Psoriasis

Psoriasis is a non-infectious, infl ammatory, autoimmune skin disease, which aff ects nearly 600,000 czechs, with the percentage of the aff ected population continuously rising. There is a clear link between the disease and lifestyle and stress. In addition to being barely treatable, the disease causes considerable psychosocial burden to the patients.

Nurse: Good morning, Ms Fletcher.

Patient: Good morning, nurse. I need to make an appointment. I noticed strange flaky patches on my skin and i don‘t know what it is. They aren’t getting better, they‘re irritating and don‘t respond to normal creams and ointments.

Nurse: Alright. Let‘s make an appointment, then.

Patient: Thank you. I was wondering whether it could be psoriasis. My father used to have it and he also developed it at adult age. Could you tell me how it is treated?

Nurse: The most common treatment used in psoriasis consists of corticosteroid creams and ointments. However, corticosteroids are synthetic chemical substances with a number of adverse effects. In children, for instance, they can cause growth retardation, and in adults they may lead to high blood pressure. Furthermore, they are not suitable for pregnant women. If applied to the same location for a prolonged period of time, they can cause skin thinning.

Patient: So, how can I fight it?

Nurse: It is important to observe several principles. First, psychological well-being, as your psychological state plays a crucial role. Second, physical activity, as this contributes not only to a necessary healthy blood supply, but also to psychological well-being. Immunity is also a key factor; therefore it is advisable to strengthen your immune system as much as possible. This is associated with a balanced nutrition and a varied diet, correct fluid intake, and cutting down on coffee and alcohol, particularly in the dormant phase. Stopping smoking is a must. Psoriatic patients should also pay attention to sufficient cleaning and ventilation, and they should use mainly natural cosmetics with herbal extracts for their skin care.

Patient: Good. Thank you.

 

continuously	nepřetržitě, stále, neustále
in addition to	kromě toho, mimoto, navíc
burden	zátěž, přítěž, břemeno, břímě
flaky	olupující se, odlupující se
patch	místo; skvrna; ložisko
ointment	mast, mazání
to consist of	sestávat, skládat se
furthermore	dále, a dále; kromě toho
well-being	pohoda; zdraví crucial zásadní, stěžejní; kritický; rozhodující
advisable	vhodný; rozumný; záhodno
varied	pestrý, rozmanitý, různý; mnohostranný
to cut down on	omezit
dormant	klidový, latentní; spící
must	nutnost, nezbytnost

 

Lekce angličtiny pro časopis Florence připravuje překladatelská agentura ACP TRADUCTERA (www.traductera.com).

 

Ilustrační foto – zdroj: www.health.com/psoriasis