Assoc. Rumiana Yankova: The skin is a screen that reflects the state of the body

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Assoc. Rumiana Yankova: The skin is a screen that reflects the state of the body
Assoc. Rumiana Yankova: The skin is a screen that reflects the state of the body
Anonim

Assoc. Dr. Rumyana Yankova is a graduate of the former Higher Medical Institute in Plovdiv. He is a specialist in dermatology and venereology and allergology. She defended a dissertation on the topic: The "skin window" method in studies on contact hypersensitivity.

Since 1993, he has been an associate professor, and from 2000 to 2016, he has been the head of the Department of Dermatology and Venereology. He is the long-time head of the Department of Allergology at the Medical University in Plovdiv.

He is a member of the Board of Advisors of the Institute for Clinical Expertise in France and co-founder of the Bulgarian branch of the same institute, a member of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology. He is also a member of the management of the Bulgarian Dermatology Society and vice-chairman of the Dermatoallergology Section. He is the chairman of the organizations "Dermatology and Venereology" and "Association against skin cancer".

He currently leads the Department of Dermatology and Allergology at Palmed Medical Center in Plovdiv.

Assoc. Yankova is the owner and manager of the "MediDerma - Clinical Dermatology, Allergology and Aesthetic Medicine" clinic in Plovdiv. We talk to her about the best ways to take care of your skin this summer.

Prof. Yankova, what challenges does our skin face in spring and summer?

- The most common challenges in spring and summer are related to the climatic changes of these seasons. The sun's rays, so expected after the cold winter, are pleasantly warming and revitalizing the skin. But not for long.

When overindulging in the sun, especially at lunchtime, on the skin of the face and possibly other uncovered areas, some people experience an unpleasant feeling of irritation and even itching, and rashes such as red spots and pimples are also possible. These disturbances can be related both to the aggressive action of the sun's rays on tender and unprepared skin, and to the use of cosmetic products.

In caring for such cases, it is appropriate to wash the affected areas only with water and not to use any cosmetics. If the described disturbances do not subside and intensify in the following days, an examination by a dermatologist is recommended.

In the summer, similar skin problems can also occur with prolonged exposure to the sun and a combination of sweating, heavy cosmetics, contact with synthetic and richly colored clothes, exposure to flowering plants in meadows, forests and meadows.

What are the skin dangers that lurk in pools and in the sea?

- Highly chlorinated pool water can be a problem, which not only dries but also irritates the skin, causing non-allergic contact dermatitis with burning, itching and even redness. Even more so if inappropriate cosmetics containing perfumes and preservatives are used.

Sea water only leads to dryness of the skin, but strong sun, heat, humid air, sweating and perfumed cosmetics often cause adverse skin reactions, non-allergic or allergic. When using non-specialized sunscreen products, photoirritation is possible, i.e. non-allergic reaction due to interaction between ultraviolet rays and chemical ingredients (octocrylene, benzophenone-3, etc.) in the sunscreen product.

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Assoc. Rumyana Yankova

The result is once again red, burning and itchy skin, which must be protected from the sun at first only with shade, and then carefully with sunscreens for sensitive skin and with ingredients studied to provoke photosensitivity. In such cases, it is also recommended to use sunscreen products with mineral ingredients (titanium dioxide and zinc oxide), and in micronized form, they do not lead to unwanted whitening of the skin surface. This type of product is also recommended for children with atopic and dermatitis- and eczema-prone skin.

As for infections, with today's requirements for disinfection in pools, it is not permissible to have the risk of bacteria and viruses. A problem can arise rather from the occurrence of a fungal infection on the feet and between the toes, especially when staying in water for a long time, soaking the skin and creating the necessary moist environment for the development of fungi on the skin surface.

What should be the behavior of people with chronic urticaria in spring and summer? What places to visit and what not? How to protect yourself?

- People with chronic urticaria may experience exacerbations of the disease if they are dependent on flowering plants or exposure to the sun and heat. In such cases, it is recommended to avoid staying outdoors, especially during the hot and sunny hours of the day. Such patients are advised to carry their prescribed anti-allergic drugs with them and to increase their doses after consultation with their treating dermatologist.

Herbal topical preparations are not recommended, as sometimes plants and plant extracts, otherwise useful for internal use, have a photosensitizing effect upon skin contact and simultaneous exposure to ultraviolet rays. This happens, for example, with St. John's wort, arnica, celery, peel and oil of green lemon (lime), mother-of-pearl, etc.

On the one hand, we are constantly told that the sun is dangerous for the skin, a prerequisite for cancer, etc. On the other hand, a huge part of the population, including children, suffers from vitamin D deficiency. Where is the golden mean in sun exposure?

- There are no unequivocal harms and benefits in human nature. The benefit of the sun as a life-giving factor should not be denied - it kills microorganisms, strengthens bones, reduces the risk of internal organ cancer, regulates blood pressure, improves mood and sleep, as well as other body functions. The listed activities of the sun and ultraviolet rays have been known since the past.

In the past, however, these rays had a completely different, very low intensity, a long stay in the open air was good for the skin synthesis of vitamin D, without the danger of overdosing and damaging the skin. It is known that the strength of the insolation has increased many times over the past few decades.

Thus, the necessary dose for the synthesis of a sufficient amount of vitamin D is obtained today in a very short time with sun exposure of unprotected parts of the skin surface - the face, partially hands and feet from 15 minutes to 2-3 hours, depending on the color of the skin, and not at lunchtime. But the prolongation of solar radiation leads to an overdose with all the consequences of irreversible damage to the cells of the epidermis and dermis, their DNA, enzymatic processes and other abnormal phenomena.

Are skin diseases only skin?

- The skin is the largest organ of the human body, and its diseases are diseases with accompanying changes in the joints, organs of the nervous, cardiovascular, excretory and other systems of the body. Therefore, the treatment of skin diseases is almost always combined with therapy of the affected internal organs.

Covid is also associated with skin rashes. How far can they be chronicled?

- Skin manifestations in covid-infection are common. It is understandable, since in this infection the smallest blood vessels are affected, which are innumerable and present in all tissues, organs and systems. Due to the fact that skin lesions are on the surface, they are easily seen and diagnosed. And this logically proves how many invisible and undiagnosed damages there are in all organs, even without tangible clinical symptoms, but with corresponding consequences for a long period of time after the subsidence of acute disease disturbances.

Is there something important you need to tell our readers that I forgot to ask?

- The skin is a screen that reflects the internal state of the body. In fact, it is also the place where the aggressive external factors from the environment collide with the body's internal reactions, and that is why so many symptoms appear on the skin surface, accompanied by affecting the entire organism. This shows the need for the complex treatment and care of the skin disease, in order not to allow an unforgivable incompleteness of the treatment required for our patient.

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