Skin diseases are unpleasant in themselves. And if even long-term systematic treatment does not guarantee a positive result, the situation turns into a real problem.
Psoriasis (squamous lichen) is a disease with a "rich" millennial history. Despite the confirmed and difficult to treat nature of the disease, everyone seems to be ready to help in the cure.
Announcements for sensational drugs are full at every step, getting rid of the disease is promised by miraculous devices and "innovative technologies", healers and internet forums. Dermatologists also do not sleep and do everything possible, study and test new drugs, but do not promise miracles as a result of treatment.
What is psoriasis
Psoriasis is called dermatosis. In this chronic non-infectious disease, skin cell division occurs 28 times faster than it should be normal. The cells do not have time to fully mature, their intercellular communication is interrupted, which leads to thickening of the upper layers of the skin and the formation of pronounced flakes and plaques.
During the course of the disease, the cells of the immune system attack the skin cells themselves, so the process is accompanied by chronic autoimmune inflammation. Large foci formed are able to form their own blood vessels, penetrated by capillaries, within themselves.
Causes of psoriasis. Can they be infected?
The process and course of psoriasis was first described in the early 19th century by the English physician Robert Willen. The disease was finally differentiated from leprosy, its non-infectious nature was proved and, consequently, the impossibility of infection by another person. From that moment active searches began, which have not stopped until now. But, alas, without much result. . .
There are many versions of the onset of the disease, the main one concerning the hereditary nature, but it has not been conclusively confirmed. It is known that psoriasis can appear at any age, and in recent years it has become significantly "younger" and has also been recorded in newborns.
Symptoms of psoriasis
There are several types of psoriasis. Primary psoriasis - plaque (or common) - is detected in 80 percent of patients. It is characterized by the appearance of small scaly spots that grow and melt into large spots - psoriatic plaques. Their surface is covered with white silvery scales, which easily detach from the skin during washing.
Plates can be placed on any part of the body - legs, back, shoulders, scalp and face, but first appear in places that are subject to one or another rubbing: on the elbows, at the waist line (from belt pressure and clothes), in places of tight-fitting underwear. With deterioration, the plaques grow, gradually spreading in different directions. As a rule, the process is systematic and occurs once or twice a year.
Periods of deterioration are associated with
- general weakening of the immune system,
- stress,
- Dietary disorders and
- other reasons (cosmetics, drinks or unusual foods).
If left untreated, common psoriasis can develop such unpleasant consequences as nail psoriasis, tear and exudative psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, etc.
How to cure psoriasis
The first attempts to treat psoriasis were made in ancient Greece, where they discovered the beneficial effects of sunlight on the skin condition. Ancient physicians also used a mixture of oils and fatty acids, the remains of which were found near tombs. In the Middle Ages, psoriasis was considered the "devil's seal" and a kind of leprosy: people were isolated from society in the leper colony, which led to a sad ending.
Currently, the following concept has been formed: the patient requires mandatory observation by a dermatologist and systematic treatment, including intake of B vitamins, calcium gluconate, nicotinic acid, antihistamines and anti-inflammatory drugs. Medicines are used to cleanse the liver, which plays an important role in the condition of the skin.
Appointments are strictly individual, taking into account concomitant diseases. An important role is given to the external treatment of psoriasis, the purpose of which is to stifle the superficial process. Salicylic ointment is used in combination with hormonal agents, recently a new drug was successfully tested - an ointment, an analogue of vitamin D. The latter is produced on the skin under the influence of sunlight, but its absence is one ofcauses of pathological processes in psoriasis.
Ointment does not radically solve the problem, but significantly improves the condition of the skin, lightens the skin and facilitates the course of the disease without the side effects with which hormonal ointments are so rich. Patients are advised to use daily moisturizing body lotions, diet and vitamins, as well as annual spa treatment. Timely and regular therapy allows you to achieve a period of remission, that is, to stifle the manifestation of the disease for a long time.
The original method of treating psoriasis is the use of Garra rufa fish, which eats the skin of psoriatic plaques without touching healthy areas. For the first time, fish began to be used in the thermal resort of Kangal (Turkey), but later appeared in a number of clinics and beauty salons.
An alternative view of psoriasis treatment
Many people with psoriasis are exposed to stress and negative attitudes towards the world around them, which worsen the course of the disease. It is much easier for those who were able to develop a positive attitude towards the disease and learned to live with it, preventing a timely deterioration with adequate treatment. In this they are supported by a number of scholars who call for considering the disease as nothing more than a gift from nature.
It has been observed that psoriasis patients look ten years younger than their peers and their body copes with internal wounds and diseases much faster than ordinary people. Increased cell proliferation, which is to blame for the pathological process, plays a positive role in the healing stages.
The skin is protected from radiation and ultraviolet radiation from high levels of antioxidants, so people can spend hours in the sun without fear of overdose. They are also protected against cancer, as damaged, pathological cells die quickly and are replaced by healthy ones.
According to the biophysicist, the author of the most optimistic theory, psoriasis is a long-term experiment of nature. In his opinion, patients with psoriasis are carriers of the golden pool of humanity genes, which prepares nature for the future survival of people in extreme conditions. After all, the health status of those whose cells are born and die to an extreme degree is resistant to many negative factors.
Either way, psoriasis is not a cause for depression and limitation of social activity. It is quite possible to "agree" with it, you just need to pay a little more attention to the health and condition of your skin. Moreover, participating in a world-class experiment forces this.