Psoriasis is a non-communicable, chronic disease that until recently was considered a skin disease. The peculiarity of the inflammatory process in certain areas of the skin in patients with psoriasis is that the life cycle of normal skin cells is about 30-40 days, as in psoriasis is 4-5 days, ie after 4 days the skin cells gradually disappear, dryness, peeling of the skin, etc.
These days, the problem of treating this difficult and difficult to treat disease is relevant only to dermatologists, many other specialized doctors are often involved in identifying the causes of psoriasis in a patient and directly involved in the complex treatment of this disease. Today, medical psoriasis is evaluated not only as an inflammation of the skin, but also in terms of a systemic deficiency of the body.
The name has changed, now it is psoriasis. Why is psoriasis a systemic pathology? Because patients usually have several different disorders of the body at the same time - nervous, endocrine, immune. There are several types of psoriasis in medicine, there are many reasons for the onset of this disease, mainly these are theories, as there is no convincing evidence for these alleged causes, we will examine them in more detail.
A few facts:Psoriasis is not contagious because it is thought to be caused by a defect in the human immune system, ie overactive T-lymphocytes in the skin. Psoriasis is classified as an inherited disease, with 1 parent having psoriasis and 65% of both parents having a 25% risk of developing psoriasis in one child. In addition to the hereditary factor, the starting mechanism of psoriasis or relapse is the intake of antibiotics, NSAIDs, B vitamins, as well as stress, alcohol and skin damage.
Viral theory of the cause of psoriasis
A number of studies among patients with psoriasis have revealed various changes in peripheral lymph nodes, which may indicate the viral nature of the development of this disease. One of the causes of psoriasis is the presence of inherited retroviruses, but to prove the viral nature of psoriasis, the virus must be identified, isolated, and selected, and so far no one has been able to do so.
The truth is that retroviruses can alter the host's genetic code, have the ability to synthesize DNA with the help of a reverse transcriptase enzyme, and create a "false program" in cells that alter the human genome. However, even with blood transfusions from psoriasis patients to healthy people, it has been established that the disease is not reported in case of infection or infection. Therefore, the version of the viral cause of psoriasis has not yet been proven.
The cause of psoriasis immunity
This is one of the generally accepted theories about the causes of psoriasis, as cellular immune disorders are the leading cause of the disease. It has long been known that in people with a genetic predisposition to psoriatic disease, the foci of chronic infection - tonsillitis, sinusitis - indicating a weakened immune system - are factors that trigger the onset of psoriasis.
When the primary focus of psoriasis occurs, medicine also indicates that the damage to the epidermis is due to autoimmune aggression. Numerous studies in patients with psoriasis have identified antibodies and immunoglobulins in the immune complexes that cause Munro microabscesses.
In the process of activating psoriasis, the hypersensitivity of the skin increases sharply, so the rash characteristic of psoriasis occurs at the sites of physical or chemical irritation. When examining skin scales, antigenic components and autoantibodies are found in the blood, which are not found in the skin or blood of healthy people.
This fact suggests that the autoimmune process plays an important role in the cause of psoriasis. However, any process, even immune reactions, is played in the same way as in an integral system in the body, so a combination of other factors, such as endocrine effects, hereditary factors, metabolic diseases, must be taken into account.
Infectious Theory of Pearl Development
One hundred years ago, many researchers stubbornly searched for the infectious agent of psoriatic disease, and streptococci, spirochetes, and epidermophytes were blamed for its occurrence. However, studies have shown that none of these pathogenic microorganisms are the cause of fungal psoriasis. However, infectious diseases, tonsillitis, ARVI flu, especially in the cold season, when the immune system is weakened and patients with psoriasis are often hospitalized, affect the exacerbation of psoriasis or trigger its initial onset.Some authors believe that the development of psoriasis against the background of acute and chronic infections is explained by the influx of impulses from the center of infection to the endocrine system and the vegetative part, which leads to the reconstruction of the body's reactivity. Very often, ie in 90% of cases, chronic tonsillitis is accompanied by psoriasis, which confirms the impact of infectious processes and weakened immunity on the development of psoriasis.
In addition, according to many experts, psoriasis has an infectious-allergic cause. Proponents believe that psoriasis is an allergic tissue reaction to viruses, streptococci and their metabolic products. However, neither viral nor infectious theory has been confirmed.
Genetic cause
This reason is based on the familial manifestation of psoriasis between close and distant relatives. However, psoriasis should not be considered a hereditary disease, as well as diabetes, cancer, coronary heart disease, because psoriasis itself is not inherited, but has a genetic predisposition to it. Yes, 60% of patients with psoriasis have ancestors or close relatives who suffer from the disease, and if one parent is ill, the risk of developing psoriasis is 25%, and up to 75% if both parents are ill.
However, not always with psoriasis, the cause is only a genetic factor. The disease has become very common in clinical practice in recent years and is not always directly dependent on the associated trend. The causes of psoriasis are so many that it is impossible to pinpoint a specific cause. Pathogenic factors are a combination of streptococcal infection or centers of viral nature, as there is a violation of protein or carbohydrate metabolism and changes in lipid, enzymatic metabolism.
Metabolic diseases as factors in the development of psoriasis
Given the metabolic diseases of psoriasis, many patients have a slight decrease in body temperature, which is one of the symptoms of slowed metabolism, and an increase in cholesterol, which indicates changes in lipid metabolism. Given high cholesterol levels, many researchers consider psoriasis to be cholesterol diathesis and an increase in it as an early manifestation of dermatosis, as disruption of lipid metabolism causes keratinization of the skin.
In psoriasis, the metabolism of vitamins, especially vitamins C, A, B12, B6, is disturbed, and the amount of vitamin C in the skin increases. In addition, changes in the composition of iron, copper, zinc, which significantly reduce the adaptive properties of the human body, were noticed. About 25% of psoriasis patients also suffer from diabetes mellitus, but some researchers do not accept this fact as the cause of psoriasis, but as a manifestation of psoriasis.
As the disease progresses, basal metabolism increases most in patients with psoriasis, and hypothyroidism, endocrine glands, and gonads often manifest themselves in patients with low metabolism, and total carbohydrate metabolism is impaired in 60% of patients with psoriasis. A low-calorie diet or even a moderate fast reduces the body's self-poisoning, so a diet for psoriasis therapy improves the patient's condition.
Factors causing psoriasis
At the current stage of medical research to determine the cause of psoriasis, we can say that it is a recurrent systemic disease that occurs in people with genetic predisposition to various metabolic and central nervous system disorders.
Stress
The main triggers for both the onset of psoriasis and the exacerbation of existing chronic psoriasis are stress, psychological trauma, long-term fatigue, and nervous tension.
Stress causes immunological and biochemical reactions that contribute to the development of psoriasis. However, sometimes negative emotions, on the contrary, serve to complement the clinical symptoms of psoriasis. According to a survey of psoriasis patients, this trigger causes the onset of the disease in 49% of patients and recurrence of psoriasis in 41%.
Infectious diseases, vaccinations, chronic infections
Tonsillitis, sinusitis, STDs, otitis media, etc. Particularly highly virulent streptococci are found. This factor is relevant in 21% of patients for disease exacerbation, and infection is a trigger mechanism in 15% of patients for the onset of psoriasis.
Hormonal changes in women
During pregnancy, breastfeeding, menopause or adolescence - in 6% of patients surveyed, it is a provocative factor in the development of psoriasis.
Injuries, bites, burns
Any trauma to the skin - physical trauma causes psoriasis in 12-14% of patients.
Prolonged hypothermia
In 5% of patients it is the cause of psoriasis or its inflammation.
Medications
All kinds of antibiotics, like NSAIDs. Vitamin therapy - especially the use of vitamins C, B, beta-blockers, cytostatics, vaccinations, herbal medicines in treatment - causes psoriasis in 6% of these patients.
Food poisoning, abuse of some foods
Chocolate, citrus fruits and other products - according to a survey of patients, this is the cause of psoriasis in 4% of patients.
Alcoholic beverage
In addition, a provocative factor that leads to the generalization of the inflammatory process shortens the remission period and increases the risk of complications, as shown by 3% of respondents.
Climate Change
High humidity, prolonged exposure to intense ultraviolet radiation, sudden changes in temperature and humidity cause complications in 2% of patients.
The first symptoms of psoriasis can occur regardless of age, appear equally often in infants, and in people between the ages of 20 and 40, even in old age, psoriasis can begin to develop. Of course, the sooner it occurs, the more severe the consequences for the patient. If psoriasis begins in a person after 30 years, it is usually accompanied by gastritis, liver disease, overweight, various neuroses, diabetes, arthritis and other diseases.