An important role in the fight against the symptoms of psoriasis play intelligently chosen therapy external and timely started treatment. A key principle in the choice of a treatment regime, particularly in the early stages of development of psoriasis, is the principle of "do no harm" — the treatment should not strike a blow to the health of the skin, causing the appearance of adverse effects in the form of atrophy of the skin or of a withdrawal syndrome. In fact, the main task of the therapy — to extend the periods of rest and the health of the skin without the sudden and recurrence and aggravation.
How long have people know about psoriasis?
With psoriasis, the mankind is familiar for many centuries. Traces of psoriatic is a skin lesion, the archaeologists found the mummified bodies of ancient peoples, preserved up to our days. Description very similar on the psoriasis rashes, you can meet with in the writings of Herodotus and Plato.
The first description of the clinical manifestations of psoriasis belongs to a former scientist Cornelius. The term itself psoriasis – psoriasis – comes from the Greek "psora" (scabies, scabies). This name occurs in the writings of Hippocrates.
However, scientific research on psoriasis, as the self-disease, began only at the beginning of the nineteenth century, with a description of its clinical symptoms of doctor English by Robert. In 1798, he had him of the leprosy, fungal infections, eczema, and then, in his book "Skin diseases" in 1808, has stressed typical and atypical for psoriasis, has also highlighted the role of genetic factors in the development of dermatitis.
While we now know on the basis of the disease? What is the impact on the course of external factors: stress, environment, poor eating habits?
The relationship of psoriasis and the nervous system is quite complicated, looks more like a vicious circle and is a bipolar model. On the one hand, stress and long periods of nervous tension aggravate the process, and the other, the condition of the skin (the presence of psoriatic rash) generates the anxiety of the patient, leads to the development of a chronic stress, which, in turn, aggravates the course of the disease, and closes the vicious circle.
Some drugs are taken for the treatment of other diseases, in some cases, can worsen the psoriasis. Among them, we can note the antibiotics (tetracycline, penicillin, against, chloramphenicol, etc), drugs, lithium, vitamin C and vitamins of the B group, beta-blockers, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, estrogenic means (contraceptive drugs), antiepileptic agents, immunomodulators. Can be at the origin of the aggravation of the process and vaccines and sera.
The environment, the profile of the food, bad habits – all this is negatively associated with the flow of psoriasis, and treatment.
What is the prevalence of psoriasis in the country?
The prevalence of psoriasis in the world is estimated to about 1-3% of the population. According to the information of the international organization, in 2010, on the planet has been saved 125 million patients with psoriasis. In Europe, they suffer up to 5 million people, which corresponds to the frequency of coronary heart disease and diabetes.
The highest rates in the northern countries of Europe (up 4%), the lowest in africa and in the countries of Latin america, and Japan (less than 0.5%).
As he is now diagnosed with psoriasis? What diseases can confused?
Psoriasis of the skin smooth manifests itself very typical of a rash and the diagnosis is exposed clinically. There are diagnostic of the sample, the triad of psa – the capacity of the chipping when poskablivanii, the appearance of blood cells points after the removal of the scales.
As psoriasis treated earlier, and how to deal with it now? Does it have a treatment more perfect and effective?
Until the middle of the last century, the main methods included the use of medicines with salicylic acid and helium, the thalassotherapy. Then appeared topical steroids (more on that later — analogues of vitamin D3) system and immunosuppressive drugs. But a breakthrough in the treatment of psoriasis can be regarded as appearance in the beginning of the 21st century of organic products. And, certainly, the arsenal of news and the system of drugs, methods of therapy it is now possible to choose effective treatment for each patient.
What approaches to the treatment of children and adults?
First of all, the psoriasis, you need to share a common and (severe and medium-severe). The treatment must be, given these data.
The difference in approaches to treat adults and children is due only to the age, the restrictions on the use of drugs (for example, calcipotriol is appointed at the age of 6 years) or methods of phototherapy (e.g. PUVA-therapy is named at the age of 18 years).
What are the common myths about the disease?
- Psoriasis is contagious. No, psoriasis is a disease chronic non-communicable a skin disease that is not transmitted from one person to the other and do not migrate from one part of the body to another. The patient suffering from psoriasis may travel freely in public places – baths, saunas, swimming pools, sharing of objects in everyday life, to undergo a treatment for the common diseases in hospitals.
- The impact of climate change on morbidity and if you move to a hot country psoriasis will not be. No, the climate on the prevalence of psoriasis is not affected. At the same time, one of his methods of treatment is a special treatment – the treatment of the sun and the sea water, but the accommodation in the hot regions, the maritime climate is not to protect the patient from exacerbations. A simple example is used of Israel: there treat successfully psoriasis on the seaside resorts of the Dead sea, but the impact of the population is not low in the world.
- The psoriasis can be avoided. The aggravating factors, nor themselves, nor the various combinations are not the cause of the disease. Today unknown, which serves as the initial impetus to the development of psoriasis, but because you have to take measures of prevention impossible. Not recipes it takes to make it, or, on the contrary, of what not to do to not get sick, psoriasis, non. Increase the period of remission, when eruptions on the skin are missing, you can, by avoiding actions causing or aggravating for the psoriasis factors in leading a healthy lifestyle and applying a therapy to support.
- Psoriasis can be treated by methods of so-called traditional medicine. The attitude of these methods in patients should be extremely careful. On the one hand, we know that there is no psoriasis of the tool that would help to heal, but the desire for this that he had to, to get rid of the disease pushes the patients to the various questionable acts (the use of healers, traditional healers), and it is a waste of the money spent. On the other hand, these "healers" offer to patients, such as, for example, the means of "clean development", which, generally, are present hormones, but in this case, the mode, and even more so their dosing can not be adjusted.
It is important to know the patient with psoriasis, and that it is necessary to remember?
The main can be considered as the principle: "learn to live with psoriasis". Existing to date for therapies not only allow us to achieve remission (skin cleansing), but to a certain extent, control the psoriasis (long term remission).
You must follow your doctor's recommendations and have patience, because all have need of time, including for medicines have acted. Unfinished courses, the use of multiple methods (in particular, from the series "advised") leads to the patient, not seeing the good results, disappointed, and believes that these methods do not help.