Psoriasis Treatment
Christiane Fux studied journalism and psychology in Hamburg. The experienced medical editor has been writing magazine articles, news and factual texts on all conceivable health topics since 2001. In addition to her work for, Christiane Fux is also active in prose. Her first crime novel was published in 2012, and she also writes, designs and publishes her own crime plays.
More posts by Christiane Fux All content is checked by medical journalists.Psoriasis is an autoimmune disease that is currently not curable. However, the typical complaints can be significantly alleviated or even made to disappear with modern drugs. A therapy is currently considered successful if the original skin symptoms improve by at least 75 percent. Read here about the treatment options for psoriasis.
ICD codes for this disease: ICD codes are internationally recognized codes for medical diagnoses. They can be found, for example, in doctor's letters or on certificates of incapacity for work. L41M07L40
Basic care - psoriasis
Optimal skin care forms the basis of psoriasis therapy. It should be used consistently - not just during an episode. Refatting oil baths, shower oils, fatty ointments or high-fat creams are ideal. They improve the body's own protective function of the skin. There are also ointments and creams that contain urea or salicylic acid. They help the skin retain moisture.
Mild psoriasis: treatment
With mild psoriasis, doctors usually rely on external (topical) treatment of the symptoms. For this purpose, substances are used that slow down the excessive growth of skin cells, i.e. the formation of flakes, and / or have an anti-inflammatory effect.
They are used in the form of creams, gels or lotions, but also shampoos. They contain active ingredients like
- Vitamin D3 (tacalcitol, calcitriol or calcipotriol)
- cortisone
- Dithranol / cignolin
- Vitamin A derivatives (tazarotene)
Calcineurin inhibitors: If psoriasis occurs on the face, between the fingers, in the area of the genitals or on the buttocks, calcineurin inhibitors such as tacrolimus and primecrolimus also help in some cases.
Moderate to severe psoriasis: treatment
If the treatment of the skin alone is not enough, other treatment options come into play. From medication to light and bath therapy to psychological support.
Medication
For moderate to severe psoriasis, drugs are now available that specifically slow down or stop the inflammatory process in various ways. They are ingested or given by syringe. This treatment approach is called systemic therapy.
Immunomodulators: Immunomodulators can regulate the excessive reaction of the immune system. These include acitretin, ciclosporin, fumaric acid esters, and methotrexate (MTX).
TNF-alpha inhibitor: The tumor necrosis factor-α is a messenger substance that intensifies inflammatory processes. Tailor-made antibodies intercept TNF-alpha and thus down-regulate the inflammatory process. They are therefore called TNF-alpha inhibitors. These include the active ingredients adalimumab, etanercept and infliximab.
Interleukin antibodies: Interleukin-17 is a messenger substance that is involved in autoimmune reactions such as those that occur in psoriasis. Genetically engineered antibodies intercept it and thus inhibit the autoimmune reaction. These include the active substances secukinomab and ixekizumab.
Ustekinumab is an antibody against the cytokines interleukin-12 and interleukin-23, which are also involved in inflammatory processes in the skin.
Light and bath therapies
Photo therapy for psoriasis involves treating the skin with light. In addition to natural sunlight (Helio therapy), special emitters are used that emit light rays with a wavelength of 311 nanometers. These have been shown to be particularly effective in psoriasis treatment.
Balneo-Photo-Therapy: Doctors often combine it with bath therapy to intensify the effect of light in psoriasis treatment. The irradiation takes place only after a salt water bath.
PUVA therapy: Creams that contain psoralen also support the effect. Psoralen is an active ingredient found in the essential oils of some plants. It sensitizes the skin to UV light. This combination is called PUVA therapy (P + UV-A).
Laser therapy: Laser therapy is particularly suitable for smaller psoriasis lesions, for example on the knees or elbows. For this purpose, laser light is bundled and directed onto the affected skin areas. The targeted light beam can reach diseased skin areas without burning the healthy skin in the area.
Climate therapy: Sometimes a climate therapy can help with psoriasis. During a spa stay at the Dead Sea, for example, the sun and the extremely salty water have a positive effect on the skin.
Psoriasis therapy with brine: brine baths can also help with psoriasis. The brine, which comes from underground storage, contains between 20 and 30 percent salt, especially table salt (sodium chloride), as well as other minerals. Studies have shown that brine removes inflammatory substances from the skin and thus alleviates the symptoms of psoriasis.
Removal of the tonsils
Sometimes there is a temporal relationship between the first or recurrence of psoriasis symptoms and strep throat or tonsillitis. In this case, it can be useful to remove the tonsils. This often improves the symptoms of psoriasis in the long term. In some cases, the psoriasis does not show up afterwards.
Relaxation techniques
Since stress can provoke or intensify flare-ups, it makes sense for people with psoriasis to learn a relaxation technique. examples are
- Autogenic training
- Progressive muscle relaxation according to Jacobson
- meditation
- Mindfulness training
- Tai chi
- Qigong
Home remedies for psoriasis treatment
Psoriasis patients use various home remedies to relieve their skin symptoms. For example, some treat the skin with edible and medicinal oils such as almond oil, evening primrose oil and grapeseed oil.
Quark compresses or rubbing the skin with shea butter are also said to soothe the inflamed skin.
homeopathy
Many people try to get their psoriasis under control homeopathically. For example, globules based on Hydrocotyle asiatica, Mahonia aquifolium and sulfur should help.
Since the effectiveness of homeopathy has not yet been scientifically proven in general, the chances of success of a homeopathic psoriasis treatment are unclear.
psychotherapy
The problem is that psoriasis itself creates stress: when there is an attack, patients feel unattractive and uncomfortable in their skin. That hits the mind. The constant itching also creates stress.
Above all, however, stigmatization and exclusion by other people are a great emotional burden. In such cases, psychotherapeutic support can make coping with the illness easier. This is especially true when depression or anxiety disorders occur.
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