Psoriasis treatment
Psoriasis is an immune-mediated, genetic disease manifesting in the skin and/or the joints.
It is believed to have a genetic component. Most researchers agree that the immune system is somehow mistakenly triggered, which speeds up the growth cycle of skin cells.
Triggers can include emotional stress, injury to the skin, some types of infection and reactions to certain drugs.
For the most part, people with psoriasis function normally. Sometimes people experience low self-esteem because of the psoriasis. Psoriasis is often misunderstood by the public, which can make social interactions difficult.
The skin cells reproduce too quickly and the skin becomes inflamed.
Psoriasis is frequently referred to as a T-cell mediated disease. T cells are a type of immune system cell (white blood cell) that have been shown to be very important in the internal process of psoriasis.
The end result is a cycle of skin cells growing too fast, moving to the surface of the skin and piling up as dead cells (the white scale).
Scientists now believe that at least 10 percent of the general population inherits one or more of the genes that create a predisposition to psoriasis.
Statistics
* Psoriasis affects an estimated 2-3 percent of the world’s population.
* 125 million people worldwide have psoriasis
Quality of life
Patients with psoriasis covering more of their body have a greater negative impact on their quality of life.
TREATMENT
Tar can help slow the rapid proliferation of skin cells and restore the skin’s appearance.
Patients may see improvement within a couple of weeks of starting tar treatment.
The combination of intensive tar and UVB treatment it is a very effective treatment for psoriasis.
This treatment clears psoriasis in more than 90 percent of people and can produces engthy remissions.
It can be supplemented with steroid medications and keratolytics. Anthralin is also used instead of coal tar (Ingram regimen).
What about tar and sun
Natural sunlight by itself can be helpful for psoriasis. Tar remains active on the skin for at least 24 hours.
Salicylic acid: Helps remove scales and is often combined with topical steroids, anthralin or tar to enhance effectiveness.
Anthralin: This substance has been used to treat psoriasis for more than 100 years and it is very effective in treating plaque psoriasis.
Short-Contact Anthralin Therapy : Anthralin is left on the involved skin for a short period of time, ranging from 10 minutes to an hour.
The Ingram regimen: The Ingram regimen combines anthralin paste, a coal tar bath and UV exposure.
Mind and body :There is clear scientific evidence that stress triggers or aggravates psoriasis in some people. Practices that promote relaxation and stress reduction can help people with psoriasis manage their disease.
Massage: Helps to reduce stress and induce relaxation.
Meditation: Meditation improves the immune system and reduces heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate, oxygen consumption, blood flow to skeletal muscles, perspiration and muscle tension.
Nutrition :Dermatologists believe that maintaining a healthy weight may have beneficial effects on an individual’s psoriasis.
Fish oil, evening primrose oil and shark cartilage all are considered dietary supplements.
Sunlight and water are natural therapies that can help improve psoriasis and/or psoriatic arthritis for many people.
Most of the patients who use regular daily doses of sunlight enjoy improvement or clearing of their plaque psoriasis.
Water can help soften psoriasis lesions.
Balneotherapy is a general term used for water-based treatments involving natural thermal springs, hot springs, mineral water or seawater.
Climatotherapy is a term used to describe the combination of natural sunlight and water, such as the ocean or other bodies of water, to treat psoriasis .
1st CONSULTATION (FOR EVALUATION):
- Length: 2 hours .
* Anamnesis – Medical history and physic examination
- The objective is to confirm the psoriasis diagnostic and determine the strictness of it. For this reason, a full oriented history will be done (family precedent, toxical habits, parallel pathologies and medication, age of start, treatments up to that date and impact of psoriasis in the quality of life.) The physical examination includes: blood pressure test, body mass index and different levels of psoriasis degree such as PASI, PGA and BSA.The presence of joint condition will be evaluated and if necessary the patient would be referred to the Rheumatology Unit at the CIMA CLINIC.
* Basal lab tests and additional tests.
- Includes: CBC – hemogram, liver enzymes, lipidic profile (total cholesterol, subtypes and triglyceride), glucose, creatinine, ionogram and virus serology (VHB, VHC, VIH)
- PPD (repetition if the view is negative) and chest x-ray.
- According anamnesis and physic examination the psoriasis degree can be classified in low, medium and high.
INTENSIVE EXTERNAL APPLICATION TREATMENT PLAN
- Beside the psoriasis degree and the results of all the tests an intensive external application treatment will be implemented at the Termes Montbrió Hotel.
* Combination topical keratolitics, topical steroids y sunlight therapy.
- This routine can be added to the local therapies of the thermal resort, (medical seaweeds-algae, hydrotherapy), considering that the s intensive external application treatment is removed and there no skin intolerance.
- During the stay at the Hotel Termes de Montbrió, follow up consultations will be implemented by the IDI medical team.
FINAL CONSULTATION - EVALUATION
- Length: +15 days, 45 minutes
* Evaluation of improvement
- Patient satisfaction evaluation and psoriasis degree variation.
- Decision making: modification according results of external application treatment evolution.
DISCHARGE REPORT
- At the end of the follow-up, a full discharge report will be issued in which all the care services will be reported (anamnesis, examinations, psoriasis index, treatments) and a prescription of the treatment to be continued in the country of origin will be issued. In the case that it would be necessary, there will be also a recommendation of a therapy to follow in the country of origin according the patient antecedents, psoriasis degree and lab test results.
COMPLEMENTARY TREATMNET AT TERMAL CENTRE:
ANTI-STRESS PLUS
