One of the types of dermatological disease that occurs in a chronic form is nail psoriasis. It can be bothersome to an adult or a child if there are suitable factors for its spread. The disease has a lot of similarities with ordinary psoriasis, since it is also characterized by a pathological superimposition of cells on top of each other, as a result of which there is a sharp deformation of the nail plates.
Causes of the disease
Some people believe that psoriasis of toenails or nails occurs on the background of severe stress. Although it is scientifically proven that strong emotional experiences cannot lead to such changes. Therefore, they can not be considered the main cause of the development of the disease. Doctors identify two factors that can actually lead to a pathological process:
- Disruption of the immune system,which is responsible for the formation of healthy cells and the fermentation of substances. Such changes prevent skin particles from developing completely. They start to grow and overlap. The result is a thickening of the nail plates;
- predisposition to develop psoriasis.In most patients, the tendency to develop pathology is inherent in genes. It wakes up immediately after the body has been negatively affected by certain factors.
Several factors can activate the disease:
- Hormonal failure;
- metabolic problems;
- long-term use of anti-inflammatory drugs and beta blockers;
- Climatic conditions (cold and dry weather);
- Chronic fatigue;
- Infectious lesions;
- Damage to the upper layers of the skin.
In half of the cases, psoriasis of the nails on the hands or feet develops along with the skin lesions.
Psoriasis can only affect the nails or other parts of the body.
The first signs of psoriasis on the nails of the hands and feet
Nail lesions in psoriasis can be recognized by the symptoms characteristic of this condition. They begin to bother a person from the first days of the development of the disease. Common signs of a pathological process are:
- dents and grooves on the surface of the nail plates;
- Change the color of the nail to a darker one.
- inflammatory process along the edge of the nail;
- Itching on the skin of the fingers.
If you do not start treatment at the initial stages of the disease, the disease will continue to grow and its clinical manifestations will become more pronounced.
Disease stages
You can find out what nail psoriasis looks like if you carefully study the photo with the affected plates and fingers. At the initial stage of development, the manifestation of the pathology is not too pronounced. An increase in symptoms is seen with the successful spread of psoriasis, which affects healthy tissue.
Doctors distinguish three main stages in the course of nail psoriasis:
- Progressive.At this stage the nail begins to be covered with small dots painted in a white or yellowish-brown shade. Over time, the papules increase in size. At this stage, psoriasis does not affect the deep layers of the nail so it can be healed quickly. There is no pain when pressing the affected area, but its surface is gradually peeling off;
- Stationary.Dots no longer appear on the nails. At the same time, inflammatory processes slow down. However, discomfort or pain persists. Sometimes at this stage the skin next to the plates is covered with rashes characteristic of the disease. She herself becomes very dry;
- regressive.Previously formed rashes actively disappear. Whitish edges appear near the lesions. As a rule, at this stage of the development of psoriasis, patients suffer from unbearable itching.
When doctors observe the development of a disease, they should already understand what stage it is at. This will help them find the best therapy for the patient.
If left untreated, psoriasis invades new areas.
Diagnostic methods
An experienced specialist who diagnoses and treats dermatological conditions can immediately determine if a person has psoriasis of the nails. Laboratory tests can be used to verify the correctness of the conclusions. To make a diagnosis, you may need:
- Complete blood count;
- Analysis of biopsy or psoriasis scales.
Instrumental diagnosis of nail psoriasis is not required.
Treatment of nail psoriasis
Nail psoriasis in children and adults requires complex therapy. One tool or procedure for such a diagnosis is not enough. Treatment for psoriasis of nails on the hands or feet is standard in all patients. In individual cases, it involves selected medication and physiotherapy. In addition, the patient is advised to revise their daily diet and significantly adjust their usual lifestyle. Because the success of the therapy course also depends on it.
As soon as a person sees signs of nail psoriasis, they should see a dermatologist immediately. What kind of symptoms will help identify the disease has been discussed above.
Most doctors prescribe topical ointments and systemic tablets
Drug therapy
For a condition such as nail psoriasis, treatment can be carried out at home. The doctor will prescribe a number of medications to be taken orally or applied to the affected areas.
In the early stages of dermatological pathology, a topical agent should be used. Ointments and creams can be hormonal or non-hormonal. The former are in demand for advanced forms of the disease.
Non-hormonal drugs rarely cause side effects and complications. In addition, unlike more aggressive preparations for external treatment of the nail plate, they do not lead to addiction.
If a patient has a severely affected nail disease, the doctor will recommend oral medication. He will also tell you how to treat nail psoriasis this way and what dosage to follow.
The following medications may be required for nail psoriasis:
- immunomodulators (vitamins);
- antihistamines;
- sedative.
In most cases, drugs are only discontinued after the disease has subsided.
Physiotherapy
Fingernail psoriasis is often treated with physiotherapy. A good result for such violations is:
- PUVA therapy;
- X-ray therapy;
- UV radiation;
- ultrasound therapy;
- laser therapy.
So that the result after the interventions is only positive, the number and duration of the physiotherapy sessions must be selected correctly. This task should be entrusted to an experienced professional. Otherwise, trying to understand how to cure psoriasis, the patient will encounter serious procedural treatment side effects.
PUVA therapy is one of the most modern and effective methods.
Proper nail care
In order for the treatment to be as effective as possible, a patient with psoriasis should ensure proper nail care. The disease seriously injures her plate, so such care is not superfluous. First of all, it is to adhere to the rules of hygiene. Doctors recommend the following for this diagnosis:
- Nails should be cut as short as possible.
- It is advisable to wear protective gloves when doing housework.
- Avoid work that could injure the nails and the skin around them.
- You need to regularly monitor the cleanliness of the nail plates.
Medical methods are more effective if the patient follows these rules in addition to the usual and traditional therapy methods.
With psoriasis, protecting your hands from aggressive exposure is especially important.
Folk Remedies
Experts in traditional medicine know which plant cures psoriasis that affects the nail plate. Like many other herbs, they recommend it in the preparation of home remedies for treating dermatological conditions.
Patients can use the following folk remedies:
- Celandine broth.To prepare it you need to pour 0, 5 liters of water 2 tbsp. l. Herbs. This mixture should be brought to a boil over low heat. On average, it should cook for about 30 minutes. After that, medicinal baths are made from the broth, into which the arms and legs are lowered for 20-25 minutes.
- Natural oils.These foods work well for psoriasis. Sea buckthorn oil is particularly beneficial. It moisturizes the skin around the nails and enriches it with useful trace elements. To treat the affected area with oil, all you need to do is apply it to a cotton pad and then run it over the plate. It is recommended to repeat the process up to three times a day.
- onion compress.It is made from a medium-sized onion that has previously been passed through a meat grinder. The resulting gruel is put on the nails and covered with a bandage of clean gauze. The compress should be left on for 30 minutes.
- Laurel decoction.It can also be used during the manufacture of medicinal baths. To make a broth, you need to pour 2 cups of hot water with 20 g of grass. Do not cook the mixture for more than 10 minutes. Then the product is cooled to a comfortable temperature and hands or feet are lowered into it. It is also allowed to take such a decoction inside, 40 g three times a day;
- Herbal cooking.For the baths, you can prepare a remedy from celandine, chamomile, oak bark, sage and string. You do it the same way as in the previous recipe;
- herbal infusion.It is intended for oral administration. Homemade medicine is made on the basis of cranberry leaves, St. John's wort, kalamus root, celandine and string. The ingredients are taken in equal parts. The infusion is from 1 tbsp. l. Collection and a glass of boiling water. It is recommended to take 50 g of the drug twice a day.
Folk remedies should be used in combination with conventional treatment. Otherwise they have no effect.
Therapeutic diet
If the upper layers of a person's skin are affected, poor diet can be blamed. For this reason, the body lacks useful trace elements that support the immune system and other systems. And as you know, because of mistakes, psoriatic disease occurs. Nails affected by psoriasis can be treated with a special diet. It has to be hypoallergenic.
A patient with nail psoriasis should have a balanced diet. It is highly recommended to exclude foods that can cause allergies. These are chocolate, strawberries, citrus fruits, and coffee. You also need to refrain from salty, smoked, pickled, spicy and fatty treats. Ketchup, mayonnaise and mustard are prohibited.
During the exacerbation of an autoimmune disease, it is recommended to follow a mono diet designed for 1-2 days. Such a diet involves the use of only 1 product. It can be apples, kefir, fish, or cereals.
A therapeutic diet should be enriched with fermented milk products, fruits, vegetables, herbs and lean fish.
Foods that can trigger allergies can also make psoriasis worse.
Prevention
It's a lot easier to try to prevent nail psoriasis from developing than to fight it later. Disease prevention consists in following a series of recommendations:
- You must include plant-based foods in your diet.
- It is necessary to give up fried, smoked, pickled and salty foods.
- It is advisable to go to rest regularly in places with a climate that is favorable for the skin and the body as a whole.
- Take complexes of vitamins and minerals in courses;
- Avoid damaging the skin and nail plates.
- Treat infectious diseases in a timely manner.
Don't forget to take care of your own skin and nails. This is the only way to protect yourself from the development of psoriasis and its relapses.
Forecast
Psoriasis is one of the diseases that is constantly progressing. Medication and physiotherapy only temporarily stop the development process. Not a single person was able to fully recover. If the patient follows the recommendations of a specialist, he can prevent repeated damage to the skin and nails.
Complications and consequences
Psoriatic nail lesions should be treated from the first days of their development. If therapy is absent or wrongly chosen, the patient is at risk of complications and consequences of an autoimmune disease.
With nail psoriasis, the cardiovascular system can be severely impaired. The greatest danger threatens precisely the vessels, since under the influence of the disease pathological changes appear in them.
Every form of psoriasis can cause psychological problems. They are directly related to the fact that other people with similar defects in different parts of the body rarely treat normally. Because of this, the patient withdraws into himself, begins to abuse alcohol, he is constantly haunted by a depressed state. Against the background of a disturbed psyche, the probability of the occurrence of malignant processes in skin cells increases.