Effective treatment of psoriasis: a set of measures

Psoriasis is a very unpleasant skin disease that causes a lot of inconvenience to the patient who is unlucky enough to develop 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, to date it is simply impossible to completely cure psoriasis.However, there are many techniques and treatments that can be very helpful and significantly reduce the patient's suffering.

The best effect can be achieved through complex therapy, trying to influence the disease from different angles.For this purpose, different treatment methods are combined.In today's material we will take a closer look at how to properly carry out complex treatment of psoriasis, what may be included in it and what points should be taken into account.

Factors to consider when choosing treatment

First of all, we would like to remind you that you should never self-medicate!Even if you are completely 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 considers the following factors:

• Age and gender of the patient - the older he is, the more difficult it is to treat the disease;
• hereditary factors – the risk of the disease increases if parents or close 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 – if the psoriasis is mild, it is much easier to control;
• the form of the course and the affected parts of the body - the more severe it is, the more difficult it is to choose effective treatment;
• possible allergic reactions – in this case not every medication can be taken;
• Place and type of work – in some companies there are very unfavorable working conditions, which has a very negative impact on the general state of health and the development of psoriasis;
• Region of residence – if you live in a region with highly polluted air, this negatively affects the perception of various diseases and psoriasis develops more intensively;
• the presence of bad habits – regular smoking and alcohol consumption affect the 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 yourself.If you start self-treatment, it is fraught with serious complications.Therefore, a specialized dermatologist will definitely prescribe you the necessary tests to determine all other factors and only after that prescribe treatment.

Packages of measures for the treatment of psoriasis

To ensure that the treatment of psoriasis at home is as effective as possible, various packages of measures are often used.Within its framework, various medications are used at the same time that affect different body systems.So, the treatment regimen may include:

• external treatment— various creams and ointments to act on the skin and eliminate external signs of illness;
• systemic medications- tablets, mixtures that act on 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 area;
• special diet- exclude foods that can harm the gastrointestinal tract, for example fried, spicy, salty and pickled foods.

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

External treatment

Essentially, how does psoriasis begin to develop?Firstly, the function of the epidermis – the horny layer of the skin – is disrupted.As a result, the skin no longer receives the moisture it needs and becomes too dry.Gradually, dryness and flaking increase, and since dead skin particles do not have time to be removed, so-called psoriatic plaques appear.All this is accompanied by itching and inflammation.During periods of exacerbation, they do not subside during the day or at 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. Eliminate pain, relieve swelling, reduce flaking and also improve appearance by reducing rashes and the number of psoriasis plaques.
2. Minimize the influence of various external factors.
3. Affect the foci of disease as quickly as possible and bring quick relief.

Topical 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 individually.

1. Non-hormonal medications.The name speaks for itself - the medications do not contain any hormonal components.They act on the epidermis and quickly remove dead skin layers, disinfect damaged areas, have an antiviral and antimicrobial effect, and also provide the skin with high-quality moisture and increase its elasticity.Such preparations contain beeswax, natural oils and other natural ingredients, as well as salicylic acid, dithranol, sulfur, urea and other substances.They have a number of excellent properties and work very quickly and effectively on the skin areas affected by psoriasis.
2. Hormonal medications.They contain a certain amount of synthetic hormones from the corticosteroid group.Many experts prefer them because, due to the presence of the hormone in the composition, they work almost instantly, literally within minutes, producing the desired effect.However, unlike non-hormonal drugs, such drugs must be used with caution.Firstly, a slight delay in therapy can lead to hormonal imbalance and, as a result, serious complications.Secondly, if the medication is suddenly stopped, a so-called “withdrawal effect” can occur, in which the symptoms not only return but also worsen.

When and how do you choose the right group of medications?What medications are best to use?

1. In the progressive stage, ointments containing salicylic acid and anti-inflammatory hormonal ointments are most often used.Of course, the first attempt is to achieve the desired effect with medications with a weaker concentration of active ingredients.If there is no effect, stronger means are used.These medications contain a higher dose of fluoride.In most cases, patients feel positive dynamics within two weeks after starting regular use.
2. To treat the elderly and children, drugs are used that do not contain chlorine and fluorine, 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.At the beginning of treatment, minimal doses are prescribed with gradual increases.The drugs are primarily aimed at reducing inflammation.However, other side effects such as swelling, itching and redness may also occur, which, against the background of similar psoriasis symptoms, somewhat limits the scope of use of drugs in this group.
4. One of the new drugs is a drug that acts directly on the causes of psoriasis.Its main active ingredient is calcipotriol, which suppresses the development of pathogenic processes.After just two months, the overall condition of the skin improves significantly, the number of inflamed and damaged areas as well as flaking decreases.It is noteworthy that in most cases there are no side effects characteristic of other medications for psoriasis.There are cases where one treatment was enough to achieve remission for up to a year.The strongest effect is achieved when the treatment is carried out according to an integrated approach and the effect occurs in conjunction with other means, most often physiotherapeutic procedures.

We would like to draw your attention to the fact that long-term use of medication is not recommended as it can lead to the development of dependency.As a result, the effectiveness of the treatment decreases significantly.

Systemic medications

As already mentioned, diseases of the 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 the internal organs.These can be tablets, injections, infusions and other medications that must be selected individually.What therapy can be prescribed for psoriasis?

1. Anti-inflammatory drugs relieve inflammation and reduce the influence of various viruses and microbes.A comprehensive treatment regimen is often used for psoriasis.
2. Antiallergic medications.Since allergies often worsen the symptoms of psoriasis, these medications can help significantly.
3. Antipsoriatics.They affect the recovery process of the skin, normalize the life cycle of its cells, and also eliminate the side effects of the disease.
4. Antifungal medications.Since a fungal infection makes the progression of psoriasis significantly more difficult, it is very important to combat it effectively.
5. Drugs to combat the pathological formation of new cells that do not serve a specific purpose.Over time and without treatment, such cells can accumulate in large numbers in the body.

Depending on the complexity of the disease and the degree of damage to other organs, other, stronger medications may be used.However, despite the good effect, you should not abuse it as the side effects can be very serious.

Physiotherapeutic procedures

Although it is impossible to cure psoriasis with physiotherapeutic procedures alone, if selected correctly, they can both enhance the effect of drugs and accelerate the recovery process at the final stage of complex treatment.What procedures are prescribed for the complex treatment of psoriasis?

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

6. Medicinal baths with soothing and anti-inflammatory herbs such as chamomile or celandine as well as starch and linseed.
7. Acupuncture.However, you should be careful when choosing a specialist, as an incorrectly performed procedure can have unpredictable consequences that may take a long time to treat.

Spa treatment

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

In addition to prescribing traditional medications, the sanatorium or resort necessarily offers dietary nutrition, physiotherapy, as well as medicinal baths and treatments.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 many months.

Conclusion

Complex therapy is most often used to treat psoriasis.Only an integrated approach can achieve good results, as any single type of treatment remains ineffective, especially at a later stage of treatment.