What is psoriasis? Psoriasis, also called psoriasis, is a common, recurring chronic inflammatory skin disease. The domestic prevalence rate is about 0.47%, and according to this projection, there are currently about 6 million psoriasis patients in China. Once psoriasis develops, it often lasts a lifetime and is recurrent, with most patients exhibiting a process of alternating relapses and remissions. What is the cause of psoriasis? Why do I get psoriasis? The cause of psoriasis has not been fully understood. It is currently accepted that psoriasis is caused by a combination of “congenital genetic factors” and “acquired environmental factors”. Generally speaking, if one of the parents has psoriasis, the probability of the child developing psoriasis is about 10% to 20%. Some susceptibility genes for psoriasis have been identified, which means that people who carry these genes are at a higher risk of developing psoriasis than others. The genetic differences are commonly referred to as “individual differences”. However, testing for these genes is not yet common in clinical practice. In terms of environmental factors, there are many factors that may trigger or aggravate psoriasis, such as upper respiratory tract infections (commonly known as “colds”) and tonsillitis, and many patients first develop psoriasis after a cold, fever or tonsillitis, which often manifests as “titular psoriasis This is often manifested as “punctate psoriasis”. For example, psoriasis is often prone to recurrence or aggravation under conditions such as overexertion, mental tension and emotional stress. In addition, seasonal climate is also closely related to psoriasis. The condition of most patients is aggravated in winter and spring and alleviated in summer, which is related to the ultraviolet rays in sunlight having a certain therapeutic effect on psoriasis. In addition, the prevalence of psoriasis is higher in the north where the climate is dry, probably because the dry environment tends to cause damage to the skin barrier function and thus induce psoriasis. The pathogenesis of psoriasis involves a complex inflammatory response and the immune system, which is often referred to as “immune dysfunction”. It is important to emphasize that “immune dysfunction” is not the same as “low immune function” or “reduced resistance”, so some so-called immunity-boosting health products or drugs are not necessarily beneficial to the condition. The so-called immunity-boosting supplements or medications are not necessarily beneficial to the disease, and may even be counterproductive. Can psoriasis be completely eradicated? This is a question that all psoriasis patients are most concerned about. Unfortunately, no method that can completely cure psoriasis has been found all over the world so far, no matter whether it is Chinese medicine or western medicine, no matter whether it is a regular treatment or a recipe. The blind pursuit of “complete eradication” is easy to be deceived, and even cause serious harm to the body because of the use of some irregular drugs. Therefore, we would like to warn all psoriasis sufferers that the purpose of psoriasis treatment is to control the disease, reduce (not eliminate) recurrence, slow down the development of the disease, and ultimately improve the quality of life. With reasonable, regular and individualized treatment, this goal can be fully achieved for most patients. What should I do if I have psoriasis? At present, there are many treatment methods for psoriasis, and the choice of specific treatment plan should be considered according to the patient’s age, physical condition, severity of the disease, economic conditions and expectations, etc. Generally speaking, for patients with milder conditions and small rashes, topical drugs are the mainstay, supplemented by oral drugs. Commonly used topical medications as first-line options include hormonal creams, vitamin D derivatives (carboplatinum ointment, etc.), retinoids (tazarotene gel), and so on. It is worth noting that hormonal creams, as the most widely used topical medication for psoriasis, have the advantages of fast onset of action, good efficacy and low price, but the biggest disadvantage is that long-term medication can cause many side effects, such as skin atrophy and thinning, capillary dilatation (commonly known as red blood), and sudden discontinuation of medication can easily cause the condition to rebound, etc. Therefore, the course of treatment and usage should be strictly controlled, and it is recommended that all patients must It is recommended that all patients should follow up regularly and use the medication under the guidance of the doctor. The recognized treatment options available for severe psoriasis include: 1) ultraviolet light therapy: narrow-spectrum medium-wave ultraviolet light, referred to as NB-UVB, is preferred; 2) systemic therapy: first-line drugs include Avastin, methotrexate (MTX), cyclosporine, and raglan polysaccharide; 3) biological agents: etanercept, infliximab, adalimumab, etc. Each of these treatments has its own advantages and disadvantages, and their efficacy and side effects vary, so you need to receive treatment under the guidance of an experienced doctor. In a word, regardless of the severity of the disease, it is strongly recommended that all sufferers go to a regular hospital to receive regular treatment, do not rush to a doctor, and break the bank and hurt yourself! How can I prevent recurrence after psoriasis is cured? As mentioned earlier, psoriasis is a lifelong, recurring skin disease, which means that the condition is controlled and the rash is cleared only temporarily, and sooner or later psoriasis will return, which is determined by the characteristics of the disease itself and the limitations of medical development. However, we are not helpless to do anything about the recurrence of psoriasis, there are some ways to reduce or delay the recurrence of the disease. First of all, we should face and accept psoriasis psychologically, look at this disease with a positive and optimistic attitude, and realize that the ultimate goal of our treatment is not to completely eliminate the root, but to improve the quality of life. Having psoriasis does not mean that there is no hope for life, and after active and regular treatment psoriasis patients can enjoy life as healthy people. At the same time, it is important to realize that recurrence is almost inevitable. Do not panic and despair when recurrence occurs, but actively seek help from doctors and actively cooperate with treatment, so as to control the disease as soon as possible and return to normal life. Secondly, after various types and degrees of psoriasis have been actively treated to achieve the goal of remission and basic clearance of the rash, they all need to receive maintenance treatment for a long or short period of time. During this stage, doctors will gradually reduce and withdraw drugs until they are discontinued according to the situation, which can prolong the remission period and reduce recurrence. For a few patients with stubborn and recurrent disease, they may need to receive small doses and low frequency of medication for a long time to maintain the disease without recurrence and to avoid serious side effects. Therefore, when the condition is satisfactorily controlled, patients should also promptly see their doctor for follow-up and adjustment of treatment. Do not stop the medication suddenly without authorization, as this situation often tends to cause a rapid relapse or even rebound of the disease. Once again, in addition to a correct mindset and active cooperation with doctors, lifestyle adjustments are also beneficial in reducing and delaying relapses. It is recommended that all psoriasis sufferers live a regular life, go to bed early and wake up early, avoid staying up late, avoid overwork and long-term mental tension, and engage in physical exercise systematically and consistently so as to regulate the imbalanced immune system and achieve the purpose of promoting recovery and delaying relapse. We would like to remind overweight or obese patients that weight control and increased exercise are also very necessary for disease control. What are the dietary taboos for psoriasis patients? Firstly, abstaining from smoking and alcohol is a recommendation for all psoriasis patients, as there is some evidence that smoking and alcohol may aggravate psoriasis. Secondly, during the progressive stage of the disease, that is to say, when new rashes are constantly appearing, irritating foods such as chili peppers and seafood are recommended to be eaten sparingly, and some patients will experience increased rashes and itching after excessive intake of these foods. In the stable stage of the disease, seafood, beef and mutton and other foods can be tried in small quantities first, if there is no bad reaction, there is no need to abstain from eating. As for various vegetables and fruits, generally there is no special contraindication.