Finding an effective cure for psoriasis would be much easier for scientists if they could precisely understand the reasons for its occurrence. The question "why? " Appears not only in the lights of science, but also in every patient who is forced to fight against this disease. Incentive theories began to emerge hundreds of years ago. Today we have dozens of guesses at our disposal, but all are still awaiting scientific proof. Studying even the possible causes of psoriasis will help many patients avoid recurrence of the disease, and healthy people may not cope with it at all.
Hereditary theory
The 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 led scientists to study in more detail the theory of the hereditary origin of squamous lichen.
On April 5, 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 risk of illness of the child is 14%;
- if both parents are affected in the family, this risk increases to 41%;
- if a sister or brother is ill: 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 inheritance of the disease has not been established.
It is only known that the squamous lichen itself is not inherited, but only a predisposition to it. This means that a person whose family members have encountered a similar problem will not necessarily suffer from psoriasis. Therefore, it cannot be considered an exclusively hereditary disease. For psoriasis to manifest itself, it will need additional pathogens, which can also be considered its causes.
In addition, the question remains about 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 further for the causes of scaly lichens.
Infections and viruses as pathogens
The infectious theory of the disease appeared as one of the first, it began to be investigated about two centuries ago. Scientists of the 19th century were convinced of the failure 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 appear suddenly and also go into remission suddenly. And today there are supporters of this idea among scientists.
Supporters of the infectious theory believe that pathogens send a boost to vegetative division and the endocrine system, affecting their functions. Such changes alter the normal ability of the body to respond to the influence of the environment, to adapt to it. As a result, if we add one more provoking factor, the skin cells die not in 30 days (which is natural for them), but in 4-5 days, so a group of keratinized cells appears on the handsthe head, the face or the rest of the body. inflammation.
For many years, doctors have been investigating 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 none that can become the "trigger" for this dermatosis. Today, the infectious theory of the appearance of squamous lichens is not considered the main one, but it is also not completely rejected. There is still some connection between psoriasis attacks and infections.
It has been established that angina, acute respiratory viral infections, streptococci, tonsillitis and other infections often accompany the first outbreaks of squamous lichen, and in the remission stage it causes a relapse. But most doctors tend to believe that infections only cause 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 medicine discovered that psoriasis is not transmitted from person to person. However, there are viruses that persist in the body for years, reduce immunity, and can cause psoriasis if the skin's immune system has been damaged. In practice, there are cases of blood transfusion from a sick person to a healthy person, even if a healthy body is not infected with squamous lichen.
The Altered Metabolism Theory
One of the characteristics that doctors noticed during psoriasis was a low temperature in the patients. At first, this was considered one of the symptoms of the disease, but over time, doctors gave a different meaning to this phenomenon. The fact is that a constant drop in temperature indicates an altered metabolism.
Patient blood tests have confirmed that psoriasis patients have too much cholesterol in both adults and children.
These indicators indicate a violation of lipid metabolism in the body. This, in turn, leads to 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 the first outbreak or after.
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 squamous lichen is in excess, and vitamins B6, B12, A are not enough. You also noticed that they have broken content:
- zinc;
- iron;
- copper;
- cobalt.
Changes in the mineral complex significantly reduce the body's adaptive and protective functions. That is, scientists believe that metabolic disorders can create an ideal platform for disease: weaken the immune system, shorten the life of skin cells, etc. In the presence of an irritant (trigger), the disease progresses and the first symptoms appear. What factors can affect this, we will also consider a little below. Such changes cause not only inflammation in the body, but also nail psoriasis.
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, often starvation and low-calorie nutrition are necessarily used, since the metabolism of carbohydrates in patients is also affected. Positive developments from such activities partially support the theory of altered metabolism.
But most doctors consider these changes 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 alteration in pathogenesis
Patient statistics show that women are slightly more likely to suffer from psoriasis than men. Also, in the weaker sex with such a problem, outbreaks of psoriasis symptoms are mainly observed during the periods of ovulation and menstruation. Such characteristics in the "behavior" of the disease led scientists to think about the hormonal factor in the development of the disease.
In fact, in case of interruptions in the hormonal environment, patients often relapse: 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, in men a little later - at the age of 20-25. This is due to the fact that hormonal balance occurs later in the stronger sex.
But this theory also found opponents against scientists. The fact that changes in the hormonal background cause outbreaks of dermatosis today does not raise doubts among doctors, however, this is considered the main 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".
Psychosomatic disease
Research by the World Health Organization in the field of psoriasis has revealed that 2% of the total population of the planet faces this disease. At the same time, the proportion of patients in developed countries and megacities is much higher than in the periphery or underdeveloped countries: on average, it is 4. 6%. An unusual trend was studied, hoping to find the cause of psoriasis. The research and the conclusion of the scientists on this phenomenon was that psoriasis can be caused by psychological causes.
The skin is designed to reflect the general state of the body, all changes in health status, including psychological instability, "seep" into it. Some doctors tend to believe that psoriatic plaques are the body's way of nervously announcing a problem. Hence the fluctuations in the statistics: in megacities, life is more hectic, associated with a lot of stress, in contrast to the more measured life in a small town.
Psychologists who are also involved in treating patients are more susceptible to this theory. It is believed that mental disorders can affect not only the moral component, but also the organic one, that is, the body. So various changes in the nervous system can cause indigestion, rash, breathing problems, changes in heart rate.
These disorders include:
- Wish suppression. For example, "I want to live with someone else / work at 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, neurosis, depression. Such changes can become the causes of the same metabolic disorders, hormonal disturbances, etc.
- Feelings of guilt, unfulfilled duty.
- Doubts.
- Dissatisfaction with your own body.
- Constant feeling of fear, anger or other strong emotions.
Sedative treatment and psychological training give remarkable positive results in patients, which favors the psychosomatic nature of psoriasis. Even doubts about babies (where do they get psoriasis then? ) Are explained by psychologists. Newborns are known to be able to feel and respond to the mother's state and well-being. So, in case of problems with the mother, the baby can undergo various changes, even pathologies.
Child custody is also considered a factor in the development of squamous lichens 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, attempts to report dysfunctions and papules and plaques appear on the skin.
Excessive parental care can also have such consequences, but this case occurs mainly in families with children as young as 4 years old. The formed personality is trying to gain more freedom and the father, on the contrary, is trying to tie the child to himself. The resulting conflict affects the sensitive body of the child in the form of an inflamed rash.
Today, this theory of the causes of psoriasis is considered one of the main ones, along with the immunological one. Lichen squamous cell therapy charmingly includes self-improvement, exclusion of negative thoughts and stress, and a state of rest. For treatment, they even prescribe meditation and yoga classes, travel, hobbies, which do not help the patient 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 characteristic is also inherited, but it can also arise as a result of genetic 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 analysis of blood from patients and the study of scales on plates. It turned out that in keratinized cells there are actually antigenic complexes, and antibodies against these complexes were found in the blood. In healthy people, this is not seen in the blood or the dermis.
These analyzes indicate that immunity disorders play an important role in the formation of the first foci of psoriasis. In complex medical treatments, taking this fact into account, antihistamines are used to reduce the aggression of the immune system towards its own cells. However, there are still a number of factors that influence the course of the disease and its relapses, although they are not related to immunology, therefore, of all the theories considered, none 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 awaiting scientific justification. Although we have not been able to find a single cause, we have a long list of factors that cause relapse.
The first of these factors is stress, negative changes in the nervous system become a trigger at the onset of the disease and cause flare-ups 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, lichen squamous begins at the sites of trauma and skin damage, this is possible if a person is already predisposed to psoriasis. Scratches, scratch 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 use of moisturizers for body and scalp care is also recommended, as dry skin is more likely to relapse. It is necessary to abandon scrubs and peels, hard wipes, so as not to re-damage the skin. You need to hydrate 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 to independently "establish" a diagnosis. This will only take away precious time, it is best to consult a specialist.
The intake of medicines (both medicinal tablets and ointments) should be supervised by a doctor, mainly 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 visiting 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, the presence of concomitant diseases. It is important not to break the rules of the prescribed diet, avoid junk food, allergenic foods (honey, nuts, chocolate, citrus, red foods, etc. ).
Therefore, the patient should maintain a completely healthy lifestyle: exercise the body, control nutrition, and strengthen moral health. This also includes the mandatory refusal of alcohol, as even small doses provoke an outbreak of the disease. Such principles will serve to prevent not only psoriasis, but also many other diseases.