Psoriasis: causes, symptoms, treatment

Any disease, let alone a skin disease, causes a lot of discomfort. It is especially difficult for women with psoriasis, because it is not only physical, but also a huge psychological discomfort that pursues its "victim" day after day. Let's figure out what kind of sore it is that provokes it and how to get rid of it. In addition, we will consider what preventive measures need to be taken so that the disease does not manifest itself as long as possible.

The very word "psoriasis" came to us from the Greek language, where it is interpreted as "itching" and "pruritus". This is a chronic inflammation of the skin, of a non-infectious nature, which is accompanied by pink-red rashes on the body and peeling. The process is structured in such a way that with this type of dermatosis, cell division is observed 30 times faster, which does not allow them to mature completely and contacts between cells are lost. This explains the appearance of peculiar scales.

Causes of psoriasis

Most often, the disease manifests itself at the age of 18-25 years. Foci of inflammation can occur on absolutely any part of the body, from the head to the genitals. The most common cause of psoriasis is considered to be stress... The latter does not have to be single and strong. If a person is constantly in a nervous state, then you should not be surprised that his skin will begin to "decorate" with this kind of rash. Otherwise, the reliable reasons that can provoke such a disease are not really known, there are only theories.

One of these "potential" causes include disturbances in the work of the endocrine system. Further there are quite natural problems in the activity immune system, hereditary predisposition.

But some things can be established for sure, in particular, this is the very mechanism of the appearance of a characteristic rash. It is based on an immune imbalance, when cells show aggression against their own tissues. Since our skin is a kind of mirror of the general state of health, it is on it that the slightest failures appear in the first place.

So, let's summarize the list of reasons that can serve as the onset of the disease:

• Genetic predisposition. The risk is especially high if first-line relatives suffered from the disease.
• A very strong stress shock, or being in a nervous state on a regular basis.
• Problems in the work of the endocrine system.
• Malfunctions of the immune system, lack of vitamins and minerals. The lack of silicon is especially pronounced.
• Parasites in the intestines.
• The presence of viral infections.

The doctor will be able to establish a more precise reason. Treatment of the problem must begin with the eradication of the focus of inflammation, otherwise there will be no results, or the disease will soon return again.

Let's take a look at the main elements that trigger psoriasis.

Lack of silicon

In the majority of patients with psoriasis, a lack of silicon in the body was detected, which was clearly shown by the results of a blood test. It turns out that it is silicon that plays a fundamental role in what concerns the skin, blood vessels and connective tissues. Its deficiency gives rise to a lack of intestinal absorption, which has a positive effect on the development of parasites in the organ.

Parasites

Several dozen studies have been carried out that have revealed a direct relationship between the development of parasites in the intestines and the development of psoriasis. As the data show, among the carriers of parasites, the diagnosis of psoriasis is observed much more often than in the opposite case. This is due to the fact that being inside the body, parasites release toxic elements into the bloodstream, which leads to an imbalance in the immune system and, as a result, to psoriasis.

Psoriasis symptoms

The main and obvious signs of psoriasis include raised areas of the skin, painted in a pink-red color with a grayish flaky coating. Most often, psoriasis occurs on the elbows or on the knees. Medicine knows several types of psoriasis, the symptoms of which have different intensities and combinations. Let's list the most common signs of psoriasis.

• The presence of psoriatic plaques on the skin of a bright red color, covered with gray scales (crust). Such lesions appear anywhere: on the back, abdomen, arms, legs, etc. Of the total number of patients with psoriasis, such symptoms are observed in 90% of cases.
• Small areas, possibly single, bleeding. The skin in this place turns red, flakes and peels off.
• Clear signs of violation of the nail plate. A very common symptom, especially when it comes to a severe form of the disease. The nail is deformed, its upper edge is separated, in some cases, a change in the color of the nail is observed.
• Spontaneous outbreaks are characterized by itching.

Additional symptoms of psoriasis are joint pain, swelling, and sensitivity.

The course of the disease can be divided into a number of stages. At the beginning, an aggravation occurs, formations appear on the skin in the form of rashes. At the second, stationary stage, inhibition of the process is observed, when the old rashes do not disappear anywhere, but new ones do not appear either. The third stage is regression, when there are no rashes. The patient experiences discomfort solely from the external manifestations of the disease, including itching, which periodically covers the affected areas.

At the same time, psoriasis does not in any way affect the work of the internal organs. The person does not experience any extraneous problems and lives in the usual rhythm. The disease is purely aesthetic in nature, which makes delaying treatment inadmissible. If the process is not stopped in time, the constantly growing papules will cover most of the body and it will be impossible to hide them. The longer the psoriasis is left untreated, the stronger the itching that occurs. Combing sores leads to the formation of hard-to-heal wounds. And yet, a neglected disease over time inevitably leads to problems in the joints, most often arthritis. The joints swell and begin to cause a lot of discomfort.

Types of psoriasis

Psoriasis can occur in a wide variety of forms, types, and locations. It can be plaque-like, pustular, drop-shaped, punctate, etc. Let us briefly consider each variety.

More often than others, plaque or, as it is called otherwise, psoriasis vulgaris is diagnosed. Of all the species, it is diagnosed in 90% of cases. It manifests itself mainly in the form of typical bulging bright red patches of skin over healthy, silvery formation of easily flaking scaly skin. The affected areas often become inflamed and bleed due to the large accumulation of small blood vessels in the skin. Such areas are called plaques. The latter tend to increase both in number and size. They can merge together with nearby sores.

Inverse psoriasis or flexor psoriasis. It has the appearance of smooth formations on which the skin either does not peel off at all, or there is minimal peeling. They practically do not protrude above the surface of the skin, but the lesions are red. The main location is places on the body that bend, in other areas are at a minimum. Often affected: genitals, groin, inner thighs, armpits, folds in obesity, under the breasts in women. This disease is aggravated by the fact that the specific location of the sores leads to the fact that the condition is aggravated by friction and the presence of sweat. Often complicated by the occurrence of a fungal infection.

Guttate psoriasis. This type is characterized by the presence of small rashes, sometimes similar to pimples, protruding above the surface of the skin. The color of the formations can be from pink to purple. They resemble droplets or circles in shape, hence the name. Often formed on the legs, hair, forearm, thighs, neck and back. It often occurs under the influence of third-party pathogens.

Exudative or pustular psoriasis is the most complex and severe form of psoriasis. It looks like bubbles and blisters raised above the surface of healthy skin, which are filled with liquid. Problem areas of the skin thicken, peel off easily. Inflammatory processes are often observed. Most often, inflammation is localized on the limbs: arms and legs. However, severe cases are characterized by inflammation throughout the body.

Nail psoriasis or psoriatic onychodystrophy - the shape of the nails changes. Changes are observed in both color and shape. Transverse stripes, white spots, or complete alteration of the nail plate may be observed. Particularly severe forms lead to the fact that the nail simply falls out of the bed.

Psoriatic arthritis is inflammation of the joints and connective tissue caused by psoriasis. It can often be observed, together with psoriatic onychodystonia, when the small joints of the phalanges of the fingers increase in size. But often such inflammation is noted in the hip, knee and shoulder joints. The neglected stage leads to the fact that the patient's condition reaches disability. A person loses the ability to move independently, without the help of special devices, and eventually becomes bedridden. This, in turn, leads to the appearance of pneumonia, bedsores and other related problems.

Erythrodermic psoriasis is also quite common. It is often accompanied by swelling, severe itching and painful skin conditions. As a rule, this is an inflamed condition of a vulgar appearance, when the treatment is abruptly canceled. May occur under the influence of severe stress, alcohol, colds.

Psoriasis in children

Fortunately, psoriasis is not as common in children as in adults. The disease is diagnosed among children in only 4% of cases. As we mentioned a little above, basically, psoriasis is diagnosed in cases where the mother or father was the carrier of the disease.

Less often, foci of inflammation in children appear on the face, although this place is no exception. Mostly areas with folds, the groin area, lower back, limbs and buttocks are affected. In infants, psoriasis is located in the area that comes into contact with the diaper. Often, sores occur on the arms and legs. As for the varieties of children's psoriasis, there are practically no differences from an adult. All types are diagnosed in babies, with the exception of drip.

Diagnosing the disease is very simple. In order not to confuse it with other diseases of a dermatological nature, the doctor will take a scraping from a sore spot and send it for analysis.

The decision on how to treat a disease in a child is made by a specialist on the basis of several factors: the duration of the disease, there are joint lesions, the patient's age, whether psoriasis has taken place before, etc. Today, doctors are trying with all their might to protect young patients from "hard" drug treatment, so as not to spoil the liver with antibiotics and hormones from a young age.

The signs of the appearance and the general symptoms of children's psoriasis are similar to those of an adult, there are no differences here. Continuing the topic of treating the disease, I would like to note that parents will have to knowingly prepare that the process will be long and not always pleasant, but the child's health is worth it. In order to speed up healing and prevent relapse, it is very important to seek the help of a specialist in a timely manner, and then strictly follow the doctor's prescriptions.

Unfortunately, there is no treatment that would give a 100% result that the sore will go away completely. It is likely that you will have to try several variations on your child, ranging from the simplest to the most serious. As a rule, psoriasis is only suppressed, but when exposed to a negative factor, it can immediately manifest itself. Before starting treatment, the current condition of the child, his age, the duration of the illness and other factors are taken into account. Therapy begins with the use of external means of treatment: ointments, lotions, etc. This may also include physiotherapy and taking measures that will help increase the body's resistance, ie. boost the immune system.

Only in the most severe and neglected cases, doctors can take drastic measures and prescribe hormonal drugs for admission. In no case should you self-medicate here. As soon as you find the symptoms of psoriasis in your child, immediately contact a specialist. Remember, this disease is unpleasant for its host. A person experiences pain and itching in the affected areas - do not torment your baby.

Is psoriasis contagious?

Anyone who has seen what psoriasis looks like or has personally dealt with it know that this disease looks unpleasant, moreover, some papules cause real disgust, especially in large numbers. Inadvertently, the question is ripening, is it contagious? We will briefly and unequivocally answer the most common questions on this topic.

• Numerous studies have been carried out, the results of which show that psoriasis is not transmitted through personal contact with the patient: neither through hugging, nor through handshakes, etc.
• Even through sexual intercourse, psoriasis is not transmitted. Psoriasis is an individual disease.
• There is no direct evidence that a pregnant woman can transmit the disease to her baby. Although, as mentioned earlier, if relatives on the first line suffered from this ailment (i.e. mother or father), then the chances of a problem in the child multiply increase. However, there are no clear signs of the relationship between disease and kinship.

If you are tormented by questions about the infectiousness of psoriasis, remember - this is a non-infectious disease and cannot be infected in any way.

Psoriasis: photo

Psoriasis treatment

Psoriasis is rarely treated with any one drug or method, as a rule, it is a whole complex of measures that allows you to achieve maximum results in the shortest possible time. This includes eliminating symptoms, treating the disease itself, and preventing relapse. Unfortunately, even the most advanced methods do not help as often as we would like, and this is due to several reasons at once. Firstly, as we said earlier, at the moment there are no precisely established reasons that would cause psoriasis. Secondly, the only precisely established cause - stress - can be eliminated only by the patient himself, but it is very difficult to cope with it and here the help of a psychologist is rather needed.

The ideal way to start fighting the disease is to go to a sanatorium for treatment. There, specialists will conduct a comprehensive analysis of the state of health and carry out the same treatment for all organs. As a rule, in 26% of cases it is possible to get rid of psoriasis with just such a treatment, or simply by changing the climate.

In 33% of cases, success in treatment is achieved by adhering to special diets, which are compiled by doctors on an individual basis for each patient. The specialist identifies products that act as provocateurs of the problem and eliminates them from the patient's diet.

In 37% of cases, people preferred ointments. The remaining percentage was divided between treatment with salt baths, calcium and sodium salts, immunomodulators and methods for complete cleansing of the body.

Below we give options for treating psoriasis with traditional medicine. Medication can only be prescribed by a doctor, after a thorough and complete examination.

Ointment for psoriasis

Creams and ointments can be used to treat psoriasis. Few people know how these two forms of drug release differ, especially if we take into account their often identical structure. In short, ointments, due to their composition (and they are based on dense components, often fats), contribute to a slower passage of active substances into the skin, in contrast to creams. That is why, when applying such preparations to the surface, you need to apply a bandage in order to create a warming effect and quick penetration.

Creams, on the other hand, often have a lighter base (water / oil / alcohol, etc.), which allows them to be quickly and easily absorbed into the skin and not leave behind greasy spots and other traces.

In addition, both ointments and psoriasis creams can be hormonal and non-hormonal. Of course, the second option is preferable, since in the first case, unpleasant consequences often arise, despite the fact that they are much higher in efficiency.

Among all drugs, the following are most commonly used:

• Salicylic ointment. It softens the skin well, promotes the rapid exfoliation of dead cells and accelerates the regeneration of new ones.
• Similar to the previous drug, an ointment with boric acid works. The course of treatment with it is about two to three weeks, after that there is no point in using it, since the effectiveness is greatly reduced. The composition is applied to the affected area with a thin layer once a day.
• Zinc ointment well inhibits the growth of psoriasis plaques. In addition, it promotes the absorption of thickened areas on the skin. It should also be borne in mind that it is addictive. Therefore, after a month's course of treatment, it is reasonable to take the same break.
• Relieves inflammation, resolves problem areas on the skin and promotes the regeneration of new cells - salicylic-zinc paste.

Ointments that contain tar or solid oil are effective in the treatment of psoriasis. Ichthyol and sulfuric ointments are popular. In fact, there are many drugs that help to cure the disease in the shortest possible time, but which remedy to give preference to should be decided at a session with a doctor.

Alternative treatment of psoriasis

Do not belittle the possibilities of treatment with folk remedies. Often they have no less effect, and in some cases even more. In addition, the positive side is the minimum of contraindications and side effects. So, here are some recipes from the book of traditional medicine:

• Even in the most advanced cases, ordinary tar shows good performance. In just 2-3 weeks you can achieve tangible results. If you are not allergic to this drug, you should try it first. Use a cotton swab to apply tar to the affected areas first for 10 minutes, and then, as the skin gets used to, increase the exposure time to 40 minutes. The procedure is best done once a day in the evenings. The first positive changes can be noted in a couple of days.
• In second place in terms of effectiveness is the usual grease. It also has a wonderful effect not only on the "fresh", but also on the "old" disease. The duration of the course is one to two months. Apply the composition with a generous layer to sore areas of the body. Leave it on the skin for 20 minutes for the first week, after which the time can be increased to an hour. Before that, it will be useful to make sure that there is no allergy to it.
• Since it is commonly believed that psoriasis develops against the background of increased acidity of the skin, soda is used to treat the ailment, which neutralizes this acidity, thereby eliminating psoriasis. If the damage to the body is large, then you can try using baking soda baths. Dissolve 900 g of the product in a hot bath and sit in it for half an hour. Do not rinse after the session. If the lesions are single, you can prepare a solution: two teaspoons per glass of water. With the ready-made composition, wipe sore spots twice a day.
• Another natural healer is propolis. The duration of the course of treatment with them is about three weeks. Grind 50 g of propolis (it is better to grate) and 500 g of butter. Melt the butter (ideally natural) and boil it. Pour in the propolis and, while stirring, wait until it completely dissolves. Cool the mixture. Store the finished ointment only in the refrigerator. Before applying it to the skin, treat the affected areas with hydrogen peroxide, then apply the mass on gauze and apply to the affected areas. Rewind and leave for 12 hours.

Prevention of psoriasis

Here are six key points to help ensure quality psoriasis prevention.

• Proper skin care. Excessive attention to your hygiene is a direct road to psoriasis. After bathing, apply moisturizing lotions and oils to your skin to help keep it in top condition. In the summer, take air baths, pour yourself with cool water. Firstly, it will have a positive effect on the beauty of the body, and secondly, it will strengthen the immune system. Choose your body cosmetics carefully and do not skimp on quality products.
• Medicines. Never self-prescribe and do not take medications that a friend or acquaintances have advised you. This can negatively affect overall health, weaken the body's defenses and give rise to psoriasis.
• Analyze your lifestyle. Spend more time in nature, walk in the fresh air. Play sports and lead a healthy lifestyle. This will make it easier to endure stress, which is known to be the root cause of illness.
• We are what we eat. Minimize, or even better, give up the consumption of junk food: fatty, fried, smoked. All this does not have the best effect on health and can contribute to the appearance of skin diseases.
• Clothing. Try to wear less outfits that are made of artificial materials, give preference to natural fabrics.
• And, of course, calmness, only calmness. Nerves are the primary source of absolutely all health problems and not only psoriasis. Enjoy life and enjoy every minute. And then you will see how everything will change for the better and many sores will go away by themselves.