On October 26, the Central Dermatology Hospital coordinated with the Vietnam Dermatology Association and the Vietnam Psoriasis Association to organize a program to celebrate World Psoriasis Day with the theme "Psoriasis and co-morbidity measures - learning about the "Domino Effect" and launched a week of free examination and consultation for psoriasis.
Do not be subjective when seeing red patches on the skin.
According to Master Nguyen Van Thanh, Deputy Director of the Central Dermatology Hospital, psoriasis is a chronic skin disease, affecting about 2-3% of the population, causing a major impact on the patient's quality of life, both physically and mentally. Currently, there is no complete cure for the disease, so long-term management and monitoring play a core role in the treatment strategy.
Psoriasis is not just red patches and white scales on the skin, it is also a systemic inflammatory condition that can lead to other "dominoes" such as high blood pressure, dyslipidemia, diabetes, obesity, fatty liver, and even psychological and mental effects (anxiety, depression).
And in some patients, the “domino” of psoriatic arthritis can silently appear with morning joint pain and stiffness, swollen fingers/toes, heel pain, etc. This condition can leave serious sequelae, greatly affecting the patient's quality of life and work.
Specialist II Doctor Hoang Thi Phuong, Head of the Daytime Inpatient Department, Central Dermatology Hospital, said that the hospital is managing 5,000 psoriasis patients. On average, the Daytime Inpatient Department receives about 20-30 inpatients every day. Among them, there are many patients who come to the clinic late, missing the early treatment time.
Doctor Phuong cited a case of a young man, 36 years old, diagnosed with psoriasis, with joint damage half a year ago. But instead of going to a medical facility for examination, the patient self-treated with traditional medicine, Chinese medicine, and medicine of unknown origin. Only when the symptoms became more serious did the patient go to the Central Dermatology Hospital for examination.
"At that time, the patient had suffered severe musculoskeletal injuries. The patient arrived at the hospital on a stretcher, unable to walk, with skin injuries all over his body. Fortunately, we selected a timely treatment regimen for the patient and he is now able to walk," said Dr. Phuong.
Doctor Phuong shared that if you see red, peeling patches on your skin, you need to go see a doctor to get an accurate diagnosis to see if the disease is curable or requires long-term treatment. In some cases, if you do not go to a specialist, there is a risk of being misdiagnosed or treated incorrectly, such as prolonged corticosteroid treatment, which can cause serious complications such as red skin all over the body, damage to bones and joints, kidney failure, etc.
Reducing discrimination and stigma requires the cooperation of the whole community
The number of patients with psoriasis is increasing due to the improvement of people's health awareness and concern, as well as the development of diagnostic tools. However, many people are still afraid, stigmatized and think that psoriasis is an infectious disease, greatly affecting life. Therefore, raising community awareness and family support is very important.
Emphasizing that creating a continuous, specialized care system for patients is extremely necessary and has profound humanistic meaning, the Deputy Director of the Central Dermatology Hospital said that over the years, as a leading specialized hospital in dermatology, the hospital has always been a pioneer in medical examination and treatment, scientific research, training and international cooperation; at the same time, it has constantly strived to bring the best quality of treatment and a more confident life for people with psoriasis.
On that basis, the hospital has been coordinating with many dermatology hospitals in provinces, cities and a number of general hospitals across the country to establish psoriasis specialized clinics.
"These clinics aim to provide specialized treatment services, reduce the burden on the central level, and help people in the localities access modern, effective, and affordable treatment methods, and limit the need to travel far. This is an important step in the strategy of expanding the professional network, towards the goal of comprehensive, continuous and sustainable management of psoriasis patients," said Master Nguyen Van Thanh.
In addition to professional activities, the hospital also always pays attention to communication, health education and support for the patient community. Meetings and activities of the Vietnam Psoriasis Association, with the support of doctors and experts, have contributed to helping patients better understand their disease, have faith and determination to live more positively and optimistically.
At the autoimmune and psoriasis management clinic, the hospital builds a comprehensive treatment-monitoring-management-screening plan for each patient, from lifestyle counseling to specialist coordination when needed. The goal is not only to control skin damage, but also to ensure sustainable health for your entire body.
Dr. Phuong emphasized that psoriasis has genetic factors and is not contagious through contact. Depending on the progression of the disease, doctors will have appropriate treatment regimens. Currently, the method considered the most advanced is the use of biological drugs with treatment effectiveness that can reach 90-100% improvement of the disease condition. However, the cost of treatment with biological drugs is very high, about 10-20 million VND/month, only 50% is covered by health insurance, causing difficulties for patients.
To reduce the financial burden on patients, hospitals and pharmaceutical companies are trying to propose increasing the insurance payment rate to 100% like other drugs, or having programs to support treatment costs.
Source: https://nhandan.vn/tam-soat-som-de-ngan-chan-hieu-ung-domino-cua-benh-vay-nen-post918112.html
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