psoriasis

Psoriasis contagious?When answering the question of whether psoriasis is contagious, it should be understood that the disease is not spread through sex, airborne droplets, contact, or any other means. It is impossible to be infected by it.Dry patches appear on the body due to the disruption of the exfoliation process of keratinized skin scales. You won't die from them, but patients can experience severe psychological distress due to their appearance.

causes of psoriasis

The exact cause of psoriasis has not yet been determined. There are different theories about the development of the disease. Experts tend to believe that skin and nail damage can be caused by:

• Stress, negative emotional experience;
• endocrine pathology;
• genetic predisposition;
• A malfunction of the immune system leads to disruption of the growth and division processes of epithelial cells.

The autoimmune cause of psoriasis is when immune cells T-helper and T-killer cells (normally responsible for protecting the body from tumor cells, pathogenic viruses, and bacteria) begin to penetrate the upper layers of the skin. Here they produce substances that activate the inflammatory process. As a result, skin cells begin to divide and multiply rapidly. Proliferation was observed.The development of psoriasis may also be caused by a combination of the following factors:

• The skin is very thin and poorly hydrated (produces little sebum).
• Frequent exposure to irritating compounds – low-quality cosmetics, alcohol solutions, household chemicals.
• Wash your body and hands frequently (especially with a stiff towel and antibacterial soap/body wash).
• Alcohol abuse.
• Development of infectious diseases caused by staphylococci, streptococci, fungi.
• Take antidepressants, lithium carbonate, beta-blockers, antimalarials, and anticonvulsants.
• Changes in climate zones.
• Mechanical damage to the skin.
• Predisposition to allergic reactions.
• HIV infection.

Disease classification

If you study various photos of psoriasis in its initial stages, you will notice the differences - there are many types of this skin pathology. Depending on the location of the lesion, the following will occur:

• Scalp psoriasis (which manifests as itching, cracking, and bleeding of the skin).
• Nail psoriasis (where the nail plate gradually separates from the nail bed and becomes painful, with red spots forming on it).
• Palmoplantar psoriasis (this disease is common only on the soles of the feet and/or palms).
• Skin psoriasis (dry patches on different parts of the body).
• Arthropathic psoriasis (joints are affected).
• Genital psoriasis (a disease affecting the skin of the reproductive organs).

Clinical forms of psoriasis:

• Common or vulgar. It looks like small, flat, pink pimples that are slightly higher than healthy skin. The tops of the pimples are covered with light scales, and the scales begin to fall off even when touched lightly. If psoriasis treatment is not started promptly, small lesions can coalesce into large lesions.
• Exudative. It is more common in people with obesity, hypothyroidism, and diabetes. Symptoms of this form of psoriasis are as follows: The papules are bright red in color with yellowish-gray scales visible on their tops. Plaques can affect skin folds—the armpits, the area beneath a woman's breasts. The patient complained of itching and burning sensation.
• Seborrheic. Psoriasis is found on the head, behind the ears, in and around the nasolabial folds, between the shoulder blades, and on the chest. The borders of the spots are not well defined. The peel is silvery yellow. If you see a picture of psoriasis on your head, you'll associate it with common fungal diseases like dandruff.
• Palm soles. The disease tends to occur in people aged 30 to 50 who are engaged in heavy manual labor. With this form, a rash may also appear on the body.
• Pustules. Pustules form on the body. Medically, another type of pustules is found - Tsumbusch psoriasis. It may be idiopathic (primary) - blisters appear on the skin that turn into pustules. The pustules open and dry. Later, a scaly rash typical of the disease appears on the body. It is also a secondary benign course. In this case, pustules appear on the surface of typical psoriatic plaques due to the irritating effects of the medication.
  Another type of pustular psoriasis is Barber's psoriasis. It only affects the soles of the feet and palms of the hands. Purulent pustules may be seen on the skin. They won't open and over time they turn into a dark, dry crust. Babett's psoriasis is characterized by the symmetry of the lesions.
• Arthropathy (arthrosis). Serious form. Occurs in patients with rash. If psoriasis is not adequately treated, it usually occurs five to six years after the first symptoms appear. Pathological conditions of the joint system can vary from mild joint pain, which does not lead to changes in the joint apparatus, to deformative ankylosis, in which the joint becomes completely immobile.
• Psoriasis erythroderma. This is the result of vulgaris or exudative psoriasis. Almost all skin types can be affected. It turns red and is covered with numerous dry scales. The body temperature rises and the lymph nodes (especially in the femur and groin) become swollen. If patients don't learn how to treat psoriasis, they may experience hair loss and brittle nails.

According to the criteria of seasonal recurrence, psoriasis is divided into:

• summer;
• winter (most common);
• uncertain.

Symptoms of psoriasis

Treatment depends on the main symptoms of psoriasis, so during the first visit, the doctor will conduct a thorough examination of the patient and thoroughly check the localization of the psoriasis lesions.This disease is more common in winter. In summer, under the influence of solar radiation, signs of psoriasis may disappear completely. However, for the "summer" form of the pathology, on the contrary, sunlight should be avoided. During the course of the exacerbation, the patient complained of very severe itching. Nail plate damage is observed in only 25% of patients.When diseases occur on the scalp, hair does not participate in the pathological process. First, the skin starts to peel off. Over time, the rash area may "spread" to the area of the neck behind the ears. The inflammatory process is caused by the rapid division of keratinocytes.Psoriasis on the palms and feet causes the cuticles to thicken and become filled with deep fissures. Photos of early stage psoriasis show pustules with clear contents. Later they turn white and turn into black scars.
As for the nail plate, the most common types of damage are:

• The nails are covered with pits that look like puncture marks ("thimble type").
• Nails change color and begin to fall off, similar to a fungal disease. Psoriasis papules with surrounding red edges can be seen through the nail plate.

stages of psoriasis

Although there is still controversy about what psoriasis is and what exactly triggers it, the various stages of the disease are well-studied. There are three of them:

• Progressive (initial). New growths appear on the surface of the skin as a rash, often growing along the perimeter. They spread into healthy skin and form oval or round patches. The spots are pink or red. They don't have the flaky crust on them yet - just white scales. The edges of the lesion were slightly compacted. A new rash may appear due to scratching.
• fixed. One to four weeks after the first symptoms of psoriasis appear. The plaques become lighter. New rashes will not appear and old rashes will slowly disappear. Papules heal in a direction from the center to the edges, which is why their shape becomes a ring. The entire surface of the healed lesion is covered with flaky white scales.
• Regression (fading). The color of psoriasis plaques is almost indistinguishable from healthy skin. Itching is minimized. A "Voronov collar" forms around the lesion, which is a ring of dense layers of keratinized skin. If the patient uses a good quality psoriasis ointment, the resolution phase will last about a month. Otherwise, the "fading" process can take up to six months.

The task for patients diagnosed with psoriasis is to remain in remission.

If you notice similar symptoms, seek medical attention immediately. It is easier to prevent disease than to deal with its consequences.

How is psoriasis diagnosed?

Dermatologist diagnoses psoriasis. The procedure is based on external examination, assessment of skin and nail condition, and study of lesion localization. No additional testing was performed for overt symptoms. If diagnosis is difficult, a skin sample (biopsy) is taken from the inflamed area and studied in the laboratory.If you complain of joint pain, get an X-ray. Blood tests will also be done to make sure you don't have other types of arthritis. To rule out fungal infection, a test is performed using potassium hydroxide.

How to treat psoriasis

Treatment of psoriasis is complex. This includes:

• general treatment;
• topical treatment;
• physiotherapy.

Before determining how to treat psoriasis, a dermatologist determines the stage of the disease, its clinical form, and the extent of the process. The patient's age and concomitant medical conditions are taken into consideration when prescribing the drug. Usually, the drug that is safest for your health and has the fewest side effects is chosen first. If they cannot ensure that the psoriasis transitions to the resolution phase, the treatment will be adjusted.Systemic medications for psoriasisOral medications can help treat moderate to severe psoriasis. These include:

• Vitamin A derivatives (retinoids). Reduces keratinocyte maturation rate. Normalizes cell differentiation and maturation.
• Immunosuppressants. Reduces the activity of T lymphocytes, thereby promoting epidermal cell division.
• Drugs to treat malignant tumors. Inhibits the reproduction and growth of atypical skin cells.

Physical therapy for psoriasisPhysical therapy procedures can significantly improve the health of people with psoriasis. In some cases, they can allow you to stop taking your medication entirely. most commonly used:

• Selective phototherapy. Irradiate the affected skin with ultraviolet light of wavelength 280-320 nm. Between 15 and 35 procedures are prescribed.
• Photochemotherapy (PUVA therapy). The method involves the combined use of internal photosensitizers and external long-wave UV irradiation. Ultraviolet rays penetrate deeply into the skin, and the photosensitizer blocks the DNA synthesis process of skin cells and reduces their division speed. Course duration is 20 to 30 procedures.
• Laser Treatment. Use laser radiation of different wavelengths. The laser ensures accelerated plaque resorption and eliminates scarring where the plaque is located.
• Use monochromatic UV radiation. Each lesion is treated in turn with a UV radiation lamp/laser source. Healthy skin is not affected. This method is best if less than 10% of the skin area is affected. The duration of treatment is 15 to 30 sessions.
• Electric sleep. The electrical pulses produce mild effects on the brain that last 20-60 minutes. As a result, the patient calms down, the functions of the central nervous system return to normal, and the psoriatic plaques begin to fade.
  Ultrasound therapy. It is a decongestant, antipruritic and analgesic. Accelerate scar absorption. If necessary, it can be combined with phonophoresis. To achieve therapeutic effects, 7 to 14 courses are required.
• Magnet therapy (Betatron device). It has general healing effects on the body. Relieves inflammation, reduces itching and burning, and helps eliminate joint pain.
• Treat with bee venom. Bee venom is injected into the body using an electrophoresis or ultrasound machine. It is characterized by anti-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory effects, normalizing metabolic processes.
• High fever. Use pads containing the hot mixture to heat psoriasis-affected tissue to 40 degrees. Treatment can help improve the function of the immune system and reduce the negative effects of the disease on the skin.

Ointments to treat psoriasisAccording to reviews, treating psoriasis with ointments can achieve good results if the drug is chosen correctly. At the first symptoms, non-hormonal preparations are prescribed:

• Salicylic acid ointment (softens skin, reduces inflammation, and removes dead skin cells);
• Anthracene (slows down DNA synthesis, reduces the activity of cellular enzymes, and slows down the cell division process);
• Sulfur ointment (disinfects, softens, removes white patches on lesions);
• Naphtadiol ointment (relieves itching, relieves pain, normalizes immune response).

If treating psoriasis with non-hormonal ointments does not have the desired effect, hormonal medications or strong ointments containing the following corticosteroids should be used:

• Hydrocortisone. Eliminates tightness and itchiness. Inhibits the increase in white blood cell activity and prevents them from entering the skin.
• Flumetasone. Helps treat exudative psoriasis. It is characterized by significant anti-allergic, anti-inflammatory and antipruritic effects.
• Triamcinolone acetonide. It has anti-itching and anti-inflammatory effects. Expressed during exacerbation.

Scalp psoriasis affects 50% of patients and causes the most severe discomfort. If you are sick, avoid using hair dryers, hairspray, and hairspray. It is important that bobby pins and combs do not scratch the skin. Otherwise, the epidemic will start to spread. Use the following methods to treat scalp psoriasis:

• UV comb (promotes keratinocytes to contour skin cells, thus reabsorbing existing plaque).
• Photochemotherapy (UVR combined with Beroxan, Puvalen and Psoralen).
• Medicated shampoos (Tana, Nizoral, Friedem tar). It is recommended to purchase several different products and use them interchangeably. This avoids addiction.
• Salicylic acid ointment (apply to the separated area, cover the head with cellophane and leave for two hours).
• Hormone lotions (Belosalik, Elokom, Diprosalik). Contains steroid hormones. Easily applied to the scalp to effectively eliminate flaking and itching.
• Kirkazon decoction (normalizes skin cell division process, cleanses).

The effects of any scalp treatment will be visible after a few weeks, so there is no need to interrupt the treatment process after a few sessions.Treat psoriasis at home with folk remediesTo cure psoriasis forever at home, folk remedies will help if we are talking about a mild disease:

• Herbal teas made from dandelion root, St. John's wort, or nettle leaves.
• Add rope, soapweed, or yarrow decoction to the healing bath.
• Rub the affected area with cabbage brine, celandine juice, and birch tar.
  Compression based on garlic infusion.

Also, according to reviews, treating psoriasis with hydrogen peroxide can achieve good results. It is necessary to lubricate psoriatic plaques twice a day with a cotton swab dipped in a three percent solution. The duration of treatment depends on the severity of symptoms and may be up to two months.

psoriasis diet

Products allowed to aggravate psoriasis include:

• Fruit (apples, apricots, peaches);
• fruit juice;
• Vegetables (beets, potatoes, radishes, watermelon, pumpkin);
• greening;
• Berries (all berries except red berries);
• Lean meat (beef, veal, turkey, rabbit) – up to 200 g per day;
• any nuts;
• lean fish;
• cultured dairy products, cottage cheese and cheese;
• Whole wheat bread;
• Sea kale.

Psoriasis patients should not eat:

• smoked dishes;
• red fish;
• animal fats;
• Egg;
• pork and duck;
• Baked goods.

Coffee, carbonated drinks and alcoholic beverages are prohibited. It is recommended to limit sugar intake. To cleanse the body, it is recommended to fast twice a week - from vegetables, apples or kefir.

Is psoriasis dangerous?

Psoriasis is a serious but non-fatal disease. It reduces the quality of life due to its unsightly appearance. Plaque on the body can prevent patients from working as a team or from resting. They often result in limited mobility and difficulty performing simple physical tasks. Left untreated, psoriasis can lead to damage to the visual organs and joints.It is impossible to completely cure psoriasis. This is a chronic skin disease that must always remain in a "dormant" state.

risk groups

Risk groups include people with:

• chronic skin diseases;
• skin damage;
• Disorders of the central nervous system and autonomic nervous system.

prevention

To prevent this disease, doctors recommend:

• Moisturizes skin;
• Avoid staying in cold, dry rooms for long periods of time;
• Avoid taking beta blockers and lithium (except in extreme cases) as they can trigger psoriasis.

This article is for educational purposes only and does not constitute scientific material or professional medical advice.