Lifestyle for children with psoriasis: what should be changed?
If your children have been diagnosed with psoriasis, you will need to change something in your usual life and a reasonable approach to the formulation of the regime, make changes in children's clothes and change the attitude to physical activity, sports and other mobile activities. This is necessary so that psoriasis does not bring into your life a fundamental change and does not impose on your life many restrictions due to serious and severe flare-ups on the skin. If you initially behave correctly with this disease, you can go on a long-term relapse-free process.
Skin problems associated with pathology
Psoriasis is a special disease that affects the skin, on which inflammatory plaques form even from minor effects and minor injuries. Due to the changes occurring inside the body, the skin becomes more sensitive to various external influences - temperature, mechanical, chemical or radiation. During acute periods, this is most pronounced, but during the remission period, skin care must be paid special attention because it may suffer from excessive dryness, itching or scaling, responds acutely to any external stimuli.
Due to these circumstances, all the irritating factors and substances that both form and maintain the activity of inflammatory reactions in the future should be excluded from the usual life of children as much as possible. It is important that children avoid contact with aggressive detergents, powders and disinfectants (especially chlorine, surfactants or sagging), various chemical compounds. For the health of the skin, the temperature of the air in the house and humidity, cleanliness of the air are important. It is worth paying special attention to the choice of children's clothes and shoes, to monitor physical activity, to monitor the hygiene of the body. What factors should parents pay special attention to in order to maintain the health of the skin and the normal well-being of children?
Children's clothing: rules of choice
Children's clothing has been in contact with the skin for a long time, and its condition during psoriasis will depend on its correct choice. First of all, it must be free, not constrained by movements, made only of natural fibers. It is worth noting that they include silk, flax, cotton and wool, but the latter is not recommended for children with psoriasis. The thing is that woolen or synthetic baby clothes lead to irritation of the skin, forming dryness and itching, or, on the contrary, excessive sweating with the appearance of new rashes. This is due to the disruption of the processes of skin respiration, heat exchange and evaporation from the surface.
Underwear in children should be only cotton, or with a content of at least 80-90% in the product. When choosing children's clothing for psoriasis, light monochromatic items are preferred, bright dyes or black items may be allergenic because of the pigments in contact with the skin. If it is necessary to wear woolen clothes in the cold season, cotton turtlenecks are always worn under them.
Outer children's clothing should be warm, lined with natural fibers, mittens with internal cotton inserts. Shoes are selected only from breathable materials so that the feet do not sweat. The choice of clothes for psoriasis is especially important if it is summer heat or active physical activity. It should let in air and absorb moisture well so as not to irritate the skin.
Sport and physical activity
It is not possible to deprive children of physical activity because of the disease, but contact sports are contraindicated for them. The mode of motor activity is selected individually, based on what form and degree of activity psoriasis is. Dosed physical activity helps to activate metabolic processes, normalize blood circulation and breathing, stimulates internal organs to work actively. It is also useful for the skin - pores open, lymph and blood flow normalize. It is especially good if children play sports outdoors.
In consultation with a doctor, sports are also selected where physical activity is quite active, but there is no close and close contact between children, which can lead to injury to the skin. For example, in psoriasis, suppose tennis, golf or badminton, swimming and walking, running. Equally useful are cycling, gymnastics and aerobics, dancing, but not more than three times a week. All exercises should be done at an active pace, but without sudden jerks, so as not to damage the skin in the area of the folds. It is important that the physical activity does not lead to overwork, it will be a stress for the body, which provokes exacerbations of psoriasis.
Hygienic measures for psoriasis
Psoriasis is a particular pathology, it teaches children special body care, pedanticism and performance in terms of hygiene measures. If the state of the skin is not constantly taken care of, it threatens serious problems, exacerbations, the spread of the process beyond the primary foci and significant difficulty in choosing treatment. Children should always maintain a clean body by taking a warm, daily shower with mild, hypoallergenic remedies. Do not rub the skin with coarse loofah, only a soft sponge or mitten. Psoriasis is easily complicated by a secondary infection if the required skin cleanness is not maintained. Excessive sweating leads to itching and irritation, so in the summer you need to shower more often.
Psoriasis leads to a pronounced dryness of the skin, which is why it requires full moisturization. After each bathing, it is necessary to apply to the skin of the body special products chosen by the doctor in order to maintain a thin protective lipid film on its surface, preventing drying and cracking, peeling. It is worth forgoing the use of standard cosmetics for washing and moisturizing - due to the presence of fragrances, dyes and some components, they themselves can become strong allergens.
4. Bidirectional relationships between psychological health and dermatological conditions in children