Psoriasis

Is psoriasis transmitted or not?

When answering the question of whether psoriasis is contagious or not, it should be understood that the disease is not transmitted sexually, nor by airborne droplets, nor by contact, nor by any other means. It is impossible to get infected with it.

Due to the interruption of the process of exfoliation of keratinized skin scales, dry patches appear on the body. You can't die from them, but patients experience serious psychological discomfort due to their appearance.

Causes of psoriasis

Exactly what causes psoriasis has not yet been established. There are different theories about the development of the disease. Experts tend to believe that skin and nail damage can be caused by:

• stress, negative emotional experiences;
• endocrine pathologies;
• hereditary predisposition;
• a malfunction of the immune system, due to which the growth and division processes of epithelial cells are disrupted.

The autoimmune cause of psoriasis is that T-helper and T-killer immune cells, normally responsible for protecting the body against tumor cells, pathogenic viruses and bacteria, begin to penetrate the upper layers of the skin. Substances that activate the inflammatory process are produced here. As a result, skin cells begin to divide and multiply rapidly. Proliferation is observed.

The development of psoriasis is also possible with the combined action of several factors from the list below:

• Very thin and poorly hydrated skin (little sebum is produced).
• Frequent contact with irritating compounds - low-quality cosmetics, alcohol solutions, household chemicals.
• Wash your body and hands very often (especially if you use a hard towel and antibacterial soap/shower gel).
• Alcohol abuse.
• The development of infectious diseases caused by staphylococci, streptococci, fungi.
• Taking antidepressants, lithium carbonate, beta blockers, antimalarial and anticonvulsant medications.
• Change of climatic zone.
• Mechanical injury to the skin.
• Tendency to allergic reactions.
• HIV infection.

Disease classification

If you study several photos of psoriasis at the initial stage, you will notice differences - there are several varieties of this dermatological pathology. Depending on the location of the injury, the following may occur:

• Scalp psoriasis (manifested by itching, cracking and bleeding of the skin).
• Nail psoriasis (the nail plate gradually separates from the bed and becomes painful, forming red spots).
• Palmoplantar psoriasis (the disease is common only on the soles of the feet and/or palms of the hands).
• Cutaneous psoriasis (dry plaques appear on different parts of the body).
• Arthropathic psoriasis (joints are affected).
• Genital psoriasis (a disease that affects the skin of the genitals).

Clinical forms of psoriasis:

• Common or vulgar. It appears as small, flat reddish-pink papules that rise slightly above healthy skin. The top of the papules is covered with light scales, which begin to fall off even with a light touch. If psoriasis treatment is not started in a timely manner, small lesions merge into large ones.
• Exudative. It is more common in people with obesity, hypothyroidism and diabetics. The symptoms of psoriasis in this form are as follows: the papules are bright red in color, with grayish-yellow scales visible on top of them. Plaques affect the skin folds - the armpits, the area under the mammary glands in women. Patients complain of itching and burning.
• Seborrheic. Psoriasis is seen on the head, behind the ear, nasolabial and nasolabial folds, between the shoulder blades and on the chest. The boundaries of the patches are not clearly defined. The peel is silvery yellow. If you look at a photo of psoriasis on your head, associations will arise with such a common fungal disease as dandruff.
• Palmoplantar. The disease occurs in people aged 30 to 50, whose work involves heavy physical labor. With this form, rashes may also appear on the body.
• Pustulate. Pustular elements form on the body. In medicine, an additional type of pustular form is identified - Tsumbusch psoriasis. It can be idiopathic (primary) - blisters appear on the skin, which turn into pustules. The pustules open and dry. Later, scaly rashes typical of the disease appear. And also secondary with a benign course. In this case, pustules appear on the surface of typical psoriatic plaques due to the irritating effect of the medications.
  Another type of pustular form is Barber's psoriasis. It only affects the soles of the feet and the palms of the hands. Purulent pustules are visualized on the skin. They do not open and, over time, turn into dark, dry crusts. Barber's psoriasis is distinguished by the symmetry of the lesion.
• Arthropathic (articular). Severe form. It occurs in patients who have skin rashes. It usually occurs five to six years after the first symptoms of the disease appear, if psoriasis treatment has been inadequate. Pathologies of the articular system can be different, from mild arthralgia that does not lead to changes in the articular apparatus, ending with deforming ankylosis (the joint remains completely immobile).
• Psoriatic erythroderma. It is a consequence of vulgar or exudative psoriasis. Almost all skin is affected. It becomes red, filled with a large number of dry scales. Body temperature rises, enlargement of lymph nodes (especially femoral and inguinal) is observed. If the patient does not learn how to treat psoriasis, hair loss and brittle nails are possible.

According to the criterion of seasonal relapses, psoriasis is divided into:

• summer;
• winter (most common);
• uncertain.

Psoriasis symptoms

Treatment depends on the dominant symptoms of psoriasis, which is why at the first consultation the doctor carries out a thorough examination of the patient and thoroughly examines the location of the psoriatic lesions.

More often the disease manifests itself in winter. In summer, under the influence of solar radiation, signs of psoriasis can disappear completely. However, with the "summer" form of the pathology, sun exposure, on the contrary, should be avoided. During an exacerbation, the patient complains of very intense itching. Damage to the nail plates is observed in only 25% of patients.

When there is disease on the scalp, the hair is not involved in the pathological process. First, the skin starts to peel. Over time, areas of rashes can "spread" to the neck area behind the ears. The inflammatory process is caused by the very rapid division of keratinocytes.

In psoriasis of the palms and feet, the stratum corneum becomes thickened and covered with deep cracks. A photo of early-stage psoriasis shows pustules with transparent contents. Later, they turn white and turn into dark scars.
As for the nail plates, the most common types of damage are:

• The nail becomes covered with holes that look like puncture marks ("thimble-like").
• The nail changes color and begins to peel, which resembles a fungal disease. A psoriatic papule surrounded by a red border can be seen through the nail plate.

Stages of psoriasis

Although there is still debate about what psoriasis is and what exactly can trigger its occurrence, the stages of the disease have already been well studied. There are three of them:

• Progressive (initial). New growths appear on the surface of the skin in the form of a rash, which tend to grow along the periphery. They spread across healthy skin and form oval or round plaques. The spots are pink or red. There is no flaky crust on them yet - just whitish scales. The edges of the lesions are slightly compacted. As a result of scratching, new rashes appear.
• Stationary. It occurs one to four weeks after the first symptoms of psoriasis. The plates become clearer. New rashes do not appear, old ones slowly dissolve. The papules heal from the center to the edges, which is why their shape becomes annular. The entire surface of healing lesions is covered with white scaly scales.
• Regressive (fading). The color of psoriatic plaques becomes almost indistinguishable from healthy skin. Itching is minimized. A "Voronov necklace" forms around the lesions, which is a ring of dense keratinized layers of skin. If the patient uses a high-quality ointment for psoriasis, the regression stage lasts about a month. Otherwise, the "fading" process can take up to six months.

The task of a patient diagnosed with psoriasis is to keep the disease in remission at all times.

If you notice similar symptoms, see a doctor immediately. It is easier to prevent a disease than to deal with the consequences.

How is psoriasis diagnosed?

A dermatologist diagnoses psoriasis. The procedure is based on an external examination, assessment of the condition of the skin and nails and study of the location of the lesions. No additional tests are prescribed for obvious symptoms. If difficulties arise in diagnosis, a skin sample is taken from the inflamed area (biopsy), which is studied in the laboratory.

If there are complaints of joint pain, an x-ray is taken. A blood test is also ordered to ensure there are no other types of arthritis. To rule out a fungal infection, a potassium hydroxide test is performed.

How to cure psoriasis

The treatment of psoriasis is complex. Includes:

• general therapy;
• local therapy;
• physiotherapy.

Before determining how to treat psoriasis, the dermatologist determines the stage of the disease, its clinical form and the extent of the process. When prescribing medications, the patient's age and the presence of concomitant diseases are taken into account. Typically, the safest medicines for health, characterized by the minimum number of side effects, are selected first. If they do not guarantee the transition of psoriasis to the regression phase, the treatment is adjusted.

Systemic medications for psoriasis

Medications taken orally help with moderate to severe stages of psoriasis. These include:

• Vitamin A derivatives (retinoids). Reduce the maturation rate of keratinocytes. Normalize cell differentiation and maturation.
• Immunosuppressants. Reduce the activity of T lymphocytes, which cause increased division of epidermal cells.
• Medicines for the treatment of malignant tumors. Inhibits the reproduction and growth of atypical skin cells.

Physiotherapy for psoriasis

Physiotherapeutic procedures significantly improve the well-being of patients with psoriasis. In some cases, they allow you to stop taking medications completely. The most commonly used:

• Selective phototherapy. The affected skin is irradiated with UV rays with a wavelength of 280-320 nm. From 15 to 35 procedures are prescribed.
• Photochemotherapy (PUVA therapy). The method involves the combined use of a photosensitizer internally and long-wave UV irradiation externally. Ultraviolet rays penetrate deeply into the skin, and the photosensitizer blocks the DNA synthesis process of skin cells and reduces the rate of their division. The duration of the course is 20-30 procedures.
• Laser therapy. Laser radiation with different wavelengths is used. The laser guarantees accelerated resorption of plaques and eliminates the formation of scars in their place.
• Use of monochromatic ultraviolet radiation. Each lesion is treated successively with a UV radiation lamp/laser source. Healthy skin is not affected. The method is ideal if less than 10% of the skin is affected. The duration of treatment is 15 to 30 sessions.
• Electrosleep. There is a mild effect of electrical impulses on the brain for 20 to 60 minutes. As a result, the patient calms down, the functioning of the central nervous system normalizes and the psoriatic plaques begin to disappear.
  Ultrasound therapy. It is a decongestant, antipruritic and analgesic. Accelerates the resorption of scars. If necessary, it can be combined with phonophoresis. To obtain a therapeutic effect, 7 to 14 sessions are required.
• Magnetic therapy (Betatron device). It has a general healing effect on the body. Relieves inflammation, reduces itching and burning, and helps eliminate joint pain.
• Bee venom treatment. Using an electrophoresis or ultrasound machine, bee venom is injected into the body. It is characterized by a resolving and anti-inflammatory effect, normalizes metabolic processes.
• Hyperthermia. Tissues affected by psoriasis are warmed with compresses containing a thermal mixture at a temperature of 40 degrees. Treatment helps to improve the functioning of the immune system and reduce the negative impact of the disease on the skin.

Ointments for the treatment of psoriasis

According to reviews, the treatment of psoriasis with ointments can achieve excellent results if the medicine is selected correctly. At the first symptoms, non-hormonal formulations are prescribed:

• salicylic ointment (makes skin soft, relieves inflammation, removes dead epidermal cells);
• anthralin (slows down DNA synthesis, reduces the activity of cellular enzymes, slows down the process of cell division);
• sulfur ointment (disinfects, softens, removes white plaque from lesions);
• mothball ointment (relieves itching, relieves pain, normalizes immune reactions).

If the treatment of psoriasis with non-hormonal ointments does not give the expected effect, hormonal drugs or strong ointments containing the following glucocorticosteroids are prescribed:

• Hydrocortisone. Eliminates the feeling of tightness and itching. Suppresses the increased activity of leukocytes, prevents their movement in the skin.
• Flumethasone. Helps with the exudative form of psoriasis. It is characterized by pronounced antiallergic, anti-inflammatory and antipruritic effects.
• Triamcinolone acetonide. It has antipruritic and anti-inflammatory effects. Indicated during periods of exacerbation.

Scalp psoriasis occurs in 50% of patients and causes more severe discomfort. If you are sick, avoid hair dryers, gels and hair sprays. It is important that the clips and comb do not scratch the skin. Otherwise, outbreaks will start to spread.

Treatment of scalp psoriasis is carried out with:

• UV comb (promotes the formation of profiled skin cells from keratinocytes, due to which existing plaques are reabsorbed).
• Photochemotherapy (UVR combined with Beroxan, Puvalen and Psoralen).
• Medicinal shampoos (Tana, Nizoral, Friederm tar). It is advisable to purchase several different products and alternate them. This will prevent addiction.
• Salicylic ointment (apply to locks, cover head with cellophane and leave to act for two hours).
• Hormonal lotions (Belosalik, Elokom, Diprosalik). Contains steroid hormones. Easily applied to the scalp and effectively eliminates flaking and itching.
• Kirkazon decoction (normalizes the process of skin cell division, cleanses).

The effect of any scalp treatment is observed after a few weeks, and there is no need to stop the treatment after several sessions.

Treatment of psoriasis at home with folk remedies

To cure psoriasis forever at home, if we are talking about a mild form of the disease, folk remedies help:

• Herbal tea made from dandelion roots, St. John's wort or nettle leaves.
• Therapeutic baths with the addition of a decoction of string, dish soap or yarrow.
• Clean the affected areas with cabbage brine, celandine juice and birch tar.
  Garlic infusion-based compresses.

Also, according to reviews, treating psoriasis with hydrogen peroxide can achieve good results. It is necessary to lubricate psoriatic plaques twice a day with a cotton swab dipped in a three percent solution. The duration of the course depends on the severity of the symptoms and can last up to two months.

Diet for psoriasis

Products permitted for exacerbation of psoriasis are:

• fruits (apples, apricots, peaches);
• fruit juices;
• vegetables (beets, potatoes, radishes, watermelon, pumpkin);
• vegetation;
• berries (all except red);
• lean meats (beef, veal, turkey, rabbit) – up to 200 grams per day;
• any nuts;
• lean fish;
• fermented milk products, cottage cheese and cheese;
• whole grain bread;
• sea kale.

People with psoriasis should not eat:

• smoked dishes;
• Red fish;
• animal fats;
• eggs;
• pork and duck meat;
• roasts.

It is prohibited to drink coffee, carbonated and alcoholic drinks. It is advisable to limit your sugar intake. To cleanse the body, it is recommended to do fasting days twice a week - vegetable, apple or kefir.

Is psoriasis dangerous?

Psoriasis is a serious but not fatal disease. It reduces the quality of life because it has an unpleasant appearance. Plates on the body prevent patients from working as a team or resting. They often lead to limited movement and difficulty performing simple physical tasks. Delayed treatment of psoriasis can cause damage to the organs of vision and joints.

It is impossible to completely cure psoriasis. This is a chronic dermatological disease that must always be kept in a "dormant" state.

Group of risk

The risk group includes people who have:

• chronic skin diseases;
• skin lesions;
• disorders of the central nervous system and the autonomic system.

Prevention

To prevent the disease, doctors recommend:

• moisturize the skin;
• avoid prolonged stays in cold and dry environments;
• Do not take beta blockers and lithium (except in extreme cases) because they cause psoriasis.

This article is published for educational purposes only and does not constitute scientific material or professional medical advice.