Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by a number of symptoms, such as red skin rashes with clear boundaries and silvery-white keratin. It mainly occurs in areas that receive a lot of stimulation such as elbows, knees, buttocks, and scalp. known to be. In addition, even if the treatment has progressed to some extent and the symptoms have improved, when exposed to a triggering factor again, the symptoms worsen and recur.
The exact cause of psoriasis, which is classified into several types such as plaque psoriasis, waterdrop psoriasis, pustular psoriasis, and erythrodermic psoriasis, is not known. It is known that the cause of abnormal immune function and genetic factors due to family history have a big influence on the occurrence, and those who have these genetic factors of psoriasis may experience severe skin irritation, trauma, infection, stress, drugs, and Exposure to various environmental factors, such as cold and dry weather, increases the risk. In addition, as an excess of substances that exacerbate inflammation are produced in fat, overweight and obesity are known as one of the triggers for the occurrence and worsening of psoriasis symptoms. Now, let’s take a closer look at the main symptoms of psoriasis, as well as various information on treatment and management.
The main symptoms of psoriasis
In the early stages of psoriasis, small, millet-like rashes of red color form on the skin, and these rashes grow larger over time. After that, a new millet-like rash is formed in the surrounding tissues, and they merge to form a larger rash, and on top of that, white scale-like dead skin cells are stacked and thickened. This type of psoriasis often appears in the joints of the limbs, scalp, and buttocks, which are areas that are subjected to a lot of friction, and the nails and toenails are accompanied by symptoms similar to athlete’s foot, and if the symptoms are severe, they may be deformed. In addition, about 5 to 10% of psoriasis patients develop arthritis symptoms accompanied by swelling and pain in the joint area.
The longer the onset period of psoriasis, the wider the spread of the rash, and at the same time, symptoms such as excessive production of dead skin cells, which not only cause great difficulties in living a normal life, but also cause severe stress due to psychological atrophy. In addition, as psoriasis symptoms worsen, it is reported that there is a lot of correlation in the occurrence of vascular-related diseases such as myocardial infarction, angina, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, and stroke, and metabolic diseases such as obesity and diabetes. It is known that there is no direct method to prevent the onset of psoriasis, and even if it has been treated to some extent, it has the characteristic that it is easy to recur due to various factors. Therefore, it is important to continuously implement an accurate diagnosis and correct treatment, while continuously implementing various lifestyle habits to control symptoms and prevent recurrence.
Psoriasis Treatment and Management
1. Diagnosis and treatment
Psoriasis is diagnosed accurately by conducting a clinical examination based on the identification of skin pustules, the site of occurrence, the course and history of the disease, and at the same time performing a biopsy. After that, depending on the diagnosis result, various treatments such as topical treatment of applying vitamin D derivatives, corticosteroids, and moisturizing agents directly to the diseased area and phototherapy in which psoriasis occurs by irradiating UVB rays to the affected area are carried out. In addition, if symptoms do not improve or side effects occur with these topical treatments and phototherapy, systemic treatment with multiple drugs such as retinoids, methotrexate, and cyclosporine is performed. Treatments such as biologics, such as suppressive drugs and drugs that suppress immune mediators of T-immune cells, may be considered.
2. Skin moisturizing care
It is known that psoriasis skin is not able to supply fat and moisture as well as normal skin. It is said that the skin of psoriasis patients has a much worse skin control function according to the change of seasons than normal people, and the symptoms worsen during the changing seasons with severe day-to-day temperature difference or atmospheric humidity and dry winter. Therefore, it is recommended to pay more attention to skin moisturizing management such as proper humidity control in a space where you stay for a long time and applying a moisturizer to prevent the skin from drying out during these times. In addition, taking a bath for a long time or taking a bath too often can dry out the skin, so it is recommended to take a light shower. And since damage and irritation of the skin that occur in daily life can cause psoriasis to develop and worsen symptoms, minimizing such skin irritation as much as possible is also a very important management habit.
3. Stress Control
Excessive emotional stress is known to be the main trigger for the development and worsening of psoriasis symptoms. Also, since various symptoms such as rash and dead skin cells are directly related to beauty, psoriasis itself frequently acts as a stressor. As there are several studies showing that stress is strongly related to the development of psoriasis, it is recommended to properly cope with and relieve stress. In addition, overwork is also known to be a major factor that aggravates psoriasis, so it is very important to get enough rest and sleep.
In addition, maintaining a healthy diet containing a variety of nutrients in a balanced way, and exposing yourself to the sun for 10 to 20 minutes a day is said to help improve symptoms. On the other hand, alcohol and tobacco are known to be the main risk factors that adversely affect psoriasis, so it is recommended to limit it. .
