Statistical data indicates a colossal percentage of patients with psoriasis worldwide - in the range of 3-5%. The disease mainly affects the skin, which manifests itself as a red rash, with a characteristic inflammatory reaction. In this case, the plate is covered with a silver scale on top. The main difficulty in the treatment of the disease is the lack of drugs for a complete cure. It is assumed that the main factors affecting the spread of psoriasis are: metabolic deviations, external factors, stress, as well as heredity.
Most scientists agree that one of the most important roles is heredity. In the presence of genetic abnormalities, any external stimulation can trigger the manifestation of psoriasis. These can be nervous, depressive, psycho-emotional abnormalities, poor-quality clothing, mechanical damage to the skin, poisoning by chemical compounds, infectious diseases, etc. Psoriasis treatment methods are reduced to the transition of the disease from acute symptoms to asymptomatic manifestations. Of greatest importance is not only the behavior of a person during the period of relapse, but also the prevention of psoriasis, for which prevention is responsible.
The main methods of preventing psoriasis
Prevention of psoriasis is all about maintaining a healthy lifestyle and eliminating negative factors. At the same time, prevention has a fairly general form, that is, it allows you to prevent the development of other diseases, since immunity is strengthened and the body functions on a regular basis, the probabilityto qualitatively resist environmental stimuli increases.
Prevention is a set of measures aimed at maintaining the health of the body. There are several areas of influence that can help prevent relapse:
- High quality skin care;
- Stick to a diet;
- A relaxing massage is recommended;
- Rejection of bad habits;
- Avoid stress and depression;
- Prevent corrosive chemicals from entering the skin and respiratory tract;
- Maintain the right level of trace elements and vitamins in the body.
Skin care
High quality and thorough skin care is needed:
- Periodically perform water procedures, even in the cold season. For a hot season, you can use a cool shower, pouring, and in a cold period, use hot baths with the addition of soda, salt, herbs, etc.
- It is important to take good care of your skin so as not to cause irritation and cuts on it. Use soft sponges, and it is better to refuse hard sponges completely, otherwise a relapse is possible;
- Eliminates solid soaps from use. Also prevent the penetration of solvents such as gasoline, kerosene; It is best to wash your hair with special shampoos, which contain the spread of the disease and can act as a treatment for psoriasis. These include shampoos, balms and lotions;
- Prevent cracking of the skin to exclude the likelihood of symptoms. After taking a bath or shower, it is important to moisturize the skin, for this use masks, creams, ointments, etc. This speeds up the restoration of the hydrolipid membrane and prevents increased water loss. It is necessary to use such means once a day;
- Indoor humidity should be at an optimal level (50-55%). If the air is too dry, the skin begins to dry out and then crack. Humidifiers can be used;
- Increased air circulation increases skin dryness in air conditioners and drafts. It is necessary to limit the time spent in such premises;
- Mechanical damage must be excluded. Cuts, bruises, abrasions, tears in the skin often cause a relapse;
- Chemicals, such as bathroom cleaners, should be used minimally and only with personal protective equipment, although even prolonged exposure to the respiratory tract is harmful;
- Cut nails short to avoid accidental injury to the skin;
- Some types of cosmetics contain aggressive substances in their composition, which negatively affects the skin. You may need to switch to medical cosmetics.
Wellness massage application
Prevention of psoriasis becomes even more effective if massage is applied. Massage techniques that stimulate blood circulation are considered particularly beneficial. Thanks to the active blood circulation, the elimination of metabolites, toxins are accelerated, and the process of skin regeneration is accelerated, which prevents the exacerbation of the disease. Massage involves using the fingers to gradually stretch the skin around the plate. It is necessary to capture an area of 2-4 cm around the affected area. The plaques themselves should not be touched, this leads to aggravation of the disease. A full body massage can be done to prevent new plaques from forming. Most of the time you have to treat the back, then move on to massaging the limbs and the end of the abdomen. The rib cage responds well to compression and friction. The duration of the procedure is 10-15 minutes.
Proper nutrition and diet
Nutrition plays a vital role in preventing the development of almost any chronic disease, and psoriasis and its prevention are no exception. There are certain diets that can produce positive results, like the Pegano diet, but the essence is the same and is to remove harmful substances. It is because of the negative effects of food that relapses occur. This is justified by the fact that liver damage in psoriasis is a characteristic course of the disease.
- Do not eat fried, spicy, salty and pickled dishes at all. Also exclude canned foods, semi-finished products can be eaten in small quantities, but only homemade. Eat perishable foods with caution. All of this alters the process of food processing in the digestive tract;
- Do not eat citrus fruits, as they are considered to be highly allergenic fruits. Colchicine is also part of the composition of citrus fruits, which destroys folic acid and which, in turn, is one of the important components in the regeneration of the skin.
- It is not recommended to eat corn;
- Relapses are possible due to bananas, mangoes and strawberries;
- It is forbidden to eat sweets, as well as products made from flour;
- Eating potatoes is okay, but should be drastically reduced. This is due to the high potassium content. By reacting with sodium, they antagonize calcium. Calcium is important for treating the inflammatory response;
- Fatty meats should be kept to a minimum, mainly pork and lamb. Replace with more healthy meats;
- Highly allergenic foods are: eggs, tomatoes, coffee, chocolate, honey and mushrooms;
- Dairy products are healthy because they contain a lot of protein and fat. It is recommended to introduce cottage cheese, milk, fermented baked milk and cheese in the diet. Thanks to the most important amino acids, the course of biochemical reactions throughout the body is normalized. At the same time, a high content of calcium helps to eliminate inflammation, as well as allergic manifestations;
- Psoriasis treatment and prevention works well with plant-based foods such as vegetables, fruits, and herbs. However, they should be eaten raw. Carrots have beneficial properties, thanks to vitamin A. This component leads to the normalization of skin metabolism and helps to carry out faster regeneration;
- Porridge should be present in the diet every day. The most useful cereals are: wheat, oats and buckwheat;
- For the fastest treatment of psoriasis, you need to drink plenty of fluids, including juices, water, including mineral water, teas, etc.
- If you have an intolerance, avoid the use of allergens. This shade is determined with the help of the attending physician.
Stop alcohol and tobacco
There is no reliable data on whether alcohol can cause the disease, but it is known that in patients with already developed psoriasis, the course of the disease is significantly worsened by alcohol consumption. It is also possible to generalize the usual vulgar form of the disease to a more severe form, for example psoriatic erythroderma.
When it comes to smoking, everything is a bit simpler. It is noted that it can both cause the disease itself and worsen the current form of the disease. People who consume 20 or more cigarettes per day are particularly at risk. The main problem is a decrease in the activity of the immune system due to a lack of oxygen and weakened muscle tone and vascular walls. It is also important that smoking worsens blood flow through the capillaries, as well as suppressing antioxidant protection.
Healthy lifestyle
A healthy lifestyle is one of the fundamental factors that affect the well-being of the skin. It is important to have a good daily routine, including getting enough sleep. Doctors more often advise to go out into nature, fresh air, to go to the sea, resorts, sanatoriums.
Physical activity helps restore a healthy state of the body, which is the main factor in preventing disease. Sports activities are excellent, especially fitness and swimming. Such a set of measures allows you to strengthen the immune system and eliminate nervous tension.
Anti stress
Psycho-emotional disorders and tensions negatively affect the course of the disease and very often provoke its onset. The normalization and stability of the emotional state and the nervous system are of paramount importance in prevention. You should try to exclude external stimuli as much as possible. Ancient practices like yoga and meditation, along with extra sleep, can help with this. In more serious situations, they use sedatives or get along with herbal teas.
If psoriasis involves disorders of the nervous system - headache, sleep disturbances, nervousness, drugs can be used. Effective - motherwort, valerian, Nervo-Vit. They allow you to normalize sleep patterns, increase the capacity of the immune system and improve resistance to stress.
It is difficult to get a result without making your own efforts, you have to take everything more calmly.
Job
Certain professions are categorically unsuitable for a patient with psoriasis. Adverse factors include: high temperature, too much dryness or humidity in the room, use of chemicals. Also, the choice of profession should not fall on specialties with a high level of nervous stress, as well as the risk of mechanical damage. It is best to stay away from highly allergenic environments.
The use of vitamin complexes
Vitamins have an extremely beneficial effect not only on the course of the disease, but also on its prevention. Thanks to strong immunity, relapse can be prevented, which improves metabolism, which has a beneficial effect on the condition of the skin. Important vitamins are:
- A - it is responsible for keratinization, which significantly accelerates skin regeneration;
- E - Mainly appreciated for its antioxidant effects. It also prevents metabolic abnormalities and is an integral part of DNA synthesis;
- D - is a substance regulating the exchanges of phosphorus and calcium. At the same time, it stimulates the regeneration of the epidermis and normalizes the membrane, the cell structure;
- Group B - are actively involved in the metabolism of the skin, improve the absorption of oxygen. Skin elements respond favorably to the presence of B vitamins, which results in the normalization of the nervous system.
Most often, products with a high content of vitamins or preparations are used. Recommended - Undevit, Geksavit and Dekamevit, but they should be used according to the doctor's recommendations.
Medications
It is necessary to consult a doctor before taking any medication. In some cases, the agents, on the contrary, provoke an aggravation of the disease, which is manifested by an increase in symptoms. The use of lithium preparations, as well as those containing gold and beta-blockers, should be avoided.
Any disease, even the most harmless at first glance, can cause psoriasis. It is necessary to timely treat the treatment of all diseases. Diseases of the upper respiratory tract often make psoriasis worse.
Climatotherapy, ultraviolet rays
Ultraviolet radiation has a beneficial effect on the course of psoriasis and its prevention. Patients are prescribed sunbathing for 5-10 minutes, burning is unacceptable. In addition, sea water has a positive effect, especially the Dead Sea, although this indicator is individual, on the contrary, it harms some. Skin wounds are a contraindication to swimming in sea water. During an exacerbation, you should not swim. The time to perform climatotherapy should be individually adjusted.
When you tan, you should use barrier creams. The attending physician will be able to tell whether sunbathing will have a beneficial effect, otherwise the risk of exacerbation of the disease is high.
Trauma
Injury is a very dangerous manifestation that can provoke psoriasis, as well as make it worse. This increases the risk of secondary infection from cuts and abrasions. Patches often appear around the lesions. Prevent the formation of injuries as much as possible.
Clothes
One factor such as high-quality, suitable clothing is one of the principles for preventing psoriasis or its recurrence. It is recommended to use clothes made of soft fabrics made from natural materials, it is better if they have a light color. This will help prevent plaque injury and reduce pain on the skin. The lighter color will help make the silver scales less noticeable. Linen, cotton and other soft fabrics are ideal for bedding. Avoid wearing woolen sweaters and similar irritating materials.