How psoriasis begins and manifests itself: symptoms and diagnosis

26 December 2020

A chronic non-infectious disease that, according to statistical data, affects several percent of the total population is psoriasis, the symptoms of which are manifested in the form of focal rash, itching and intense peeling of the skin.

The disease can develop at any age and regardless of the social environment to which a person belongs. Psoriasis occurs equally in men and women. The disease most commonly affects young people under the age of twenty.

Many people are interested in the question, "Does psoriasis itch, what are its symptoms and treatment, and most importantly, is it contagious? " Itching in psoriasis occurs in almost 85% of cases, but the disease is not contagious and at allis not transmitted through airborne droplets or household agents. It is difficult to treat, but complex therapy almost always gives good results.

Manifestation of the disease

How is psoriasis manifested and what is this disease? Psoriatic plaques often develop first in areas that are most exposed to friction, such as theB. elbows or knees.

Also, signs of psoriasis can appear on absolutely any area of the skin - the head, face, back, stomach, palms of the hands, feet, in the armpits, and even on the genitals.

If we look at another similar disease - eczema - then it affects the inner part of the flexor surfaces with psoriasis - the outer part of the knee and elbow joints.

The pathology is chronic and wavy, that is, a person's condition may improve under the influence of methods of treatment, or, on the contrary, worsen under the influence of negative factors, while remission and exacerbation are usually completely spontaneous.

Relapses can be caused by alcohol abuse, stress, and infectious diseases. The severity of psoriasis varies from person to person and even from the same person as the disease progresses.

The main symptoms of skin psoriasis are plaques, which appear as minor lesions in certain areas. In some cases, they can cover the entire body.

Psoriasis progresses over time, especially if appropriate corrective measures are not taken. The progression of the disease consists in an increase in the periods of exacerbation and an increase in the area of the lesion with the involvement of healthy areas of the skin in the inflammatory process. There are cases when the disease passed continuously without periods of remission.

Pathologies such as onychodystrophy - nail damage are very common. This disease can progress on its own without a skin lesion adhering. Psoriasis can also contribute to the development of an inflammatory process in the joints - psoriatic arthritis (a disease affecting the small joints of the lower extremities and hands), and onychodystrophy is seen in about 15% of patients with psoriasis.

There are many different ways to deal with this disease, but due to the disease's tendency to relapse and get worse, psoriasis is very difficult to treat. Complete cure is almost impossible, that is, it will stay with one person until the end of their life, but with proper treatment and compliance with all medical prescriptions, longer periods of remission can be achieved.

reasons

So far, medicine has not known the real cause of this pathology. However, it has been shown that immune system malfunction, neurological disorders, and metabolic disorders can cause the disease. There are also a number of factors that can trigger the development of the disease:

genetic predisposition, in other words, simple inheritance. Experts say that signs of psoriasis can be found in people whose blood relatives had psoriasis. If one of the parents is sick, the risk of developing the disease increases to 20% and for both parents up to 50%. This is due to the existence of certain genes that are responsible for the development of dermatological changes. The first signs of hereditary psoriasis usually appear before the age of 25.
Neurological disorders.Every emotional shock, every nervous stress and every chronic fatigue can lead to the development of the disease. In addition, in people with psoriasis, any stressful situation can make the disease worse.
Hormonal failure.Any pathological changes in the functioning of the organs of the endocrine system can trigger the mechanism of the development of the disease.
violation of the metabolic process.Metabolic disorders associated with a lack of beneficial trace elements and vitamins in the body can cause psoriasis.
Helminthic invasion.Some types of parasites can cause disease. Many laboratory studies have been conducted, the results of which showed that many patients with psoriasis were infected with giardiasis, opisthorchiasis, ascariasis, and enterobiasis. The thing is that during their vital activity, helminths emit toxic substances that poison the entire body. This leads to an exacerbation of chronic diseases and a significant decrease in immunity.
Virus infections,that also attack the human immune system.

From the above, it becomes clear that the process of developing psoriasis is in one way or another associated with disruptions in the work of the body's defense mechanisms. Psoriasis on the body can develop under the influence of a number of triggers or under the influence of factors such as an unbalanced diet, climate change, alcohol abuse, and smoking.

The clinical picture and types of psoriasis

How does psoriasis start? The first symptoms of the disease are the appearance of reddish plaques and scaly patches that itch and resemble lichen. Over time, the spots will peel off and under them there will be a denser flaky layer.

As the disease progresses, the so-called Kenber phenomenon is observed when plaques appear in areas of skin trauma (with wounds, cuts, burns).

varieties

There are different types of psoriasis, each of which has a specific clinical picture:

Plaque (real psoriasis)is the most common form of the disease, affecting more than 80% of all patients. The skin becomes inflamed, dry, and thickened, with raised areas over it that are covered with slightly silvery scales. The skin in these areas feels hot and is constantly peeling. After peeling, reddish foci of inflammation are found, very often damaged and bleeding. Inflammation can lead to large herds. With psoriasis of the elbows and knees, the peeling is not so pronounced.
teardrop-shaped- There are many small dry sores with a rounded shape of red or purple color that rise above the surface of the skin. Guttate psoriasis covers large areas of the body. The first signs of the disease may appear after a previous sore throat or pharyngitis caused by a streptococcal infection.
Pustuleis the most complex form of the disease. It looks like blistering rashes over the surface of healthy skin. These bladders are filled with exudate. The skin around the pustules turns red, swells, thickens, and then flakes off. If there is a secondary infection, the bladders are filled with purulent fluid. Typically, this psoriasis is limited and affects specific areas such as the lower leg and forearm. In severe cases, the inflammation begins to spread further along the surface of the skin, and the patches of the rash merge into one focus.
Psoriatic arthritis- joints and connective tissue are involved in the pathological process. The main manifestation of this form is severe itching. In addition, the skin of the joints on the fingers becomes painful, swollen, peeling, and peeling.
Onychodystrophy (nail psoriasis)can look like mycosis. With this disease, the appearance of the nails changes, they become brittle and peeled off, the color of the nail bed and the plate itself can turn yellow or gray. In addition, white spots, dots, and transverse lines appear on the nails and under the nails. The skin under and around the nails becomes firm. Very often onychodystrophy leads to the loss of nails.

Additional symptoms of psoriasis are:

bleeding wounds (in places with skin trauma);
nail erosion;
severe itching;
Fever, swelling and joint pain in psoriatic arthritis (not always).

How the disease progresses

There are several stages in the course of the disease:

Progressive.This is the initial stage of the disease. It is characterized by exacerbations, during which the number of new rashes increases.
Stationary.At this stage, the picture of the disease remains unchanged, that is, the rash and other symptoms of psoriasis do not increase or decrease.
regression phase.The last stage of the disease that proceeds without rashes.

Depending on the prevalence of the inflammatory process, the disease can be:

limited- small areas of the skin are affected;
often- large areas of the skin are affected;
generalized- almost the entire body surface is affected.

Psoriasis is seen, among other things, as a seasonal disease, which means that all symptoms worsen depending on the season. Most people get worse in winter or summer. In some patients this process is not associated with a change of season.

Diagnosis

How is this disease diagnosed? Diagnosis of psoriasis is mainly based on an examination by a dermatologist. The examination shows the shape and grade of the lesion.

In some cases, differential diagnosis is done to differentiate psoriasis from another dermatological condition. How do you know if a patient has this disease?

As mentioned earlier, in psoriasis, the Kenber phenomenon is observed, which is not inherent in skin pathologies. Another symptom should also be considered when a slight border appears around a new papule that is not yet beginning to peel off - a type of vascular reaction that indicates the further progression of the disease.

Sometimes a skin biopsy is used to help make the diagnosis more accurate, or tests are done that can detect an inflammatory process in the blood. After diagnosing psoriasis, you need to start treatment immediately.

Treatment

Medicines

The main therapy is the use of topical preparations in the form of ointments, gels, creams and sprays.

These medicines contain ingredients that stop excessive cell division in the skin and soothe the uncomfortable symptom of itching. There are a number of substances that effectively fight this disease:

glucocorticoid hormones.They reduce inflammation and normalize the immune system.
Vitamin D.The use of drugs containing vitamin D is most effective when the disease reaches the stationary stage and the patient's condition is stable. Good results are achieved when such drugs are taken in combination with UV radiation procedures.
silicon.Improves the skin condition, has a sorbent effect and absorbs antigens that are involved in the development of the disease.
Tarhas a good effect on the foci of inflammation that is localized on the head.
lecithin.Promotes rapid tissue regeneration. Preparations with this substance help the body treat inflammation faster.
Activated zincremoves redness and relieves itching in a short time.

Patients are also prescribed drugs from the following groups:

Corticosteroids- normalize metabolic processes;
Cytostatics- prevent cell division, but can weaken the body's defense mechanisms
Immunomodulators- also regulate immune responses, but their effectiveness is questionable;
Non-steroids- relieve inflammation and itching.

Vitamin complexes are prescribed in combination with these drugs.

In addition to drug treatment, the following methods are very popular:

Hirudotherapy.The leech treatment improves blood circulation and normalizes the immune mechanisms.
cryotherapy.A special type of "freezing" relieves itching, swelling and inflammation.
Ultraviolet radiation.These short-term procedures are combined with the introduction of special drugs.

Attention!Self-medication for psoriasis is unacceptable, since many drugs have contraindications and are prescribed by a specialist only taking into account the patient's individual physiological characteristics.

Children usually have less severe psoriasis than adults, so local therapy gives good results, and even in the event of an exacerbation, repeated treatment can lead to long-term remission.

Even if a child is diagnosed with a severe form and treatment is timely appropriate, the prognosis is more or less favorable.

The main rule for parents is to identify the characteristic signs of psoriasis and start fighting this disease immediately!

Traditional medicine

Traditional medicine recipes are widely used to treat psoriasis. Compresses based on medicinal herbs are effective.

To prepare the compress, grind 4 tbsp. Tablespoons of dry herbs and pour a glass of boiling water, then let it brew. In the broth, you need to moisten the gauze and apply it to sore spots.

The following plants have healing properties:

marigold;
horsetail;
walnut leaves;
celandine;
yarrow;
sweet clover;
burdock;
black currant leaves.

You can also make an oral tincture. For this 1 tbsp. A spoonful of dry herbs should be poured with a glass of boiling water, insist for 8 hours, strain and drink 100 ml twice a day, preferably half an hour before meals. Suitable for the herb collection:

St. John's wort;
celandine;
sequence;
marshmallow;
Valerian.

Attention!Some of these herbs can cause side effects. Therefore, before starting treatment, you need to familiarize yourself with all contraindications.

Medical ointments for home treatment are very popular. Here are some effective recipes:

Burn dry rose hips and mix ashes with petroleum jelly. The affected areas should be treated with ointment daily.
Grind celandine leaves to 2 tbsp. Add the spoon, lanolin, and petroleum jelly. Ointment used to treat inflamed skin.
Mix the tincture of a row with lanolin and petroleum jelly and rub it into psoriasis plaques.
Grind the meadowsweet roots, mix them with oil or petroleum jelly, boil the resulting ointment, cool and smear sore spots.

Soothing herbal teas are beneficial. They can be brewed from feverfew, oregano, chamomile, mint, thyme, valerian, linden, peony.

Traditional medicine does not guarantee 100% of the result, it is better to combine it with the main treatment.

Psoriasis and pregnancy

Many women with psoriasis who are able to worry about how the disease will behave during this period.

Psoriasis is an unpredictable disease, so it is difficult to answer the question: “How can the course of the disease be determined during pregnancy? ". Symptoms of psoriasis can progress, remain stationary, or subside. There are cases when the disease has completely disappeared after childbirth.

Every pregnant woman fears that the disease can be passed on to her baby, but not the disease itself is inherited, only a predisposition to it.

During breastfeeding, breastfeeding is very dangerous if the mother is undergoing therapy with effective drugs, as substances can damage the baby's health. In this case, you need to interrupt treatment or artificially feed the baby.

The disease does not affect conception and intrauterine development of the fetus. However, the drugs the expectant mother takes can have negative consequences. So, while planning pregnancy, it is important that you consult your doctor who will stop some of them.

Prevention

This disease cannot be prevented, but its manifestations can be significantly reduced. To achieve a reduction in the symptoms of the disease, you must adhere to the following preventive rules:

Try not to get nervous and learn to keep your emotions under control. Natural tranquilizers can be used to make this task easier.
Reduce your consumption of salty, smoked, spicy, fried and fatty foods as well as honey, citrus fruits, chocolate and coffee.
Wear clothes made from natural fabrics.
Choose personal care products with a low pH that won't dry out or irritate sore skin.
Be careful with medications as many of them can cause psoriasis flare-ups. Antibiotics are particularly dangerous.
Quit smoking and alcohol.
Avoid direct sunlight.

Psoriasis is one of the most common skin diseases, the nature of which is not yet fully understood. The disease causes a lot of inconvenience, worsens quality of life, and lowers a person's self-esteem.

It can appear suddenly and unfortunately nobody is immune to this disease. That is why it is very important to know how this pathology manifests itself in order to consult a doctor in a timely manner and begin treatment.