I tried many medicines for my disease - psoriasis, but still red spots appear several times a year. Then they pass, after two or three weeks. After a while everything repeats again. Tell us more about this disease and how to get rid of it,” asks a MedPulse reader. What will the dermatologist say

Dermatologist, to. , Alexey Levin What causes psoriasis?

Psoriasis is a chronic, non-contagious skin disease, known even in pre-Petrine Rus', where this dermatosis was called " But not so much because of the high danger to life (even itching does not appear in all patients here, and serious complications occur in less than 10% of the case), but because of the unusually insidious and stubborn nature of this disease.. Skin " And until now, psoriasis remains one of the most mysterious ailments..

For example, it has long been suggested that it is an autoimmune disease.. But recently, American scientists discovered two genes responsible for the division of epidermal cells.. Mutations in these genes, according to researchers, disrupt the order of cell division, leading to the formation of plaques.. Here is another possible reason for you - genetic. But can't there be another - an infectious-viral? Swedish scientists have isolated a retrovirus that they believe is a specific causative agent of psoriasis. In short, the root cause of the disease is still unknown..

In the highest risk group are suspicious, anxious people with increased emotionality, who, even before the onset of psoriasis, in response to stress, " Therefore, if we talk about the prevention of the disease, I would advise such people to have a simpler attitude to life problems.

In northern countries, this dermatosis occurs twice as often as in southern countries.. This dependence is associated with the amount of sunlight. Therefore, one more piece of advice on how to protect yourself from psoriasis is not to overdo it in sun protection.. There are hygiene rules for healthy and safe natural tanning. Follow them, but don't hide from the sun like the Snow Maiden!

In psoriasis, the cells of the upper epidermal layer of the skin divide 30 times faster than normal.. But they do not have time to mature, which is why strong ties are not established between them.. As a result, the skin with psoriasis resembles a hastily built brick wall, high, but fragile..

Outwardly, this " If you rub them, they scrape off easily, like drops of a stearin candle.. This is called the stearin stain symptom.. With further scraping, spotted droplets of blood are released (a symptom of blood dew). It is due to the fact that the epidermis has been scraped off to the superficial vessels of the skin. In the deeper layers of psoriasis, inflammation occurs and skin vessels dilate.. This is due to the pink or red color of the plaques..

Ordinary (plaque) psoriasis, to which our article is devoted, occurs in the majority (85%) of cases.. Other forms combined make up about 15%. These varieties are not like ordinary psoriasis, and there are many features in their treatment.. But in any type of this disease, the most common complication is psoriatic arthritis.. If left untreated, the patient becomes disabled. Remember this, and at least once a year see an arthrologist or orthopedist.

Upon hearing the diagnosis of psoriasis for the first time, many people experience shock and a sense of doom.. Well, they can be understood... After all, medicine still does not know how to completely uproot the " And such patients everywhere become the object of anxious glances, since the disease is obvious to others due to obvious external manifestations..

I give my patients special advice on adapting to illness:.

• learn about it as much as possible, communicate more with other patients with psoriasis,.

• feel free to tell people about your illness, always starting with the fact that it is not contagious,.

• find a doctor with whom you have established a good psychological contact, be treated only by him, and be critical of the promises of other doctors, and even more so healers, to completely rid you of psoriasis,.

• do not hide from friends and family, reassure them by explaining that psoriasis, if carefully treated, is not life threatening,.

• if you can't cope with your worries about the disease, contact a psychotherapist immediately, because against the background of psoriasis, depression develops especially quickly, often in severe forms.

How psoriasis is treated The most commonly used drugs for psoriasis are topical drugs, and corticosteroids are among them.. These hormonal drugs that reduce inflammation and suppress autoimmune reactions in the skin come in the form of ointments, creams, lotions.. Corticosteroids start acting quickly but lose their effect over time. Therefore, they are well suited for short-term treatment, and for long-term, be sure to take a break for a few weeks.. Useful in the fight against psoriasis and creams, including calcipotriol. Chemically, it is a derivative of vitamin D.. The drug reduces the rate of division of skin cells, normalizes their maturation. The oldest traditional medicine for the treatment of psoriasis is tar (coal or birch), which is now part of creams and shampoos..

Artificial ultraviolet irradiation is also used against psoriasis.. Depending on the wavelength, it is divided into UV-A and UV-B..

Sources of UV-B radiation are available only in specialized centers for the treatment of psoriasis.

This is a very effective, but, alas, expensive method..

Not included in the standards of state insurance medicine and PUVA therapy, that is, UV-A in combination with taking photosensitizing (increasing sensitivity to the sun) substances. But UV-A sources are more common and available.. UV-A is what causes sunburn. Therefore, tanning beds and household UV lamps emit UV-A. However, in psoriasis, this light therapy becomes effective only when combined with photosensitizing drugs..

Be aware of possible side effects of light therapy. This is premature skin aging and an increased risk of skin cancer..

Of the drugs for oral and injection, methotrexate, a cytostatic drug that suppresses the accelerated division of skin cells in psoriasis, has a strong effect.; acitretin, which is a derivative of vitamin A and normalizes the division of skin cells; Finally, cyclosporine. This is a powerful immunosuppressant, which is used in particular in organ transplants to prevent their rejection..

But these drugs have a number of side effects that your doctor should warn you about, and some of them can be weakened, but others are inevitable..

Fasting days are needed To reduce the risk of exacerbations of psoriasis, you need to remember a few rules.

When taking a shower or bath, do not use a hard sponge or washcloth, like hard soap, but only a soft sponge or cotton napkin. After showering, apply an emollient cream to keep skin smooth. Wear light, loose, cotton clothing.

Limit time spent in air conditioning during the summer. If you are forced to be in such a room, then put a container of water near you..

Protect the skin from cuts and injuries, as they can exacerbate the disease, minimize stressful situations.

Your diet should be rich in animal proteins, vitamins and exclude too fatty, spicy, and salty foods.. During exacerbations, you can not take antibiotics, alcoholic beverages, as well as foods that can cause allergies (eggs, smoked meats, citrus fruits, honey, spices).

Give preference to vegetarian soups, but let the main dishes be meat (preferably boiled or stewed rabbit, chicken, turkey). Dairy products are also useful, and the usual (2.5-3.0%) fat content. Complement the main menu with buckwheat, barley and rice porridge. Potatoes, beans, cabbage are best for garnishing, but not mealy foods. Raw vegetables and fruits should be on the table every day throughout the year: apples, cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots, beets, onions, fresh garlic, dill, parsley.

Very useful for psoriasis 2 unloading days a week. The menu on such days can be varied.

Meat day: 400 g of boiled beef is divided into 5 doses. Additionally, 2 times a day, 100 g of garnish (raw white cabbage, carrots, cucumbers) and 2 cups of rosehip broth.

Cottage cheese-kefir day: 400 g of cottage cheese and 500 g of kefir are taken during the day in 5 doses.

Apple day: 1.5 kg of apples, better than sour varieties (Antonov) during the day. Nothing to drink on this day.

Kefir day: 1.5 liters of kefir during the day.

Vegetable day: 1.5 kg of vegetables (excluding potatoes) are best stewed. Optional - 2 cups of rosehip broth or weak unsweetened tea. Vegetables are divided into 5 receptions.

Vadim Kirillov nedug. en.