Let's start this psoriasis guide with an answer for this unnerving question always popping up in your head: "What is psoriasis?": psoriasis is a chronic non-infectious disease, dermatosis that mainly affects the skin. Usually, psoriasis causes the formation of excessively dry, red, raised spots above the skin surface. However, some patients suffering from psoriasis have no visible skin lesions.
The spots triggered by psoriasis are called psoriatic plaques. These spots are inherently sites of chronic inflammation and excessive proliferation of skin lymphocytes, macrophages and keratinocytes, as well as excessive angiogenesis (the formation of new small capillaries) in the underlying skin layer. Excessive proliferation of keratinocytes in psoriatic plaques and skin infiltration with lymphocytes and macrophages quickly lead to thickening of the skin at the lesion, its elevation above the surface of healthy skin, and the formation of pale, gray or silvery spots resembling frozen wax or paraffin (paraffin lakes).
So, now you know the answer for "What is psoriasis?" First psoriatic plaques emergence is most often observed on the areas subjected to friction and pressure, such as elbows and knee folds, on the buttocks and are a signal telling a patient they should look for psoriasis cure. However, psoriatic plaques can occur and emerge anywhere on the skin, including scalp, palms, the plantar surface of the feet, and the genitalia.
Other skin diseases types
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Psoriasis symptoms
Psoriasis symptoms are: inflamed, flaky red spots accompanied by severe itching. Such spots (plaques) are more often located on scalp, knees and elbows, in the lower part of the back and in skin folds. About 25% of patients have affected nails which is one of the most common psoriasis symptoms.
Depending on the seasonality of relapses (psoriasis exacerbation), there are three types of psoriasis: winter, summer and indeterminate. The most common among the types of psoriasis is winter type.
During psoriasis exacerbation on hands, knees, scalp as well as on the lower part of the back and skin folds, this ailment is manifested as reddish-colored plaques. Their sizes vary from a pinhead to larger areas of a palm size and even more.
Rashes are usually accompanied by flaking and painful itching. Throughout the process of flaking, the superficial scales easily slough, remain denser (hence the one more name psoriasis holds - scaly lichen). Sometimes there's cracks and suppuration emergence oon the affected skin areas which is an urgent cry for psoriasis cure.
Progressive psoriasis is characterized by the so-called Kebner phenomenon: the development of psoriatic plaques on the area of skin injuries or scratches.
About a quarter of patients have affected nails. As a result, there are pinpoint recesses and spotting of nail plates. In addition, nails can thicken and crumble and the psoriasis cure a patient has found will not help here.
In summertime, the symptoms of winter psoriasis are alleviated under the influence of sunlight and in some cases they completely disappear. This happens with a great help of psoriasis cure.Patients with the summer form of psoriasis, on the contrary, are recommended to avoid sun exposure as it aggravates the course of psoriasis.
So, what causes psoriasis? Medical surveys show that after "What is psoriasis" question goes "What is psoriasis most frequently observed cause?", meaning "What causes psoriasis?" and "What is psoriasis cure that can really help?" Psoriasis is an abnormal reaction of the body to external irritants, that makes the upper skin layer of die on certain areas of the body much faster than usual. If the cycle of skin cells division and maturation normally takes 3-4 weeks, psoriasis speeds this process up to just 4-5 days.
Currently, psoriasis is considered a hereditary multifactorial disease: there are numerous causes of psoriasis such as immunological changes, metabolic disorders, concomitant endocrine and neurological disorders. At the same time, we know for sure that psoriasis is not an infectious disease, which means that it is not contagious there is true psoriasis cure that can be found.
Psoriasis causes have not been detected yet. There are various theories on that, though.
According to one of the theories, there are two psoriasis types which mostly determine one's psoriasis cure:
To date, the causes of psoriasis haven't been completely studied. The dominant role in its development is attributed to genetic predisposition. If one of the parents has it, the risk of a child developing psoriasis is 8%, if both parents have the disease, it increases to 41%. A polygenic type of inheritance is assumed. Patients often have HLA class I: HLA-B13, HLA-B17, HLA-Bw57, HLA-Cw6. According to the latest studies, it is possible to distinguish between two types of psoriasis.
According to another theory, the only psoriasis cause is immune system disorder caused by various factors: stress, infectious diseases, cold climate and malnutrition. For example, it is noted that alcohol can cause psoriasis exacerbation. Such beverages as beer, champagne, strong spirits merely aggravate your psoriasis. The use of products containing vinegar, pepper, chocolate also worsens the course of the ailment. According to this theory, psoriasis is a systemic disease. This means that in case of severe disorders in the immune system functioning, the process can spread to other organs and tissues, for example, joints. As a result, psoriatic arthritis develops and is characterized by the damage of small joints of hands and feet.
There is no generally approved psoriasis classification but scientists usually types of psoriasis as follows:
1) Plaque psoriasis
Common psoriasis can be either localized or spread. This is the most common psoriasis form affecting about 80% of patients with psoriasis. Usually psoriasis is localized on the elbows, knees, scalp and lower part of the back. Psoriasis manifests itself through inflamed red areas of thickened skin, covered with silvery white scales.
2) Guttate psoriasis
Guttate psoriasis mostly affects children, adolescents and young men. It looks like small red elements, like drops of water on you skin. Guttate psoriasis can appear quite unexpectedly and it usually emerges after the patient went through infectious diseases such as tonsillitis, throat infections as well as a consequence of stress or skin damage.
3) Exudative psoriasis
Exudative psoriasis is usually localized in skin folds such as underarms, groin, under the chest, around the genitals and buttocks. It appears as smooth bright-red and shiny spots. Rubbing and sweating can aggravate inflammatory process.
Overweight people are more likely to suffer from this psoriasis type:
4) Pustular psoriasis
Pustular psoriasis is most often observed in adults, looks like small white blisters of non-infectious pus (containing white blood cells) with a red corolla around. Generalized psoriasis of the Tsumbush type and palm-plantar pustular psoriasis of the Barber type are varieties of pustular psoriasis. Pustular psoriasis can be caused by internal medications, irritating local remedies, excessive ultraviolet radiation, pregnancy, systemic steroids, infection, stress and sudden refusal from systemic drugs or potent steroids (hormones).
5) Psoriatic erythroderma
Psoriatic erythroderma is a rare form of psoriasis, affecting a large amount of the body skin. It is manifested through large bright-red inflammation areas and large-flake peeling (and not in the form of flakes as they are in case of ordinary psoriasis). People who suffer from this form of psoriasis are more likely to experience itching, pain and sometimes body temperature changes. People who think that they can have a coronary erythrodermia should see a doctor as soon as possible since this can lead to great fluid loss. Triggers of psoriatic erythroderma may be a sudden cessation of systemic treatment for psoriasis including cortisone; an allergic reaction to the drug; sunburn, infections and medications such as lithium and antimalarials.
6) Psoriatic arthritis
Psoriatic arthritis emerges in about 5-10% of people with psoriasis. According to foreign studies, psoriatic arthritis is more often observed in men with common or pustular psoriasis. The pathological process can be limited to one or more joints (more often the knees are affected). In case of lesion of psoriatic arthritis of the joints of the hands and feet, this can lead to edema and deformation of small joints, a change in the nails structure. Back pain can tell about spine arthritis and (or) sacroiliac joints (located in the lower part of the back). If you have psoriasis and you’re experiencing joint pain or swelling, you should see your doctor. Early diagnosis and the right psoriasis cure can prevent potentially irreversible damage in the affected joints.
Due to its polyethological origin, psoriasis is characterized by a variety of clinical manifestations. By their grouping, some of its species were identified. The need for this classification is brought up by specific treatments having differing efficacy for psoriasis of certain forms.
Scalp psoriasis
This is one of the most common forms of psoriasis. Scalp psoriasis can be observed in over half the patients having psoriasis. Expressiveness and severity of the disease may fluctuate. Sometimes there are small flaky plaques. If scalp psoriasis manifests itself to a great extent, then there appear thick large plaques. Scalp skin gets irritated which is accompanied by severe redness and itching. A patient experiences especially unpleasant feeling if there’s a large number of plaques itch simultaneously. Scalp psoriasis can be in an isolated form or get shifted to other parts of the body. Scalp psoriasis can often spread to the forehead, nape of the neck and the area around the ears.
Psoriasis on nails
Sometimes psoriasis doesn’t only affect your skin but also nails. These are, first of all, nail plates. Mostly, fingers are affected. The frequency of such changes in the general structure of patients with psoriasis does not exceed 7%. Psoriasis localized on nails (psoriasis onychia), is much more difficult to treat than any other area of its localization, although it brings less discomfort to patients.
Psoriasis symptoms can vary widely. Their base is always the clouding of the nail plate with its deformation due to longitudinal and transverse grooves. Sometimes there is lamination or point tension. In severe cases, a gradual complete detachment of the nail happens as a result of nail bed corruption or its spreading to the periosteal skin. Such changes can end with irreversible nail loss.
Psoriasis on hands and legs
Very often, psoriatic rashes spread to the hands skin. Back surfaces and the skin between the toes are more often affected. Inflammatory rashes on the palms are less common. The form of psoriatic plaques on the hands does not differ from that on oher localization areas. On the palms, they take the form of coarse red homozolores with large scales.
Psoriasis on the face
Psoriasis symptoms localized on the face are no different from the general signs of this disease. Psoriatic plaques appear on cheeks, forehead, chin and can spread to other areas. The problem is that such changes produce a striking cosmetic defect which is the main reason we issued a rubric on this psoriasis form.
Psoriasis symptomatology on legs skin is very similar to that of the hands. Therefore, the same methods of therapy are applied. If we are talking about the skin of the lower part of the legs and thighs, most often their outer part is affected.
Psoriasis on elbows and knees
Elbow psoriatic lesions are very typical for this disease. Rashes are localized on the outer surface of the elbow joints. Psoriatic plaques in these areas are very sensitive to the healing process, which makes treatment more effective. Pathological rash often gets shifted to the knees. Psoriatic plaques on the knees and elbows can take different forms which can change in due course. One patient can have a few small spots while the other can have all the knees and elbows area affected. Since the joints located on the affected skin areas are in constant motion, small bleeding cracks can occur.
Body psoriasis
In addition to the above-mentioned damage zones, psoriasis can spread all over the body. In this case, the disease affects the lower and upper back, chest, abdomen and other skin areas. Psoriasis on the body is not as common as its other forms. It can manifest itself with several plaques on the body or take a generalized form. If painful rashes affect a large area of the skin, it is necessary to immediately to consult a specialist.
Genital psoriasis
Psoriasis affects the genitals quite rarely. However, there is no isolated form of the disease in this case. When the external genital organs are affected, this means that the disease is localized on the other parts of the skin as well, in particular, on the limbs, scalp, facial skin. As a rule, the symptoms of genital psoriasis emerge in men. Rashes often damage the penis head. It’s not accompanied by peeling because of the absence of keratins in this area. Lesions are formed by groups of papules in the form of hyperemic plaques. Genital psoriasis is often mistaken for other diseases, especially if the symptoms of this disease on other parts of the body are hidden.
After you found out what triggered your psoriasis and what types of this disease there can be, it’s time to talk about how to treat psoriasis To implement effective psoriasis treatment, it is important to use the following tips. Psoriasis is an autoimmune incurable disease. The main task is to minimize or even completely eliminate the symptoms of the disease. To choose the right therapeutic remedies, you need to pay attention to the clinical picture of the disease. It is necessary to determine the form and type of psoriasis as well as the degree of severity. It is possible to combine a variety of medications for external use. It is more effective to combine systemic psoriasis treatment with local therapeutic agents. For external treatment one can use:
Hormonal preparations
Such medications are used to conduct the effective treatment of psoriasis of any form. They have a strong anti-inflammatory effect and help get rid of itching.
Products containing vitamin D
Nowadays, the use of such drugs is considered an excellent and effective way of treating the disease. They gained such a “fame” due to the minimal risk of side effects. After all, drugs with vitamin D do not penetrate the blood, and produce their therapeutic effect directly on the skin.
Emollients
This category includes preparations that contain zinc. It effectively softens the skin, but does not carry out the healing process.
If local topical treatment of psoriasis does not give appropriate effect, hormonal preparations of systemic action are used. The latter can only be taken after the prescription and under a doctor’s supervision.
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Hypoallergenic PsoEasy soap contains natural ingredients that accelerate the renewal of skin cells. This is a handmade soap designed using the traditional three-week drying process. Such conditions contribute to enhancing the effectiveness of the soap active components.
Natural PsoEasy cream is an effective psoriasis cure that helps alleviate skin corruption on any part of the body and face. The cream can be applied more than 2 times a day which depends on the severity of the disease. It is a unique product containing more than 20 natural ingredients and having high concentration of active components (about 39% or 40 000 mg / 100 g). The product is very convenient to use, completely absorbed by the skin, leaves no icky tactile feeling or stains on clothes.
PsoEasy natural oil is recommended to apply before bedtime. Its high efficiency is due to the unique composition, including essential oils and vegetable oils. Oil PsoEasy is an excellent psoriasis cure for beating this disease.
Usage directions: in the morning, cleanse your skin with PsoEasy soap, and wait until it dries up. Then apply PsoEasy cream to the damaged areas. In severe cases of the disease, you can use the cream more than twice a day. Before going to bed, apply a few drops of natural oil PsoEasy, to the affected skin. Follow this treatment for at least 14 days.
If you think you may have psoriasis, you should not self-medicate but see a doctor and take tests for Class I HLA antigens. This test will diagnose whether you have type I psoriasis or type II. If you have been detected with antigens HLA-B13, HLA-B17, HLA-Bw57, HLA-Cw6, then you have type I psoriasis and if not, then you may have type II psoriasis.
Do not ignore the treatment, even if you have minor psoriasis symptoms. The current manifestation of the disease can progress in the future.
Learn as much as possible about psoriasis. This improves your understanding of the disease, its causes and the most effective treatment options.
Very often, outbreaks of psoriasis can be caused by external factors. Putting down what preceded psoriasis flare-up will help determine the triggers of the disease.
If you’re suspicious of having psoriatic arthritis, contact your doctor immediately. Timely diagnosis and treatment will help to avoid negative consequences.
If you are pregnant or about to become pregnant, be sure to tell your doctor about this. In 25% of pregnant women, the symptoms of psoriasis worsen. In addition, taking certain medications should be stopped during pregnancy.
To reduce symptoms, treatment should be systematic. Never stop therapy without a dermatologist’s approval.
Regularly moisturize the skin, this will help reduce skin itching and flaking.
Control your weight. Overweight increases the severity of psoriasis and reduces the effectiveness of treatment.
Smoking is one of the triggers of psoriasis, so avoid tobacco smoke. If you smoke, try to reduce the number of cigarettes a day, and it is better to totally get rid of this bad habit.
Limit alcohol. Drinking alcohol increases the risk of psoriasis and can reduce the effectiveness of its treatment.
Follow a healthy lifestyle. Hypertension, high cholesterol and lack of physical activity increase the risk of psoriasis.
Avoid stress. Useful breathing practices, meditation, as well as switching attention to the hobby.
Effective treatment of psoriasis requires an individual trip for each patient. Taking into account the factors of the disease and patent's personal characteristics, the dermatologist selects the proper methods and means for the implementation of therapy. It is recommended to follow the advice of a doctor, and remember that it is impossible to cure psoriasis, but you can control it.
What should the diet of patients suffering from psoriasis include?
Water. The daily amount of water consumption shouldn’t fall behind one liter. It should be neither tea nor coffee and juice, pure water only. It can be mineral. For people suffering from psoriasis, it is recommended that they always carry a small bottle of water along to drink at any time.
Fruits. They can be included in other dishes, cooked on steam or baked. There are fruits that should be consumed occasionally and their intake should be low, For example, melon and raw apples. They can not be combined with other products. As for apples, only baked ones are allowed. Such fruits as pineapples, nectarines, mangoes, papayas, raisins, cherries, grapes and lemons are useful psoriasis cure.
Poultry. Can be consumed several times a week. It may be turkey and chicken.
Vegetables. It is necessary to include broccoli, beets, pod beans, cucumbers, celery, cress salad, carrots and sweet potatoes in the diet. Almonds are good hazelnut should be consumed in limited quantities.
Fish. It's better to choose sea fish. You can steam it, boil but not fry. Tongue coral, trout, sturgeon, tuna, coryphon, halibut, sardines are just some of the possible kinds of fish that you should eat several times a week.
Cereals. These can be porriges of wheat, barley, various types of rice, corn and flour from it.
Mutton. This is the only kind of meat that can be included in the diet. Like fish, you shouldn’t fry it. Before cooking, remove all the fat from it.
Butter and eggs. Butter consumption can be limited as well as that of porriges and eggs. The latter should be confined to 3-5 yolks a week.
Dairy products. They are rich in calcium. This element is important for psoriasis treatment. Therefore, such dairy products as milk, cheese, yoghurts without additives should be consumed more often. You need to choose products with low-fat content.
It’s necessary to exclude from the diet the following products: