Effective treatment of psoriasis: a set of measures

Psoriasis is a very unpleasant skin disease that brings a lot of inconvenience to the patient who is unfortunate enough to be affected by it.In addition to the fact that the skin looks very unaesthetic, the patient constantly experiences many other unpleasant sensations.Yes, the disease is not fatal, but the patient often has to radically change his habits and lifestyle.

Unfortunately, even today, it is simply impossible to completely cure psoriasis.However, there are many techniques and treatments that can greatly help and significantly alleviate the patient's suffering.

The best effect can be achieved by using complex therapy, in which they try to influence the disease from different angles.To do this, different treatment methods are combined.In today's material we will consider in more detail how to carry out complex treatment of psoriasis and what can be included in it, as well as what points should be taken into account.

Factors to consider when choosing treatment

First of all, remember that you should never self-medicate!Even if you are fully confident in your strengths and abilities, it is still better to consult a professional dermatologist.It will be better this way.

Before prescribing treatment, the doctor will take into account the following factors:

• age and gender of the patient - the older he is, the more difficult the disease can be treated;
• hereditary factors - the risk of getting sick increases when parents or relatives also suffer from psoriasis;
• phase of the disease - the later you contact a specialist, the more difficult the treatment will be;
• severity of the disease - when psoriasis is mild, it is much easier to fight it;
• the form of the course and the parts of the body affected - the more severe it is, the more difficult it is to choose effective treatment;
• possible allergic reactions - in this case, not all medications can be taken;
• location and type of work - some companies have very unfavorable working conditions, which has a very negative impact on general health and the development of psoriasis;
• region of residence - if you live in a region where the air is heavily polluted, this negatively affects the perception of various diseases and psoriasis develops more intensively;
• the presence of bad habits - smoking and regular drinking alcohol affect internal organs, which increases the risk of psoriasis;
• concomitant diseases - if you suffer from certain diseases of the internal organs, psoriasis can be a complication.

It is unlikely that you will be able to correctly determine all the factors on your own.If you start self-treatment, it will lead to serious complications.Therefore, a specialized dermatologist will certainly prescribe the necessary tests to determine all other factors, and only after that he will prescribe treatment.

Sets of measures for the treatment of psoriasis

In order for the treatment of psoriasis at home to be as effective as possible, various sets of measures are often used.Within their framework, different drugs are used simultaneously, affecting different body systems.So, the treatment regimen may include:

• external treatment— various creams, ointments to act on the skin and eliminate the external signs of the disease;
• systemic medications- tablets, mixtures that affect the internal organs and fight the disease from the inside;
• physiotherapeutic procedures- to reduce inflammatory processes - laser and cryotherapy, acupressure, ultraviolet irradiation;

• spa treatment- therapeutic procedures, for example, leeches, mud baths, as well as clean air, since resorts are usually located in an ecologically clean zone;
• special diet- exclude foods that can harm the gastrointestinal tract, for example, fried, spicy, salty and pickled foods.

There are actually many therapeutic methods.Let's consider in more detail each method of a set of therapeutic measures.

External treatment

Essentially, how does psoriasis start to develop?First, the function of the epidermis – the stratum corneum of the skin – is disrupted.As a result, the skin no longer receives the necessary amount of moisture and becomes too dry.Gradually, dryness and peeling intensify, and due to the fact that dead skin particles do not have time to be eliminated, so-called psoriatic plaques appear.All this is accompanied by itching and inflammation.During periods of exacerbation, they do not subside either day or night.

To eliminate all these symptoms, medications are prescribed for external treatment of psoriasis.They are also prescribed strictly individually.For what purpose are external preparations used?

1. Eliminates pain, relieves swelling, reduces peeling, and also improves appearance by reducing rashes and the number of psoriatic plaques.
2. Minimize the influence of various external factors.
3. Influence the foci of the disease as quickly as possible and provide rapid relief.

External preparations for psoriasis include ointments, creams, lotions, gels and other preparations.All of them are divided into two main groups: hormonal and non-hormonal.Let's look at each group separately.

1. Non-hormonal medications.The name speaks for itself: the drugs do not contain hormonal components.They act on the epidermis and quickly remove dead layers of the skin, disinfect damaged areas, have an antiviral and antimicrobial effect, also qualitatively moisturize the skin and increase its elasticity.These preparations contain beeswax, natural oils and other natural ingredients, as well as salicylic acid, dithranol, sulfur, urea and other substances.They have many excellent properties and act very quickly and effectively on areas of the skin affected by psoriasis.
2. Hormonal drugs.They contain a certain amount of synthetic hormone from the corticosteroid group.Many experts prefer them, because due to the presence of the hormone in the composition, they act almost instantly, literally within a few minutes, producing the desired effect.But unlike non-hormonal medications, these medications should be used with caution.Firstly, if you delay treatment a little, this can lead to hormonal imbalance and, as a result, serious complications.Second, if you suddenly stop taking the drug, a “withdrawal effect” may occur, in which symptoms not only return, but also intensify.

When and how to choose the right group of drugs?Which medications are best to use?

1. In the progressive stage, ointments containing salicylic acid, as well as hormonal anti-inflammatory ointments, are most often used.Naturally, initially, attempts will be made to achieve the desired effect with drugs having a lower concentration of active substance.If there is no effect, stronger ones are used.These medications contain a higher dose of fluoride.For the most part, patients experience positive dynamics within two weeks after starting regular use.
2. For the treatment of elderly people and children, drugs are used that do not contain chlorine and fluoride, which significantly reduces the number of possible allergic reactions.These drugs are relatively new, they appeared on the pharmaceutical market only a few years ago, but are gradually becoming more and more popular.
3. Ointments and creams based on dethranol have a quick and long-lasting effect when used.The beginning of treatment involves prescribing minimum doses with a gradual increase.Medications primarily aim to reduce inflammation.However, other side effects may occur, such as swelling, itching and redness, which, against the background of similar symptoms of psoriasis, somewhat limit the scope of application of drugs of this group.
4. One of the new drugs is a drug that directly affects the causes of psoriasis.Its main active ingredient is calcipotriol, which suppresses the development of pathogenic processes.After just two months, the general condition of the skin significantly improves, the number of inflamed and damaged areas as well as peeling decreases.It should be noted that in most cases there are no side effects characteristic of other drugs for psoriasis.There are cases where a single treatment was enough to achieve remission for up to a year.The most powerful effect is achieved when the treatment is carried out using an integrated approach and the effect occurs in conjunction with other means, most often physiotherapeutic procedures.

We draw your attention to the fact that long-term drug use is not recommended, as dependence may develop.As a result, the effectiveness of the treatment decreases significantly.

Systemic medications

As already mentioned, diseases of internal organs are one of the possible causes of psoriasis.Accordingly, to get rid of psoriasis, you need to take medications that can help in the treatment of diseases of internal organs.These can be tablets, injections, intravenous infusions and other medications, which must be selected individually.What treatment can be prescribed for psoriasis?

1. Anti-inflammatory drugs will relieve inflammation and reduce the influence of various viruses and microbes.A comprehensive treatment regimen for psoriasis is often used.
2. Antiallergic medications.Since allergies often make psoriasis symptoms worse, these medications can be a big help.
3. Antipsoriatic medications.They act on the process of skin restoration, normalize the life cycle of its cells, and also eliminate the side effects of the disease.
4. Antifungal medications.Since fungal infection significantly complicates the course of psoriasis, it is very important to combat it effectively.
5. Medicines to combat the pathological formation of new cells without a specific objective.Over time, if left untreated, these cells can build up in large numbers in the body.

Depending on the complexity of the disease and the degree of damage to other organs, other, more powerful drugs may be used.However, despite their good effects, they should not be abused, as the side effects can be very serious.

Physiotherapeutic procedures

Although it is impossible to cure psoriasis with physiotherapeutic procedures alone, they can, with proper selection, both enhance the effect of medications and speed up the recovery process at the final stage of complex treatment.What procedures are prescribed for the complex treatment of psoriasis?

1. Ultraviolet irradiation or phototherapy.A special agent is prescribed to improve the body's perception of ultraviolet radiation, after which the skin surface affected by psoriasis is irradiated with ultraviolet waves of a certain length.
2. Laser therapy.It should be noted that laser waves only act on diseased skin, without affecting healthy tissue.
3. Cryotherapy.Liquid air, nitrogen or helium, having a temperature of up to -296 degrees, is briefly applied to damaged areas of the body surface.
4. Ichthyotherapy.Affected areas are treated with a special type of fish.
5. Hirudotherapy is a treatment using leeches.

6. Therapeutic baths using soothing and anti-inflammatory herbs like chamomile or celandine, as well as starch and flaxseed.
7. Acupuncture.True, you should be careful when choosing a specialist, because an incorrectly performed procedure can lead to unpredictable consequences, the treatment of which can take a long time.

Thermal treatment

A visit to a sanatorium or resort can significantly improve the patient's well-being.True, they are sent there only at the final and regressive stage of the disease, as the last means of complex therapy.In addition to the fact that in such an institution the patient is prescribed various procedures, the opportunity to take a break from everyday worries and a more favorable environmental environment also contribute to recovery.

In addition to prescribing conventional medications, the sanatorium or resort will necessarily provide dietary nutrition, physiotherapy, as well as medicinal baths and procedures.Depending on the location, the sanatorium may offer hydrogen sulfide, silicon, radon, iodine-bromine and other baths.A good sanatorium will fill you with energy for several months.

Conclusion

Complex therapy is most often used to treat psoriasis.Only an integrated approach can give good results, because any type of individual treatment will be ineffective, especially at a later stage of treatment.