Psoriasisis a chronic inflammatory skin disease. This is a genetic disease that manifests itself in the form of characteristic formations on the patient's body: papules or plaques of pink-red color visible to the eye, the surface of which is scaly and covered with scales. The disease, as a rule, is accompanied by severe itching and pain, causing patients suffering, both physical and moral. Psoriasis rashes can appear on any part of the body, but most often they are localized on the patient's scalp, elbows and hands. Chronic psoriasis on the head often causes moral discomfort in patients, since it cannot be hidden under clothes.
What is the origin of the name of the disease "psoriasis"?
The name of the disease "psoriasis" comes from the Greek word - Psora - to scratch (-sya). Indeed, itchy rough, scaly, silvery-white skin that is difficult to treat is a typical picture of the manifestation of this disease.
Who is affected by this disease?
A disease such as skin psoriasis affects about 3-5% of the population in different countries. Men and women - equally. Psoriasis can develop at any age, but it usually appears around the age of 20, often earlier in women than in men. However, the company Medical On Group has collected impressive statistics on the treatment of children and the elderly suffering from this disease.
In addition to heredity, psoriasis has the following causes:
- excessively active division of skin cells;
- stress;
- decreased immunity after illness.
Answers to frequently asked questions
Is psoriasis contagious?
Ordinary vulgar psoriasis is a hereditary genetic disease accompanied by metabolic disorders, endocrine glands, damage to the immune system. Psoriasis is not contagious! It is not an external infection, and there is no need to fear or avoid people with this condition.
Is it likely that children of parents with psoriasis will also have this disease?
Since we are talking about a hereditary genetic disease, there is such a probability, and it is quite high: if both parents suffer from psoriasis, children will have this disease with a probability of about 33. 3%.
Is it good for sick people to spend as much time as possible in the sun?
It is generally accepted that the sun's rays contribute to some extent to the treatment of psoriasis, but in some cases, sun exposure, on the contrary, can aggravate the process. In any case, before any medical procedure and if changes in the condition of the skin are detected, it is recommended to consult a professional dermatologist.
What are the causes of periodic outbreaks and decline of disease?
Experience shows that mental stress, stress and neuroses, unhealthy lifestyle and diet cause exacerbated manifestations of psoriasis. In addition, cases are not uncommon when the disease has worsened even more precisely as a reaction to an irrationally formulated treatment.
Does smoking, drinking alcohol affect the course of the disease?
Yes. Smoking and drinking alcohol adversely affect the development of the disease, can contribute to the intensification of the manifestations of psoriasis.
Psoriasis treatment. Is it possible to?
Hereditary psoriasis on the legs, arms or head is one of the most common but difficult to treat skin diseases. Psoriasis is characterized by scaly redness on the skin, the appearance of which is not caused by infection, but by increased cell division. In a healthy person, a complete renewal of skin cells occurs in almost a month, and in a patient - seven times faster.
Exacerbation of psoriasis can be caused by physical stress and overexertion, wounds and cuts on the skin, streptococcal infection of the upper respiratory tract, and reaction to medications. Unfortunately, it is impossible to protect against all this, which means that medicine is not yet able to prevent an attack of the disease or completely cure it. But to control the course of psoriasis, choosing effective methods of treating symptoms, modern dermatologists are quite capable.
Can psoriasis be cured permanently?
Since it is a hereditary genetic disease, the treatment of psoriasis offered by modern medicine consists in getting rid of the external manifestations of the disease, cleaning the patient's skin from rashes for a long time.