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 (scaly lichen) is a disease with a "rich" millennial history. Despite the confirmed and difficult to treat nature of the disease, everyone seems ready to help with the recovery.
Sensational drug ads abound at all stages, disease elimination is promised by miracle devices and "innovative technologies", healers and Internet forums. Dermatologists also do not sleep and do their best, study and test new drugs, but they do not promise miracles as a result of treatment.
What is psoriasis
Psoriasis is called dermatosis. In this chronic non-infectious disease, cell division of the skin occurs 28 times faster than it should be normal. Cells do not have time to fully mature, their intercellular communication is disturbed, which leads to thickening of the upper layers of the skin and the formation of pronounced desquamation and plaques.
During the disease, cells of the immune system attack the skin's own cells, so the process is accompanied by chronic autoimmune inflammation. The large foci formed are able to form their own blood vessels, penetrated by capillaries, inside themselves.
The causes of psoriasis. Can they be infected?
For the first time, the process and course of psoriasis was described in the early 19th century by the English physician Robert Willen. The disease was finally differentiated from leprosy, its non-infectious character was proven, and as a result, it was impossible to contract it from another person. From that moment an active search began, which has not stopped until now. But, alas, without much result. . .
There are many versions of the onset of the disease, the main of them concerns the hereditary character, but this has not been definitively confirmed. It is known that psoriasis can occur at any age, and in recent years it has become noticeably "younger" and is recorded even in newborns.
Symptoms of psoriasis
There are several types of psoriasis. The main one - plaque (or ordinary) psoriasis - is detected in 80 percent of patients. It is characterized by the appearance of small, scaly spots that grow and merge into large spots - psoriatic plaques. Their surface is covered with silvery white scales, which easily detach from the skin when brushing.
The plaques can be located on any part of the body - on the legs, back, shoulders, scalp and face, but initially appear in places subject to one or another of friction: onthe elbows, on the waist line (from the pressure of the belt and clothes), in places of tight underwear. With the exacerbation, the plaques gradually grow and spread in different directions. Typically, the process is systemic and occurs once or twice a year.
Periods of deterioration are associated with
- general weakening of the immune system,
- stress,
- eating disorders and
- other reasons (cosmetics, unusual food or drink).
If left untreated, common psoriasis can develop such unpleasant consequences as nail psoriasis, dripping and oozing 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 condition of the skin. In addition, ancient doctors used a mixture of oils and fatty acids, the remains of which were found near graves. 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 outcome.
Currently, the following concept has been formed: the patient requires mandatory observation by a dermatologist and systematic treatment, including taking 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.
The appointments are strictly individual, taking into account the concomitant pathologies. An important role is given to the external treatment of psoriasis, the purpose of which is to drown out the superficial process. Salicylic ointment is used in combination with hormonal agents, recently a new drug was successfully tested - ointment, an analogue of vitamin D. The latter is produced in the skin under the influence of sunlight, butits lack is one of the causes of pathological processes in psoriasis.
The ointment does not fundamentally solve the problem, but it noticeably improves the condition of the skin, relieves flaking, and facilitates the course of the disease without the side effects that hormonal ointments are so rich in. Patients are advised to use daily body moisturizers, diet and vitamins, as well as annual spa treatment. Timely and regular treatment allows you to achieve a period of remission, that is, to drown the manifestation of the disease for a long time.
The original method of treating psoriasis is the use of Garra rufa fish, which devours the skin of psoriatic plaques without touching healthy areas. For the first time, the fish began to be used in the spa resort of Kangal (Turkey), but later it 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 worsens the course of the disease. It is much easier for those who have been able to develop a positive attitude towards the disease and have learned to live with it, preventing an exacerbation in time with adequate treatment. In this they are supported by a number of researchers who call for seeing the disease as nothing more than a gift of nature.
It has been noticed that psoriasis patients look ten years younger than their peers, and their bodies cope with internal injuries and illnesses much faster than ordinary people. The increased cell proliferation, responsible for the pathological process, plays a positive role in the stages of healing.
The skin is protected from radiation and ultraviolet rays by high levels of antioxidants, so people can spend hours in the sun without worrying about an overdose. They are also protected from cancer, because defective and pathological cells die quickly and are replaced by healthy cells.
According to the biophysicist, author of the most optimistic theory, psoriasis is a long-term experience of nature. In his opinion, patients with psoriasis are carriers of the golden gene pool of humanity, which prepares nature for the future survival of people under extreme conditions. After all, the state of health of those whose cells are born and die at an extreme rate is resistant to many negative factors.
Either way, psoriasis is not a cause of depression and limitation of social activity. It is quite possible to "agree" with him, you just need to pay a little more attention to his health and the condition of his own skin. In addition, participation in an experiment on a global scale obliges him to do so.