With psoriasis, the skin of the human body and joints are affected. Skin psoriasis is chronic, sometimes severe. It is accompanied by the appearance of reddish-burgundy spots that have risen above the skin with the presence of silver-white scales (hence the second name of the disease - scaly lichen).
The spots either scatter over the body, like drops, or merge into plaques, forming localized foci, the sizes of which range from tiny to huge. In addition to physical suffering, the disease causes significant psychological discomfort. Because of it, sociophobia arises, expressed in reduced self-esteem, the acquisition of inferiority complexes, in communication difficulties and difficulties in professional activity.
Is psoriasis a contagious disease?
Centuries ago, psoriasis was overly afraid, identifying it with leprosy. In the era of Hippocrates, these two diseases were combined into one, calling them "leprosy". Currently, although people know the answer to the question of whether psoriasis is transmitted when they meet a patient who is not really able to infect them, they still do not hide the horror.
Most medical scientists believe that the cause of the disease lies in the negative changes that occur in the genetic system of patients. This is precisely the main reason, though far from the only one. Fortunately, they completely managed to refute the infectious theory of scaly lichen.
Doctors have not recorded a single case of psoriasis transmission from sick people to healthy. They cannot be infected even at the time of blood transfusion. Firmly remember - psoriasis is not contagious. But he is not aesthetic. Foci are caused by skin foci of the disease that are disfiguring.
In addition to the hereditary theory, doctors focus on endocrine and metabolic disorders, as well as changes in the immune system of patients. They often explain the appearance of scaly lichen by the transfer of all kinds of neurosis and stress. Doctors at the moment admit that psoriasis is a mystery to them.
Despite the multiple causes of the disease, treatment leads to a significant weakening of symptoms, long-term stable remissions, and in some cases the complete disappearance of psoriasis.
Heredity and Psoriasis
Since 60% of patients have or had relatives burdened with the disease, doctors answer yes to the question of whether psoriasis is inherited. They identified the chromosome responsible for the transmission process. And if the patient does not know any of the ancestors who suffered from scaly lichen, this does not mean that they were not there. The disease slumbers for many years. It may not affect children and grandchildren, but it will amaze great-grandchildren or great-great-grandchildren.
The disease affects people who have reached the age of 15-25 years. Its development is associated with puberty, when the psyche is especially vulnerable and hormonal changes are taking place. Such impulses to the appearance of an ailment are frequent, such as conscription into the army, service, unhappy love, the death of loved ones. Psoriasis triggers mental disruptions and environmental problems (in industrial cities, the disease is much more severe).
The appearance of the disease is so unpredictable that its behavior is equated with the action of an unexploded bomb: when and why it will explode - it is unknown to anyone.
Symptoms of psoriasis
Psoriasis begins with a rash that spreads over small areas. It is a single scattered plaque localized in favorite places. Psoriasis is found on the arms, head, scalp, legs, in one or another part of the body. They are affected by the sacrum, knee and elbow joints, the external intimate zone, armpits and other areas.
Psoriasis disfigured skin is clearly delimited from healthy areas. The surface of the plaques is from bright pink to deep red, covered with loosened silver-white scales. Rashes are accompanied by peeling. Often, psoriasis (symptoms) decreases in the summer. And the treatment, carried out all the time, has nothing to do with it. The rays of the sun make the ailment retreat. In some people, the symptoms disappear completely.
In addition, psoriasis is characterized by the Koebner phenomenon (when the disease affects places of scratches and injuries). With scaly lichen, not only the skin, but also the joints suffer. If joints are involved in the painful processes, patients have an additional concomitant diagnosis - psoriatic arthritis.
Psoriasis treatment
It does not matter if psoriasis is found on the hands or other parts of the body, the treatment is carried out in two directions. First of all, efforts are directed at interrupting the cycle, which causes accelerated growth of skin cells. This prevents the formation of plaques and reduces the inflammatory process. Secondly, local means remove the flakes and smooth the skin.
They carry out drug treatment and photochemotherapy (when there are no contraindications to it). Phototherapy is prescribed if medication has not been successful - psoriasis (symptoms) has not subsided. And treatment is required in more radical forms. The method of photochemotherapy allows you to achieve an anti-inflammatory effect and correction of immune processes.
With this technique, psoriatic plaques are exposed to UV rays. Ultraviolet suppression of inflammatory reactions occurs on the skin. This method has side effects, which are expressed in the drying out, redness and aging of the skin.
If photochemotherapy has not succumbed to psoriasis, the doctor switches to systemic treatment methods in which he prescribes drugs by injection and orally. The method contributes to a significant weakening of the symptoms of squamous lichen, simultaneously causing side effects of toxic effects on the kidneys and liver.
For this reason, systemic therapy is selected strictly individually, based on blood tests. In the process of treatment, blood tests and the patient's state of health are monitored.
Psoriasis Medications
To suppress the disease, many tools are used, found by traditional healers and developed by official medicine. Medicines are selected individually for the patient, taking into account the type and degree of the disease and the features of its course. For example, initial psoriasis is treated with topical agents.
The affected areas are treated with special solutions, ointments, creams and shampoos. Complicated forms of the disease are trying to eliminate the local hormonal drugs - glucocorticosteroids, freezing outbreaks of inflammatory processes. Such psoriasis medications significantly reduce flaking and itching in the plaque area.
Calcipotriol, which is an analogue of vitamin D 3 , copes with the suppression of excessively fast dividing epithelial cells. It is well tolerated by people suffering from scaly lichen. It is especially effective in combination with glucocorticosteroids.
Take hormonal drugs from psoriasis for a long time is impossible. They are too toxic, give unwanted serious side effects, are addictive, leading to atrophy of the skin, especially those located in areas of natural folds. And after remission, sometimes quite prolonged, the disease flares up with renewed vigor, and its foci at the same time grow, capturing plaque-free skin.
In attempts to get rid of the disease, salicylic acid is widely used, which has an inhibitory effect on hasty cell division and relieves inflammatory reactions. In local treatment, ointments based on boric acid, tar and zinc oxide are used. Psoriasis is treated with hydrogen peroxide. Reviews about her, as well as about other means, are different. Only a doctor can say with certainty whether or not to try this method for a particular patient.
Hydrogen Peroxide Against Psoriasis
Is it possible to treat psoriasis with hydrogen peroxide? Reviews based on some data and preliminary studies claim that there are indeed positive results with hydroperitis treatment.
Theoretical aspects
To a certain extent, hydrogen peroxide is able to remove the inflammatory and immunological reactions that occur on the skin. But research in this direction is incomplete. Scientists do not understand the mechanism of the drug.
Proponents who advocate the treatment of psoriasis with hydrogen peroxide, whose reviews are publicly available, convince that it mitigates the manifestations of the disease, reduces the size of foci with plaques, and eliminates itching. However, all these reviews are unofficial, they are left by patients using a medication to treat psoriasis. However, no less negative reviews have been written than positive reviews.
We are talking about three methods of treatment with peroxide: its local application, internal use according to Neumyvakin and intravenous administration.
Local peroxide treatment
Local treatment with a 3% peroxide solution is ineffective. Someone may have had remission, but it took too much time to achieve it (especially if the foci are large).
The second method of topical application involves the use of 30% peroxide (perhydrol). Women with psoriasis of the head intentionally become blondes using perhydrol as a paint. Thanks to this procedure, they argue, they manage to get rid of the scaly lichen hidden by the hair.
Removal of plaques by perhydrol in other places, especially in tender areas, is an intolerable procedure. Peroxide of this concentration causes a strong burning sensation, so patients cease to perform painful treatment. There are more negative reviews about this method than positive reviews.
Peroxide for internal treatment according to Neumyvakin
According to Neumyvakin, peroxide should be taken internally, gradually increasing the dose of the drug to 30 drops. Since the effect of atomic oxygen released from peroxide has not been fully studied, many doctors warn of the dangers of using this method of treatment. And again, no reliable data on healing by official sources is provided. The technique is under investigation.
Peroxide Intravenous Treatment
With the intravenous administration of the drug, atomic oxygen that enters the bloodstream quickly spreads to the cells of the body. It is believed that it burns pathogenic cells. However, to guarantee that diseased cells will be destroyed, and healthy ones will remain unaffected, while no one can. In addition, this procedure is quite dangerous. It is not suitable for self-medication. It is performed only by qualified doctors. She has a side effect - starting premature aging.
When a person realizes that his illness is almost incurable, he is ready to grab onto any straw. However, do not forget to include the mind. Whatever the treatment of psoriasis with hydrogen peroxide is advertised, reviews accurately indicate that this method is not a panacea for scaly lichen. Peroxide is far from a harmless drug. It is quite toxic and can do much more harm than good.
Expert opinion
From the results of the study, it is known that there are certain advantages in the treatment of scaly lichen with hydrogen peroxide. It increases the permeability of the nail bed, which facilitates the penetration into the nail of drugs prescribed for psoriasis. But this fact does not give reason to believe that it is possible to treat psoriasis with hydrogen peroxide. The reviews of medical scientists are as follows: hydrogen peroxide cannot be recognized as a treatment for psoriasis.
Where to treat psoriasis?
The most famous places where psoriasis is treated include the regions located on the coast of two seas - the Dead and the Red. People with psoriasis go to be healed in Israel, Jordan or Safag. There, dry and hot air increases the effect of sea baths, in which water is oversaturated with salts, healing clays and sands.
However, positive results in the treatment of psoriasis have been achieved in clinics and resorts in Russia, in the CIS countries and Europe. The healing factors of the Sea of Azov are hydrogen sulfide mud and healing clay. In the Kazakh lake Alakol, where psoriasis is treated, completely unique salt waters with a chloride-sulfate-sodium composition.
In Azerbaijan, scaly lichen is treated with naphthalan baths, ointments and body wraps, and in Abkhazia it is treated with hydrogen sulfide sources. They are going to get rid of psoriasis on Perm hydrogen sulfide springs, salt lakes located in the Crimea and near Rostov.
Popular Russian psoriasis clinics
There are many places in Russia where you can try to cure psoriasis. The Presidentmed Clinic removes plaques using effective cold plasma technology. The network of clinics "Linline" use painless laser technology to treat the disease. Visible results are obtained after the first procedure. In the clinic “City Resort” modern techniques are combined with healing water procedures.
Psoriasis can be treated in many other Russian clinics and resorts. The choice of medical institution depends on the individual case and the financial capabilities of the patient. For example, they seek treatment at the clinic of Dr. Kupeyev, where 10 days of treatment cost about 65,000 rubles. It is treated according to a unique phytolaserophoresis technique (this method is not used in any other clinic in the world). Patients undergo 4 courses of treatment.
Free treatment can be achieved by procuring a quota in federal institutions where PUVA therapy, non-hormonal ointments and effective medications are used. The quota is received in the regional and regional KVD.