What is psoriasis: causes, symptoms and treatment

Over the past few decades, dermatology has increasingly begun treating cases of psoriatic dermatitis. Statisticians note that these cases most commonly occur in people with fair skin. Although experts have yet to establish an age limit for this rampant disease, the most active phase of the disease has been documented to be between the ages of 15 and 45. In terms of prevalence, psoriasis currently affects every 25 people on the planet, which is approximately 4. 2% of the world’s population according to 2016 WHO (World Health Organization) data.

What kind of disease is psoriasis and what are its external symptoms?

This sore is named after its characteristic external signs - red plaques and scaly papules, which are formed from a rash, accompanied by itching and inflammation of the skin. Psoriasis, also known as scaly lichen, has its own rather broad classification of types, symptoms, and causes of onset, progression, and worsening of the disease. The general picture of pathology today is such that it does not give physicians a clear idea of its definite origin and treatment. Therefore, doctors must work with patients to find partial cures.Today the definition of psoriasis is accepted by all experts as a non-communicable disease that occurs mainly for various reasons and must be treated carefully and with utmost care under the constant supervision of several specialists, not just dermatologists. The word psoriasis itself means "itching" (from the Greek "psora"), "scabies" (from the English term also written "psora"). Diagnosis of the disease is done comprehensively, not just by skin or blood tests.

Additional Information:The peculiarities of this disease have not yet been fully studied, and patients must be prepared for sustained, long-lasting, and long-lasting cures, as well as for periodic exacerbations alternating with phases of remission and remission, lasting from weeks to weeks. Year.

Classification of psoriasis types

When a specialist wants to determine exactly whether a patient has psoriasis, what are these rashes on his skin, and what is the unbearable desire to constantly scratch the sores, what type of disease does it belong to and what is the patient suffering from, then the specialist can focus on the diseasespecial classification. Moreover, she is not alone. There are at least four people today. She should briefly review and have a general understanding.

According to ICD-10

According to the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, this type of dermatitis is divided into the following types:

1. Ordinary or plaque type. Prevalence – 90-95%. Manifestation - papulosquamous structure of gray, white, pink tones. As they grow, entire "islands" and "lakes" of diseased skin can form.
2. Generalized pustules or "impetigo", "Tsumbusha" disease, exudative. It starts with blisters and blisters that contain fluid (exudate). After rupture, ulcers and self-infection develop.
3. Persistent or allogeneic epidermopathy, Seton's or Crocker's acrodermatosis. Fluid or pustule formation in plaques and papules is sterile and free of extensive self-contamination. Nails and fingers are often affected.
4. Palmar and plantar lesions. Small sores on the palms and soles of the feet that are not self-infected. This makes it difficult for patients to achieve quality of life while walking and working with their hands.
5. teardrop shape. Purple, pink, gray dots on the body usually begin after severe sore throat, strep throat, pharyngitis, and other contagious viral illnesses.
6. Arthropathy appearance. Damage to the joints of fingers, hands, knees, and lower legs. Prevalence – 10% of all psoriasis patients.
7. Other, reverse and unspecified. Smooth patches appear in delicate areas of skin with lower rates of exfoliation.

According to this classification, which reveals what this or that type means, what the disease is, the essence of what psoriasis is, pathology is assigned a special code - L40. Different numbers can be added to this code to indicate specific types of illnesses.

According to clinical parameters

The disease can also be classified based on clinical criteria, expressed as follows:

• By location - specify body part;
• Based on clinical picture - nature, texture of psoriasis;
• By stage of progression - disease progression, quiescence, regression;
• based on performance in a given season;
• By area of skin area - less than 20% of the epidermis is affected, more than 20% or the entire skin is affected.

Classified by United States

When the National Foundation defines psoriasis, what disease it is and its types are classified in the following order:

• Mild skin damage - less than 2%;
• Average severity of transmission – from 2% to 10%;
• Severe stage of skin damage - 10% and above.

According to the PASI index

Another international way of defining psoriatic sores is one found in the arsenal of medical diagnosticians, which assigns types of the disease based on the following principles:

• PASI indexes exist between 0 and 72 values;
• This index indicates the severity of dermatitis;
• Only experts can calculate this index.

Doctors may use any of these classifications when determining the type of disease, but practice shows that the ICD-10 system is the most commonly used. Without accurate type definitions, it will be difficult for doctors to understand what type of disease psoriasis is and how to treat it.

General symptoms

All doctors and research scientists believe that psoriasis is not a contagious phenomenon and that it cannot be passed from an affected person to a healthy person. If the characteristic pustular scaly rash initially forms as a fluid swelling and then ruptures, resulting in dry wounds, coverings, and scales, it is called a papule. From the Latin "Papula". It means "knot". But if the redness is not watery, and the swelling on the surface of the skin is compacted and then turns into a wound due to constant scratching, festers and forms scales, then what we are talking about is plaque.

notes!Psoriasis is a disease in which there are always scaly structures above the surface of the affected skin. From Latin for "scale". It means "scaly, " so the diagnosis might be written on a line on the checklist: "Epidermal papulosquamous cell disease. "

Symptoms of psoriasis

In defining psoriasis, we focus on its symptoms, which can be represented by the following unified list of manifestations:

1. Papules are swellings on the surface of the skin that contain infectious or sterile fluid.
2. Plaques are red spots that grow and fester over time.
3. The patches can be gray, reddish, yellowish, or purple in spots.
4. The texture of the affected skin surface ranges from moist and pustular to dry and scaly.
5. Scaling and flaking are characteristic of all types of disease.
6. The patient's general condition includes irritability, nervousness, lethargy, fatigue, and apathy.

The stages and extent of psoriasis development

These stages not only show what psoriasis is and the characteristics of its type, but they can also tell doctors how to treat the disease. Usually divided into 3 stages.

weak stage

• Papules and plaques are rare and isolated;
• No unbearable itching;
• There is no severe swelling yet;
• It often occurs after exposure to stress or a serious infection.

Reinforcement phase

• Defined as Kobner syndrome;
• Sudden lesions appear in different parts of the human body;
• Papules and plaques merge and grow into entire "paraffin lakes";
• Pain and itching are typical symptoms of this period.

worsening of condition

• scale form;
• Dry skin;
• The rash no longer grows;
• scales fall off;
• skin injuries;
• The skin where the plaque is located increases in thickness.

for reference:Remission is a separate phase considered the lull in a pathological condition.

Causes of disease

Although there are no answers to the questions of what is psoriatic dermatitis and what causes it, nature has shown that certain prerequisites can trigger the onset of the disease.Such patterns indicate the following possible causes:

1. Genetic predisposition.
2. Weak immune system.
3. Recently experienced severe psychological trauma, exposure to infection, virus.
4. Side effects of medications.
5. Residential climate conditions change dramatically.
6. Human allergies.
7. Imbalances in the gastrointestinal tract, endocrine, excretory, and cleansing systems.
8. Slow metabolism due to a sedentary lifestyle and poor diet, sleep, and wakefulness.

important!Pain can occur even after severe sunburn and continued friction with synthetic clothing fabrics in areas of the body's skin folds. Even excessive consumption of low-quality food (containing high amounts of chemicals, preservatives, food compounds), alcohol, drugs (toxic substances) or tobacco can worsen the condition. This was all recorded through a process of elimination - for example, when a patient restricted bad habits, his condition got better.

Diagnosis of Psoriasis – What is it?

When people ask about psoriasis, what it is, and which doctors they should contact, if they have noticed similar symptoms in themselves or their loved ones or friends, the first place they should contact a dermatologist is. After this, an inspection will be scheduled, which may involve a number of other highly specialized experts:

• Histologist - studies the blood cells in this condition;
• Immunologists - determine why the body's resistance to viruses weakens;
• Endocrinologist - if disruption of hormone levels and endocrine system function is suspected;
• Infectious disease specialists – test for the presence of infections or viruses in a person’s body;
• Dietitians will determine appropriate nutrition for patients and other professionals.

Diagnosis is performed using the following mechanisms and techniques:

1. Perform an external examination of the affected skin area.
2. Blood tests will show whether the joints are affected by the disease.
3. A biopsy can reveal the stage of the disease and verify (diagnose a specific type of disease).

The internet alone isn't helpful when it comes to determining the specific type of psoriasis. Furthermore, encyclopedic reference books are usually filled out by any Internet user who is both knowledgeable about the specifics of the disease and a layperson.

notes!Biopsy is one of the main diagnostic procedures, in which a piece of affected skin is taken for laboratory testing. The results show the level of T lymphocyte proliferation, which cells are strong and which are weak.

Difficulties in life for people with psoriasis

When a patient is first exposed to psoriasis and does not know which disease they have, they often experience the following conditions that accompany the course of dermatitis:

• frustrated;
• feeling of inferiority;
• Difficulties in the social sphere - people often believe that the disease is contagious out of ignorance and stop communicating with the sick person;
• cardiovascular disease - sometimes even heart attack;
• Stress Imbalance – High Blood Pressure;
• Diabetes – Type 2 is especially common;
• You must limit your diet;
• You need to adapt to an active lifestyle, which is extremely difficult when you are mentally depressed;
• Physical discomfort - difficulty getting dressed, bathing, bathing, moving arms, legs, sleeping, etc.

Again, this all affects patients who are not encountering the disease for the first time, but who are already mentally prepared to face it and work to reduce its intensity.

for reference:Remission (the weakening phase of the disease) can last for several years only with effective treatments and the prescription of courses, methods, and methods of treatment.

How to treat psoriasis

This also greatly affects the emotions of the patient himself when the doctor himself does not fully understand all the causes of the worsening condition and how to eliminate it forever. But you just have to convince yourself that if the disease is incurable, you can improve your quality of life for a few years. Therefore, psoriasis can only be cured through a combined approach of all practices, methods and methods available in nature. Even doctors do not disdain folk remedies, as long as the patient discusses one or the other method with his doctor beforehand.

traditional method

Once they determine the type of dermatitis - psoriasis is also dermatitis, what type of disease it is, and its type - doctors immediately begin specific procedures that are said to ultimately produce positive results. Treatment begins with the following steps:

1. Disinfect the affected area to prevent infection yourself.
2. Forced relief of the inflammatory process with drugs.
3. Plaques need to be addressed, and special medications are prescribed for this purpose.
4. The same applies to scales - so that they do not fall off painfully, it is possible to soften them with lotions, use various softening ointments, tinctures, mixtures.
5. Doctors prescribe injections and tablets, such as immunosuppressants, which restore the function of the immune system and improve psychophysical conditions.
6. They use ultraviolet irradiation, plasma exchange and other methods to purify the blood.
7. Health resort treatments with mud and salt water. For example, the resorts at the Dead Sea in Israel. This method is not cheap and takes 28 days, but it is 100% effective.
8. Take salt baths and herbal baths.
9. Special diet, exercise.

In addition to the above methods, surgery is performed on the valves of the small intestine, which are responsible for cleaning the system. Typically, patients can feel better up to 5-6 years earlier after this type of surgery.

important!The base drug is always an antimetabolite of the group of structural analogues of folic acid, which is given to the body via intramuscular injection.

Traditional medicine for treating psoriasis

The disease can also be treated with traditional methods, as some plants, seeds and fruits have their own medicinal properties. This is an economical option for those who are unable to travel to the resort. At home, you can prepare a medicated bath for yourself and prepare various ointments using Kalanchoe flowers, honey and other ingredients. Only the patient should consult his doctor first. Here you also have to follow a strict diet, sleep, work and physical activity regimen.

additional measures

Any attending physician would prohibit a patient from sunbathing more than 6 hours a day, 2 times a day. At the same time, the sun should not be at its highest point and burn strongly, otherwise it will only cause burns and worsen the condition. In addition to sun exposure, psoriasis can also be temporarily cured by adding a special diet. The most common system now is the Pegano diet. Additionally, you should abstain from all common addictions such as cigarettes, alcohol, large amounts of sweets, and other indulgences.

Additional Information:Sudden dieting is not recommended. Additionally, you should always remember your intestines, which need help from fiber and sunflower oil. Therefore, you can eat sunflower seeds and add various permitted fiber-rich foods to your dishes.

5 preventive measures for people susceptible to psoriasis

So that people do not have any doubts about psoriasis - what kind of disease it is and how to treat it, people should also listen to some advice from experts on how to protect themselves as much as possible from this disease. Even if you're not predisposed to developing this disease, here are 5 basic tips:

1. Protect yourself from all kinds of infections, dress warmly, don’t catch cold, and have the most positive attitude towards life.
2. Be active, eat, sleep and stay awake regularly.
3. Give up any bad habits or hobbies like baking, sweets, which contain a lot of sugar.
4. Wear clothes made primarily from natural fiber fabrics.
5. All pain relievers or other medications should be taken after consulting a doctor and never self-medicated.

for reference:Slow metabolism not only leads to psoriasis but also obesity, liver disease, kidney disease, heart disease and other dysfunctions. Therefore, reducing carbohydrates in your menu, taking more walks in the fresh air and engaging in physical activity will help anyone stay healthy at all times!

There is currently no complete cure for the disease; as some cases of psoriasis are registered, experts are figuring out the cause. The treatment process was very long, drawn out and difficult. Patients not only need to change their lifestyle, but also need to observe themselves and keep a diary to record all their conditions. Therefore, any delay in contacting your doctor will only make the situation worse. Patients should not torture themselves like this and be afraid to show themselves to the doctor. It is better to start looking for a solution to the problem immediately instead of piling up like a snowball.