Finding an effective cure for psoriasis would be much easier for scientists if they could accurately understand the reasons for its appearance. The question "why? "appears not only in the luminaries of science, but also in every patient who is forced to fight this ailment. Theories about incentives began to emerge hundreds of years ago. Today we have dozens of guesses at our disposal, but all of them are still awaiting scientific proof. The study of even the possible causes of psoriasis will help many patients to avoid a relapse of the disease, and healthy people may not face it at all.
Hereditary theory
World dermatology managed to establish one of the reasons for the appearance of psoriasis for sure - it is a genetic predisposition. Today, 60% of all psoriasis patients have a relative with the same problem. Such conclusions prompted scientists to study in more detail the theory of the hereditary origin of scaly lichen.
On 5 April 2013, the WHO Secretariat compiled a research report in this area. I managed to install the following:
- if one of the parents is ill in the family, the child's risk of illness is 14%;
- if both parents are affected in the family, this risk increases to 41%;
- if a sister or brother is sick - 6%.
In this case, psoriasis can appear even after several generations, "bypassing" the previous ones.
An important task for biochemists was to find out which gene is responsible for such inheritance. A study of the patient's genome has identified nine gene loci that may be associated with psoriasis. However, the exact single gene that is responsible for the heredity of the disease has not been established.
It is only known that not scaly lichen itself is inherited, but only a predisposition to it. This means that a person whose relatives have encountered a similar problem will not necessarily suffer from psoriasis. Therefore, it cannot be considered an exclusively hereditary disease. In order for psoriasis to manifest itself, it will need additional pathogens, which can also be considered its causes.
In addition, the question remains regarding the remaining 40% of patients - why did they get sick if no one in their family suffered from a similar problem? This task forces scientists to look for the causes of scaly lichen further.
Infections and viruses as pathogens
The infectious theory of the disease appeared one of the first, it began to be investigated about two centuries ago. Scientists of the 19th century were convinced of the fault of pathological microorganisms and diligently tried to establish which of them were responsible for this disease. This explanation seemed the most obvious, since psoriasis in patients can suddenly appear and also suddenly go into remission. And today there are supporters of this idea among scientists.
Adherents of the infectious theory believe that pathogens send an impulse to the autonomic division and the endocrine system, affecting their functions. Such changes disrupt the body's normal ability to respond to the influence of the environment, to adapt to it. As a result, if we add one more provoking factor, skin cells die not in 30 days (which is natural for them), but in 4-5 days, which is why a group of keratinized cells appears on the hands, on the head, on the face or the rest of the body. inflammation.
For many years, doctors have studied fungi and bacteria, trying to find the relationship between them and the root cause of the disease. But among the pathological organisms known to medicine, there is no one that could become the "trigger" of this dermatosis. Today, the infectious theory of the appearance of scaly lichen is not considered as the main one, but it is not completely rejected either. There is still some connection between psoriasis attacks and infections.
It has been established that angina, ARVI, streptococci, tonsillitis and other infections often accompany the first outbreaks of scaly lichen, and in the stage of remission it provokes a relapse. But most doctors tend to believe that infections only provoke the manifestation of an existing disease.
The theory of the viral nature of the disease was also one of the first to emerge. However, this assumption has completely collapsed since the time when medicine found out that psoriasis does not spread from person to person. However, there are viruses that persist in the body for years, reduce immunity and can cause psoriasis if the immune system of the skin has been damaged. In practice, there are cases of blood transfusion from a sick person to a healthy person, even though a healthy body does not become infected with scaly lichen.
The theory of impaired metabolism
One of the features that doctors noticed during psoriasis was a low temperature in patients. At first, this was considered as one of the symptoms of the disease, but over time, doctors attached a different meaning to this phenomenon. The fact is that a constant drop in temperature indicates a disturbed metabolism.
Blood tests of patients have confirmed that patients with psoriasis have too much cholesterol in both adults and children.
Such indicators indicate a violation of lipid metabolism in the body. This, in turn, leads to the rapid keratinization of skin cells, which is why some scientists consider psoriasis to be a cholesterol diathesis. However, it has not yet been possible to determine whether cholesterol rises before or after the first outbreak.
In addition to cholesterol in the patient's body, the balance of minerals and vitamins is disturbed, such changes also lead to serious consequences. It was found that vitamin C in patients with lichen scaly is in excess, and vitamins B6, B12, A are not enough. Also noticed that they have broken content:
- zinc;
- iron;
- copper;
- cobalt.
Shifts in the mineral complex significantly reduce the adaptive and protective functions of the body. That is, scientists believe that metabolic disorders can create an ideal platform for the disease: weaken the immune system, shorten the life span of skin cells, etc. In the presence of an irritating factor (trigger), the disease progresses and the first symptoms appear. What factors can influence this, we will also consider a little below. Such shifts cause not only inflammation on the body, but also psoriasis of the nails.
Such violations in the balance of useful components are laboratory confirmed. Therefore, when treating psoriasis, it is dangerous for a patient to take even vitamins on his own. In complex therapy, a diet is necessarily used, often starvation and low-calorie nutrition, since carbohydrate metabolism in patients is also impaired. The positive developments from such activities partially support the theory of impaired metabolism.
But most doctors consider such shifts to be a consequence, not a cause of the disease. Such doubts are based on the fact that metabolic disorders would slowly lead to other symptoms at first, and psoriasis manifests itself in most cases immediately on the skin.
Hormonal disruption in pathogenesis
Patient statistics show that women are slightly more likely to suffer from psoriasis than men. Moreover, in the weaker sex with such a problem, outbreaks of psoriasis symptoms are seen mainly during the periods of ovulation and menstruation. Such features in the "behavior" of the disease prompted scientists to think about the hormonal factor in the development of the disease.
Indeed, in case of disruptions in the hormonal background, patients often have relapses: during pregnancy, menopause, taking hormonal drugs, etc. This hypothesis is supported by the general statistics of the first manifestations of the disease. In women, the initial symptoms occur at the age of 15 years, in men a little later - by 20-25 years. This is due to the fact that hormonal balance occurs later in the stronger sex.
But this theory also met opponents in the face of scientists. The fact that shifts in the hormonal background cause outbreaks of dermatosis today does not raise doubts among physicians, however, this is considered as the root cause of the disease. The hypothesis that hormones can cause psoriasis in a healthy person is excluded, since the first symptoms and relapses of the disease occur against the background of hormonal "calm".
Psychosomatics of the disease
A study by the World Health Organization in the field of psoriasis revealed that 2% of the total population of the planet are faced with this disease. At the same time, the proportion of patients in developed countries and megalopolises is much higher than in the periphery or underdeveloped countries - on average, it is 4. 6%. They began to study an unusual trend, hoping to find the cause of psoriasis. Research and the conclusion of scientists regarding this phenomenon was that psoriasis can be caused by psychological causes.
The skin is designed to reflect the general condition of the body, all changes in the state of health, including psychological instability, are "screened" on it. Some doctors are inclined to believe that psoriatic plaques are the body's way of announcing a problem on a nervous basis. Hence the fluctuations in statistics: in megacities, life is more impetuous, associated with a lot of stress, in contrast to a more measured life in a small town.
Psychologists who are also involved in the treatment of patients are more susceptible to this theory. It is believed that mental disorders can affect not only the moral, but also the organic component, that is, the body. Thus, various changes in the nervous system can cause indigestion, skin rashes, breathing problems, and changes in heart rate.
These disorders include:
- Desire suppression. For example, “I want to live with another person / work in another job / hit my boss / move”. The suppression of such desires leads to the fact that adrenaline is deposited in the body and gradually destroys the organs and their functions.
- Stress, neuroses, depression. Such changes can become the causes of the same metabolic disorders, hormonal disruptions, etc.
- Feelings of guilt, unfulfilled duty.
- Self-doubt.
- Dissatisfaction with your own body.
- Constant feeling of fear, anger, or other strong emotions.
Treatment with sedatives and psychological training give noticeable positive results in patients, which acts in favor of the psychosomatic nature of psoriasis. Even doubts about babies (where do they get psoriasis then? ) Are explained by psychologists. It is known that newborns are able to feel and respond to the state and well-being of the mother. So, in case of problems with the mother, the baby can undergo various changes, up to pathologies.
Child custody is also seen as a factor in the development of scaly lichen in children. For example, in the absence of maternal affection, a child experiences the same strong emotions as an adult (pain, fear, resentment). The body, in turn, tries to report malfunctions, and papules and plaques appear on the skin.
Excessive custody by parents can also lead to such consequences, but this case occurs mainly in families with children from 4 years old. The formed personality is trying to get more freedom, and the parent, on the contrary, is trying to bind the child to himself. The resulting conflict affects the child's sensitive body in the form of an inflamed rash.
Today, this theory of the causes of psoriasis is considered one of the main, along with immunological. Scaly lichen therapy charmingly includes self-improvement, elimination of negative thoughts and stress, and a state of rest. For treatment, they even prescribe meditation and yoga classes, travel, hobbies, which helps the patient no worse than medications. However, the course and development of the disease suggests that the psychological factor is far from the only one.
Hypothesis in case of impaired immunity
Research in the field of the genetic theory of the origin of psoriasis has revealed that all patients have impaired cellular immunity. This feature is also inherited, but it can also arise as a result of gene mutations. Scientists have suggested that with a congenital or acquired predisposition, damaged skin may be subject to autoimmune aggression. That is, the body perceives the affected skin cells as hostile and attacks them.
This assumption was supported by blood tests of patients and the study of scales over plaques. It turned out that in keratinized cells there really are antigenic complexes, and antibodies to these complexes were found in the blood. In healthy people, this is not observed either in the blood or in the dermis.
Such analyzes suggest that immunity disorders play an important role in the formation of the first foci of psoriasis. In complex drug treatment, taking into account this fact, antihistamines are used to reduce the aggression of immunity towards their own cells. However, there are still a number of factors that affect the course of the disease and its relapses, while not related to immunology, therefore, of all the theories considered, there is no one that was unanimously accepted.
Causes of relapse that can be prevented
The search for the root cause of the disease has led to the emergence of a mass of theories and hypotheses that await their scientific justification. Despite the fact that we have not been able to find a single cause, we have a wide list of factors that cause relapse.
The first of these factors is stress, negative shifts in the nervous system become a trigger at the onset of the disease and provoke outbreaks of existing psoriasis. Given this fact, doctors recommend that their patients avoid stressful situations whenever possible.
Patients are shown an active lifestyle, sports, travel.
In about 14% of patients, scaly lichen begins at the sites of trauma and skin damage, this is possible if a person already has a predisposition to psoriasis. Scratches, scratched bites, or a rash can be the site of papules and plaques. Patients should carefully monitor the condition and cleanliness of the dermis, treat the wound site with hydrogen peroxide and apply bandages or a plaster.
Regular moisturizers are also advised for body and scalp care, as dry skin is more likely to relapse. It is necessary to abandon scrubs and peels, hard washcloths, so as not to injure the skin once again. You need to moisturize your body with hypoallergenic creams, baby ointments or oils. At the first signs of a rash, you should not rely on reviews and photos on the Internet in order to independently "establish" the diagnosis. This will only take away precious time, it is better to consult a specialist.
Taking medications (both pills and medicinal ointments) should be monitored by a doctor, primarily with regard to antibiotics and immunomodulators. Even additional vitamins can provoke the progress of the disease, especially vitamins C, A, B. If you are infected with infections or fungi, you should definitely consult a doctor and not self-medicate. It is important not to bring viral diseases to chronic forms and not to delay going to the doctor.
Proper nutrition is essential. Patients are prescribed a diet that will strengthen the body and reduce the risk of relapse. For each patient, this is an individual nutritional system based on the stage of the disease, the level of immunity, and the presence of concomitant diseases. It is important not to violate the rules of the prescribed diet, avoid junk food, allergenic foods (honey, nuts, chocolate, citrus fruits, red foods, etc. ).
Thus, the patient must maintain a completely healthy lifestyle: exercise the body, monitor nutrition and strengthen moral health. This also includes the mandatory rejection of alcohol, since even small doses provoke an outbreak of the disease. Such principles will serve to prevent not only psoriasis, but also many other diseases.