Psoriasis serious disease, despite the fact that she is not life-threatening. Psoriasis is called systemic is a chronic disease that affects the skin and nails. It causes redness, itching and the appearance of exfoliation of the platelets, which manifests itself at any age and is very difficult to cure. Because there is psoriasis, what complications the threat and, above all, how to cure it?
What do we know about psoriasis and its treatment
Psoriasis is at the same time one of the most studied, and one of the most mysterious diseases. Experts are decades that seek to understand the causes of its appearance, however, until the science has not a unique answer to the question of why people get sick of psoriasis.
Psoriasis is a disease that is not contagious, so as not to cause fungi or bacteria, and the reaction of the immune system of the body. In psoriasis, the skin cells begin to share with great speed — if in the normal life cycle of cells takes about 30 days, during the psoriasis — only 3-5.
The main signs of psoriasis: redness, skin peeling, appearance, sites, inflamed, so-called plaques, itching. In some cases, occur abscesses or superficial skin. Sometimes the psoriasis almost does not manifest itself, and sometimes intensifies with virtually no apparent reason. Often, psoriasis appears in the correspondence of the hands and feet, along the hairline, and even there, where the clothing is adjacent too tight or mixes; even if the inflammation may also occur in other places.
Statistics
Psoriasis is a disease, them affects about 3% of the entire population of the globe.
There are several types of psoriasis. The more common, vulgar, or patchy, diagnosed 80% of sufferers of psoriasis. The shape of A drop (small vent), pustular psoriasis (abscesses), hand foot and exudative types (weeping skin) are much less common.
The majority of patients for the first time it detects signs of psoriasis at age 15-25 years. Often the thrust to its appearance (and, later, to aggravate) serve as emotional upheavals. Scientists attribute this phenomenon with the release of stress hormones — adrenaline and cortisol.
Psoriasis is considered a chronic disease, that is, to treat her impossible. However, modern medicine knows many ways to reduce its displays to a minimum and reduce the frequency of relapses.
Please note
Alas, the psoriasis may be inherited. In families where one of parents is sick of psoriasis, the probability of the birth of a child with the same disease is 25%. If both parents have to be familiar with this disease in the first person, the risk of developing psoriasis in children increases up to 60%.
How is it treated psoriasis: modern approaches to therapy
The scheme of treatment of psoriasis depends on the severity of the disease. In mild cases (if it had been hit less than 3% of body surface) to prescribe medicines for external use — ointments and creams. Also recommended to review the life-style and, in particular, a diet. In more complex cases, prescribed physical therapy. Medicines for oral administration, including those that have a certain toxicity, but also hormonal funds — extreme measures which are only used if other methods for the treatment of psoriasis didn't help either.
Effective methods and techniques for the conservative treatment of psoriasis
There are several different areas to fight psoriasis, and the treatment has been successful, it is best to apply an integrated approach.
Drug therapy
To fight psoriasis "from the inside" are often prescribed for vitamin A derivatives (retinoids), but also drugs that reduce the activity of the immune system. For therapy external manifestations of psoriasis use therapeutic ointments and creams, to help relieve the inflammation and itching, and promote the sloughing of dead skin cells and help protect damaged skin from bacteria and fungus. This is important because the course of the disease for psoriasis is often complicated the accession of a secondary infection, which reduces the effectiveness of the overall therapy and slows down the process of skin repair.
In more complex cases, often relapsing psoriasis, it is prescribed local hormone funds (ointments and creams), the so — called TGKS (glucocorticoids topical). With them we have to be careful — TGKS have a series of side effects, and contraindications. If they want to apply their own initiative, and not according to a strict scheme and the recommendations of the doctor, it may worsen the course of the disease. TGKS, as a general rule, you should not use more than 5 days and apply over large areas of the skin, but in sensitive areas (face, neck, folds of the skin), as these tools can exercise the action of the system on the body, cause the syndrome and cause thinning of the skin and loss of its protective properties, and therefore the risk of repeated relapses.
Doctors often complain that with the disease it would be possible to manage quicker and easier, if patients are not engaged himself with the help of these powerful drugs, because the cure of psoriasis after the uncontrolled use of hormonal funds much more difficult.
Science has already has made a big step forward in the search for effective, but safe of the funds for the treatment of skin with psoriasis and other diseases. To him, for example, can be attributed to preparations based on this active substance, as the active zinc (zinc pyrithione). Zinc is a organic and natural cure for the skin because its concentration in the skin of healthy person is about 20% of the total content of the body, and the shortage of this precious metal is accompanied by a variety of lesions of the skin and damage the healing of wounds.
Drugs that target zinc, unlike the tools with zinc oxide, have a complex of specific properties (anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal), help to soothe the itching of the skin, promotes the production of ceramides (lipids), which leads to rebuild its barrier function. Unlike ointments with zinc oxide, creams with zinc pyrithione does not dry the skin. In addition, they activate the so-called apoptosis (natural programmed death) pathologically altered cells of the skin and the cells of inflammation, by suppressing excessive proliferation of the epithelium, reducing flaking and formation of psoriatic platelets.
Research has shown that it is active zinc has comparable with TGKS efficiency and good safety profile, as it is not absorbed from the surface of the skin, is not irritating and harmful effect.
What would be the medication one has been appointed, remember that, when writing the recipe, the doctor, always taking into account the relationship between potential benefit and harm from the use of a drug, tailored to your age and sex characteristics, history, etc, Therefore, not self-medication: mending one, you can paralyze the other. In the case of psoriasis refers in the first place to use hormonal funds. Without the application of ointments and creams with TGKS can lead to a "vicious circle" — as long as you use them, the more they will trample on aggravation.
To not risk, at the first sign of symptoms of psoriasis it is worth starting the treatment safe, non-hormonal means and necessarily consult a physician. And if chronic and recurrent and during the use of drugs non-hormonal therapeutic properties immediately after the removal of the acute (after the application TGKS) can extend the periods of remission and help the skin to recover fully.
Physiotherapy
Physiotherapy techniques for the treatment of psoriasis also help to eliminate the manifestations of this disease. As is well known, the disease has fear of the sun, so in the treatment of psoriasis is widely used phototherapy irradiation with ultraviolet light. Psoriasis treatment may also include laser therapy, ultrasound, impact, magnetic therapy.
Power
Patients suffering from psoriasis it is extremely important to follow a proper diet. Excluded are all products that can cause allergies, and even the heavy food for the stomach and the liver. The diet must contain high doses of vitamins (especially vitamin a) and fiber. You should avoid alcohol, meats, animal fats and trans fats, eggs, coffee and sparkling water, muffin.
Psychotherapy
As already said, with the stress and mental turmoil psoriasis may worsen. At the same time, for many people, especially for young women, psoriasis itself is a source of experience and low self-esteem. The aim of psychotherapy in psoriasis — teach people how to manage their emotions and avoid nervous tension. In addition, group therapy can provide the necessary psychological support and improve the self-esteem.
Plasmapheresis
When plasmapheresis the doctor takes the patient portion of the blood, separating the plasma from the blood cells and returns them by the injection of the new. Together with the plasma, toxins, and autoantibodies.
By the way
Psoriasis is not a reason for low self-esteem. Many people are famous for whole life struggling with this disease, that does not prevent them to be the idols of millions and the icons of style. The psoriasis suffer from models Cara Delevingne and Kim Kardashian, actress Cameron Diaz, the singer Britney Spears.
Alternative approaches
There are alternative, folk, and exotic methods of treatment of psoriasis. The first, for example, is the application of oil of milk thistle on the damaged areas, decoction of marshmallow, valerian, sage and chamomile. For the exotic can be attributed to the treatment of tropical fish species Garra rufa — are pyrithione skin for psoriatic platelets without damaging the healthy skin. An original service offered in Thailand, and in recent years this procedure has appeared in some Russian spa.
The traditional methods are considered safe, but it is not so allergic to the herb may aggravate the condition of the skin and apply it on the plate and lotions of dubious origin and in the possession of exotic treatments in unsanitary conditions, full of the appearance of inflammation, and the accession of secondary infection.
How to increase the effectiveness of the therapy
Choose the right treatment will give a positive effect. To speed up the process of recovery will follow a few rules:
- Try not to worry. Skin — indicator of the state of the nervous system. Today, there are many ways to manage stress without medications: guided tour-classes of painting, sculpture and decoupage, and courses in sport and wellness.
- The time to cure infectious diseases, prevent hypothermia, and in general care for their health — "rooted" in the body infections cause repeated relapses.
- Do not neglect the sanatorium treatment. Mineral waters and mud many places really help improve the condition in psoriasis. These locations all over the world — the treatment of psoriasis can go on the Dead sea in Israel, in Slovenia (Portoroz), in Italy (Abano Terme), in Bulgaria (Burgas).
- Do not use in the bath hard sponges and brushes, and soap-solid — you need a soft sponge and shower gel to neutral ph. After the bath or the shower, apply a cream that helps to retain moisture in the skin, for example, children.
- Refrain from synthetic and choose comfortable, loose clothing in natural soft fabrics of cotton, silk, and other.
It is often said that psoriasis is not a disease, but rather the result of life-style. The share of truth in this assertion, there is. If you are diagnosed with "psoriasis", will have to rethink seriously their habits and strictly follow the rules. Compliance with the recommendations and in time begun treatment allow to obtain a support and a remission lasting — many people who suffer from psoriasis, that's not actually suffer, as the disease does not manifest itself. But the psoriasis cannot lightheadedness — if not treated, or treated by themselves, without the intervention of a physician, a aggravation soon they will become almost monthly, and regain a beautiful skin and good health it will be very difficult.