Statistics show that the colossal percentage of patients with psoriasis worldwide is within 3-5%. The skin is most affected by the disease, which presents as a red rash with a characteristic inflammatory reaction. In this case, the plaque is covered with silver scales on top. The main difficulty in treating the disease is the lack of drugs needed for complete recovery. It is hypothesized that the main factors influencing the spread of psoriasis are metabolic abnormalities, external factors, stress, and heredity.
Most scientists agree that inheritance plays one of the most important roles. In the presence of genetic disorders, any external stimulation can trigger psoriasis. These can be nervous, depressive, psycho-emotional disorders, poor quality clothing, mechanical damage to the skin, chemical poisoning, infectious diseases, and so on. Methods of treating psoriasis are reduced to the transition of the disease from acute to asymptomatic manifestations. Not only the behavior of a person during a period of relapse, but also the prevention of psoriasis, for which prevention is responsible, is of paramount importance.
The main methods of preventing psoriasis
Preventing psoriasis consists of maintaining a healthy lifestyle and eliminating negative factors. At the same time, there is a fairly general form of prevention, that is, it allows the development of other diseases as immunity increases and the body functions in a regular manner, increasing the likelihood of qualitative resistance to environmental stimuli.
Prevention is a set of measures designed to maintain the health of the body. There are several areas of impact that can help prevent relapse:
- High quality skin care;
- Stick to your diet;
- Relaxing massage is recommended;
- Rejection of bad habits;
- Avoid stress and depression;
- Prevent entry of corrosive chemicals into skin and respiratory tract;
- Maintaining proper levels of trace elements and vitamins in the body.
Skin care
Quality and thorough skin care required:
- Perform water treatments regularly, even in the cold season. In the hot season you can use cold showers, pouring, and in the cold season hot baths with soda, salt, herbs, etc. by adding;
- It is important to care for your skin carefully so as not to cause irritation and cuts. Use soft sponges and it is better to completely refuse hard sponges, otherwise relapse is possible;
- Remove solid soap from use. It also prevents the ingress of solvents such as gasoline and kerosene; It is better to wash the hair on the head with special shampoos that contain the spread of the disease and can be used to treat psoriasis. These include shampoos, conditioners and body lotions;
- Avoid cracking the skin to rule out the possibility of symptoms. After bathing or showering, it is important to hydrate the skin, use masks, creams, ointments, etc. This accelerates the recovery of the hydrolipid membrane and prevents increased water loss. Such devices should be used once a day;
- Indoor humidity should be at an optimal level (50-55%). If the air is too dry, the skin will start to dry out and then crack. Humidifiers can be used;
- Increased airflow increases skin dehydration in air conditioners and drafts. Time spent in such premises should be limited;
- Mechanical damage must be ruled out. Cuts, bruises, abrasions, skin tears often cause relapse;
- Chemicals, such as bathroom care products, should be used minimally and only with personal protective equipment, although prolonged exposure to the respiratory tract is also harmful;
- Cut your nails short to avoid accidental skin damage;
- Some cosmetics contain aggressive substances that negatively affect the skin. You may need to switch to a medical cosmetic.
Use of wellness massage
Prevention of psoriasis becomes even more effective when massage is used. Circulatory massage techniques are particularly preferred. Thanks to the active blood circulation, the removal of metabolic products and toxins is accelerated, and the regeneration process of the skin is accelerated, which prevents the disease from getting worse. During the massage, the skin around the plaque is gradually tightened with the help of the fingers. An area of 2-4 cm should be recorded around the affected area. The plaques themselves should not be touched, this is fraught with worsening of the disease. A full body massage can be performed to prevent new plaque formation. It is best to process the back and then move on to massage the limbs and the end of the abdomen. The rib arch responds well to squeezing and rubbing. The duration of the procedure is 10-15 minutes.
Proper nutrition and diet
Nutrition plays a critical role in preventing the development of almost any chronic disease, and psoriasis and its prevention are no exception. There are diets that can bring positive results, such as the Pegano diet, but the point is the same, and the removal of harmful substances. Relapses occur due to the negative effects of food. This is because liver damage from psoriasis is a characteristic course of the disease.
- Do not eat fried, spicy, salty and sour foods at all. Also excludes canned food, semi-finished products can be consumed in small quantities, but only at home. Be careful to eat perishable foods. All this impairs the process of food processing in the digestive system;
- Do not eat citrus fruits because they are highly allergenic. Citrus also contains colchicine, which kills folic acid, and is an important component of skin regeneration;
- It is not recommended to eat corn;
- Relapses are possible due to bananas, mangoes and strawberries;
- It is forbidden to eat sweets or flour products;
- Consumption of potatoes is acceptable but should be significantly reduced. This is due to the high potassium content. They react with sodium to antagonize calcium. Calcium is important in the treatment of the inflammatory response;
- Fatty meats should be kept to a minimum, especially pork and lamb. Replace with more dietary meat;
- Highly allergenic foods: eggs, tomatoes, coffee, chocolate, honey and mushrooms;
- Dairy products are healthy because they are high in protein and fat. It is recommended to include cottage cheese, milk, fermented fried milk and cheese in the diet. Thanks to the most important amino acids, the course of biochemical reactions is normalized throughout the body. However, a high calcium content helps eliminate inflammation as well as allergic manifestations;
- The treatment and prevention of psoriasis works well with plant-based foods such as vegetables, fruits, and herbs. However, they must be consumed raw. Carrots have beneficial properties due to vitamin A. This ingredient normalizes the metabolism in the skin and promotes faster regeneration;
- Porridge should be present in the diet every day. The most useful cereals are: wheat, oats and buckwheat;
- The fastest way to treat psoriasis is to drink plenty of fluids, including juices, water, including mineral water, teas, and so on. ;
- If you have an intolerance, avoid using allergens. This shade is determined by your doctor.
Quit alcohol and smoking
There are no reliable data on whether alcohol can cause the disease, but it is known that the course of the disease is significantly exacerbated by drinking in patients with pre-existing psoriasis. It is also possible to generalize the usual vulgar form of the disease to a more severe form, such as psoriatic erythroderma.
As for smoking, everything is a bit simpler. It is noticeable that it can trigger the disease itself and exacerbate the current form of the disease. Those who consume 20 or more cigarettes a day are particularly at risk. The main problems are a decrease in the activity of the immune system due to lack of oxygen, as well as a weakening of muscle tone and blood vessel walls. It is also important that smoking increases blood flow through the capillaries as well as suppressing antioxidant protection.
Healthy lifestyle
A healthy lifestyle is one of the key factors that affects the well-being of the skin. Proper daily routine, including getting enough sleep, is important. Doctors advise you to go to nature, fresh air, sea, resorts and sanatoriums more often.
Physical activity helps to restore the body to a healthy state, which is a major factor in preventing disease. Sports activities are great, especially fitness and swimming. Such a package of measures will make it possible to strengthen the immune system as well as relieve nervous tension.
Anti-stress
Psycho-emotional disorders and tension negatively affect the course of the disease and very often provoke its occurrence. The normalization and stabilization of the emotional state and the nervous system is of paramount importance in prevention. External stimuli should be excluded if possible. Ancient practices such as yoga and meditation, as well as extra sleep, can help with this. In more severe situations, sedatives are used or they come out with herbal teas.
If psoriasis is associated with nervous system disorders - headache, sleep disturbance, nervousness, medication may be used. Effective - motherwort, valerian, Nervo-Vit. They make it possible to normalize sleep patterns, increase the ability of the immune system, and improve resistance to stress.
It is difficult to achieve results without your own efforts, everything should be taken more calmly.
Work
Some professions are categorically unsuitable for psoriasis patients. Harmful factors include: high temperature, excessive drought or humidity in the room, use of chemicals. In addition, the choice of profession should not be made in fields where there is a high risk of nervous stress and mechanical injuries. It is best to stay away from highly allergenic environments.
Use of vitamin complexes
Vitamins have extremely beneficial effects not only on the course of the disease but also on its prevention. Thanks to strong immunity, relapse can be prevented, along with improved metabolism, which has a beneficial effect on the condition of the skin. The important vitamins are:
- A - he is responsible for keratinization, which significantly accelerates skin regeneration;
- E - Evaluated primarily for its antioxidant effects. It also prevents metabolic disorders and acts as an integral part of DNA synthesis;
- D - substance that regulates the exchange of phosphorus and calcium. At the same time, it stimulates regeneration in the epidermis and normalizes the membrane, the cellular structure;
- Group B - are actively involved in skin metabolism, improve oxygen absorption. The skin elements respond favorably to the presence of B vitamins, as shown by the normalization of the nervous system.
Products or preparations with a high vitamin content are most commonly used. It is recommended - Undevit, Geksavit and Dekamevit, but these should be used according to the doctor's recommendations.
Medicines
You should see a doctor before taking this medicine. In some cases, on the contrary, the agents cause an exacerbation of the disease, which manifests itself in an exacerbation of symptoms. The use of lithium preparations and preparations containing gold and beta-blockers should be avoided.
Anything, even the most innocuous, at first glance, the disease can provoke psoriasis. The timely treatment of all diseases should be addressed. Upper respiratory diseases often exacerbate psoriasis.
Climate therapy, ultraviolet rays
Ultraviolet radiation has a beneficial effect on the course and prevention of psoriasis. Patients are required to sunbathe for 5-10 minutes, the burn is unacceptable. In addition, seawater has a positive effect, especially from the Dead Sea, although this indicator is unique, on the contrary, it damages some. Skin wounds are contraindicated for swimming in seawater. You should not swim during the exacerbation. The time for performing climatotherapy must be set individually.
Use sunscreen when sunbathing. Your doctor can tell you if sunbathing will have a beneficial effect, otherwise there is a high risk of your disease getting worse.
Injury
Injuries are very dangerous manifestations that can cause and exacerbate psoriasis. This increases the risk of secondary infections due to cuts and abrasions. Plaques often appear around the lesions. Prevent injuries as much as possible.
clothing
Factors such as quality and appropriate clothing are one of the basic principles of preventing psoriasis or its recurrence. We recommend that you use clothes made of soft materials made of natural materials, preferably light in color. This helps prevent plaque damage and reduces skin pain. The lighter color helps make the silver scales less visible. Linen, cotton and other soft materials are ideal for bedding. Avoid wearing wool sweaters and similar irritants.