be used as a means of primary treatment.
Probably the most common traditional medicine for psoriasis is celandine. Unfortunately, this method can be treated only in the summer, when there is no problem in finding celandine. The essence of the method is the effect of vegetable juice on the boards. Simply break the stalk and apply the drops of juice from this fracture to the skin affected by psoriasis. This should be done every day for three months. It is believed that the maximum effect of treatment occurs in the third year of treatment.
The second most popular is the maple tar, which spreads on the affected surface in just one hour. According to another method, it is recommended to use celandine juice after such application of tar. In the first and second case, the course of treatment is 15 days.
Egg-based ointment is very popular in the treatment of psoriasis. To prepare it, take two raw eggs and mix them with sunflower (olive) oil. Then add half a spoon of vinegar to the resulting mixture. The affected areas are lubricated with the mixture once a day. The mixture itself is stored in a dark and cool place.
This helps to aggravate psoriasis and a bath with walnut bark decoction. For a bath you need to infuse half a kilogram of nuts. The bath is taken at a temperature not higher than 37 degrees for no more than 15-20 minutes. It is recommended to take ten baths a day at intervals.
Diet for psoriasis
According to many experts, proper nutrition in psoriasis is extremely important to prevent long-term exacerbation of the disease. It is believed that the essence of the diet is to maintain the acid-base balance towards the alkaline component. Thus, 70-80% of the products must be alkaline, only 20-25 - acid-forming.
Alkaline constituents include:
- Fruits (except black and red currants, cranberries, plums, plums and grapes);
- Vegetables (except legumes, Brussels sprouts, pumpkin, potatoes, tomatoes, peppers and eggplant).
It is common to refer to acid-forming products:
- starch;
- Cheese;
- sugar;
- Meat
- butter;
- cream.
Thus, the following should be included in the diet of a psoriasis patient:
- Water (at least 2 liters per day);
- Fresh, steamed fruit (canned fruit is undesirable). apples, dates, figs, apricots, oranges, peaches, raisins are recommended;
- Vegetables are also prepared fresh or steamed. Recommended beets, cucumbers, lettuce, carrots, celery, spinach, pumpkin, watercress, cabbage.
- Cereals (in small quantities). Breads made from buckwheat, wheat, barley, millet porridge, as well as rice and corn flour are recommended;
- low-fat fish, four times a week;
- Poultry (chicken), two to three times a week. Sick lamb can be fed once a week;
- Milk (it is good to be fat-free);
- Soft-boiled eggs, two to three times a week;
- Vegetable oil at the rate of 3 teaspoons per day.
Prophylaxis
Although there is no way to prevent psoriasis, there are ways to significantly reduce its manifestations and maximize the remission phase.
To do this, you need:
- Take care of your skin and moisturize it;
- Avoid excessive exposure to cold or hot air;
- Minimize the possibility of damage to the skin surface;
- Avoid alcohol and tobacco;
- All diseases are caused by nerves, so you should minimize the effects of stress and try to be in harmony with yourself and the world around you.