Psoriasis is a chronic, degenerative and sadly, far from rare skin disease. It is forbidden to be discouraged, however: medicine, even in this field, has made enormous progress and there are effective treatments to keep the problem under control. Let’s find out together the latest research successes with the advice of prof. Mario Cristofolini, specialist in dermatology and of Dr. Evelina Flachi, nutritionist.
The psoriasis it’s an illness autoimmune, it is not contagious, which typically occurs in people aged between i 20 and 40 years. The most common form is the plaque psoriasis, characterized by “Blooms” of injuries erythematous e reddish, of variable size (from a few millimeters, to some centimeter) and covered with small silvery scales e dry.
At that point the skin is thickened and can give itch. The zone affected by psoriasis are, unfortunately, those more exposed e visible, such as scalp, elbows, knees and sacral area, but can also appear on nails, eyebrows, belly button, armpits, genital area, buttocks or be extended to the whole body.
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Based on the extension is distinguished in slight, if it affects less than 3% of the surface bodily, moderate, between 3 and 10%, e severe if it interests beyond the 10%. This classification is important for the purposes therapeutic.
Psoriasis: what treatments?
Being a chronic disease, you can only act for relieve the most annoying symptoms for the as much time as possible. The first thing to do is to go to one dermatologist specialist whether or not it confirms the existence of the problem.
Your doctor may also choose to combine care different, since the evolution of this disease and the answer to medications it varies a lot from person to person. THE treatments they can make use of two types approach:
General action treatments
• Phototherapy: it is a ray-based cure ultraviolet, which have an effect anti-inflammatory and help the regular growth of cell of the skin. It is practiced in centers specialized by means of lamps specific and each session lasts few minutes.
Local action
• Lotions and creams
• Medicines
In most cases mild, it is useful to apply on affected areas lotions, creme or gel based urea, vegetable tar and salicylic acid, which promote the regression gods symptoms. In cases where the psoriasis be a lot extended it is possible to intervene with drugs to be taken orally as the cyclosporine or the metrotrexate.
The dosage varies as appropriate and is decided by dermatologist. In most situations complex the treatment is represented by therapies systemic, that block the action of determinate cell immune.
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How much does the psyche affect Psoriasis?
Itch, redness of the skin, peeling. Often heavy symptoms that make it difficult to go to to work, go to school and also live your own serenity social life. Hence, the state psychological can accentuate the disease? Unfortunately!
On the birth or the worsening psoriasis can engrave also very much the emotional factor: often, in fact, the reason triggering it is a very strong condition anxiety or an event stressful able to lower temporarily the immunitary defense of the organism.
Many dermatological diseases chronic, like psoriasis, but also acne or rosacea, they can appear suddenly after a very fact stressful, a divorce, a mourning or a strong disappointment working, sign that theirs manifestation, in some cases, it is closely linked to psyche.
Why do you get psoriasis?
It appears that one may be involved components of type immunologico a base genetics (about 33% of patients). Basically, for one of ours genetic predisposition the natural system of defense of the organism it starts to to produce particular cells, called chitochine, that trigger the disease.
Who has at least one of the parents hit by this problem, will have a good chance of to get sick, while if even both parents suffer from psoriasis, the odds of having it inherited go up to 50%. It must be said that even those with familiar cases can be affected.
Beyond familiarity, there are others triggers, for example a trauma locale, or an irritation of the skin, a serious one burn Sunglasses. Other causes are represented by lifestyles: alcohol, smoking, overweight, obesity, sedentary lifestyle. Again, we may see psoriasis appear as a result of a reaction allergic by drugs: NSAIDs, non-anti-inflammatories steroids, including Aspirin, betabloccanti (used for circulatory disorders) etc …
Spas: ideal for the control of psoriasis
Illnesses inflammatory of the skin such as psoriasis, can benefit from spa treatments carried out mainly in the form of balneo-phototherapy with waters minerals. Generally with only the spa treatments you can get a fair improvement in mild and moderate forms of psoriasis.
The indication to balneotherapy must be given by a doctor that takes into account the specific pathologies for which this is indicated and of the state of salute general. Balneotherapy for the psoriasis, it usually uses water bicarbonate calcium and magnesian, like those of Comano in the province of Trento, which have properties lenitive ed emollients, but also anti-inflammatory, which therefore reduce the activity of the disease cutaneous. One cycle involves dai 15 to 20 days of balneotherapy.
The diet for those suffering from sporiasis
For the prevention psoriasis should prefer one low calorie diet, also because it is more and more confirmed the thesis according to which the overweight It is one of factors triggering of this disease.
Foods not recommended
- Alcohol and spirits. Worsen the clinical picture, negatively affecting the appearance of the skin, but also creating interactions with someone medications taken for the treatment of psoriasis, which are eliminated through the liver.
- Foods high in arachidonic acid. These include the cured meat and red meats, but also the put, butter and eggs. You should reduce your protein intake as well fat animals therefore, in addition to the foods already mentioned, sausages, Margarine, put, fried food, salt, cheeses seasoned, milk and derivatives, sugar.
- Limit acidic foods come vinegar, the coffee, the chocolate.
Recommended foods
Considering that every sick person of psoriasis reacts differently and can develop a hypersensitivity towards one food rather than another, we recommend drink a lot of water in order to counteract the dryness of the skin and to favor the consumption of:
- fibre found in whole grains and legumes;
- lactic ferments (yogurt);
- vegetables, especially the bitter ones such as chicory, radicchio, bitter gourd, cress, soy, beetroot, cucumbers, dandelion, chard, carrots e tomatoes;
- fish: the beneficial effect of this food is given by its high content of Omega 3 and long-chain, unsaturated fatty acids. For their effect protective they have also been used in diseases rheumatic and in psoriasis as inhibitors inflammation.