The most common symptom of psoriasis is the formation of psoriatic plaques, which form from the inflamed areas of the skin. However, the disease cannot manifest itself only on the skin. We understand how psoriasis begins, how it progresses, and what the signs of psoriasis are.
Most often, the first symptoms of psoriasis appear at a young age, but psoriasis can overtake a person as they age. The first symptoms of psoriasis can be subtle: the disease can begin with lesions on small areas of the skin, often on the folds of the limbs or scalp. Therefore, many patients may not notice the first manifestations. Does the skin itch with psoriasis? In fact, itching is one of the signs of psoriasis. In addition, at first a person may only feel itching and tightness, and only then do red spots appear on the skin.
The course of psoriasis has a strong influence on people's quality of life. Many patients have not only physical but also psychological complaints. However, modern medicine can effectively contain the manifestations of the disease. New drugs for psoriasis developed in the 21st century, especially genetically modified biological drugs (GIBP), allow you to completely get rid of the manifestations of the disease and lead a productive life.
What is psoriatic plaque?
Psoriatic plaques are the most common symptom of psoriasis. Plaques are enlarged, inflamed areas of red skin that protrude above the healthy surface of the skin and are covered with a whitish cuticle. The plaque can be painful, itchy, cracked, and bleeding.
Psoriasis. sign
Manifestations of psoriasis on the skin and nails
leather
- Inflamed plaques with redness.
- The plaques are often covered with whitish scales.
- The plaques can be painful and itchy.
- Sometimes they crack and bleed.
- Scattered plaques may appear on the scalp.
- Plaques can grow and fuse together and cover a large area of the skin. In severe cases, the entire skin is a large plaque. This condition is called erythroderma.
Nails
- Nails change color or depressions, spots or stripes appear on the nail plates.
- Over time, the nail thickens and turns gray, yellow, or brown in color. It can break down and bleed.
- The nail can peel and peel off. The skin under such a crack in the nail is thickened here due to the formation of a psoriasis plaque.
The most common symptoms of psoriasis
Itching and bleeding in psoriasis
Itching and burning of the skin are common psoriasis symptoms that affect 90% of patients. Itching caused by psoriasis is different from itching caused by other skin conditions. The itching of psoriasis can be intense and even appear on the areas of the skin where there are no visible plaques. Scratching the skin due to itching in psoriasis can lead to new rashes as a result of mechanical trauma to the skin.
The appearance of cracks in the skin and bleeding in psoriasis
Psoriatic plaques can appear anywhere on the skin. Sometimes they tear when the skin becomes very dry on the plaque. As the plaque increases, the cracks expand. As they get bigger, they can penetrate deeper into the dermis - the layer of skin where the capillaries are located. Then the capillaries are damaged and burst, and the plaques begin to bleed.
The first symptoms of psoriasis can appear anywhere, but most of the time the skin begins to crack and bleed. Place of manifestations:
- Elbow;
- Knee;
- To brush;
- Palms and soles.
Pustules with psoriasis
Pustules with a white or yellowish liquid inside that appear on psoriatic plaques are the main symptom of pustular psoriasis. This is a rare form of psoriasis, and only 2% of patients develop pustules. Pustular psoriasis is a very dangerous disease. It can cause serious complications, so it requires urgent complex treatment and referral to a specialist.
How do pustules develop? How does pustular psoriasis begin?
- First, pustular psoriasis forms plaques, which are dry, reddened skin that is painful to the touch.
- Pustules filled with pus then form on the plaques.
- The pustules quickly fuse together and form large blisters.
- Then they dry up and peel off, leaving dry skin underneath that they may soon reappear on.
Teardrop plaques for psoriasis
Small reddish or pink scaly nodules - patches of skin that look like drops - are a symptom that characterizes tear psoriasis. A patient can experience a few to hundreds of teardrop-shaped elements. Lumps all over the skin, but are most common on:
- Shoulders;
- Stomach;
- back;
- Hands;
- Legs;
- Scalp;
- Ears;
- Face.
The symptoms of guttate psoriasis develop relatively quickly over several days. Sometimes the teardrop-shaped plaques cause psoriasis to itch. Usually such elements are small, no more than 10 mm wide.
Often tear psoriasis breaks up after an infection, mainly of the respiratory tract.
Psoriasis pain
Rash projection pain occurs when the skin is damaged and cracked as a result of excessive thickening caused by inflammation and rampant keratinocyte growth. This irritates nerve endings in the dermis and sends a pain signal to the brain.
However, pain is not only caused by mechanical damage to the skin: the inflammation that occurs in the body with psoriasis affects the brain's perception of pain. In addition, each person has an individual pain sensitivity threshold, so pain can cause a different reaction in patients with the same clinical picture.
42% of patients complain of pain in the projection of the lesions caused by psoriasis. To a greater extent, this symptom is common in:
- Women;
- old people;
- Patients with severe psoriasis;
- Patients who have had psoriasis for a long time;
- Patients with concomitant psoriasis diseases.
Peeling (dandruff) in psoriasis
Psoriatic plaques on the scalp are hidden and may not be visible. As in other parts of the body, psoriasis also flake off and form flaky scales. Don't confuse psoriasis with dandruff, as dandruff is caused by a fungal infection and psoriasis is caused by inflammation. Hence, these symptoms need to be treated in different ways.
As with other symptoms of psoriasis, the flaking occurs during the exacerbation and disappears during remission. Exacerbation of psoriasis of the scalp occurs for several reasons:
- cold weather;
- dry air;
- emphasize.
Comment on what to do if you get dandruff and inflammation with psoriasis
Nail changes in psoriasis
- Half of the patients with psoriasis develop nail psoriasis, and in patients with psoriatic arthritis this symptom occurs 80% of the time. As a rule, the defeat of the nail plates precedes the development of psoriatic arthritis.
- Typically, nail psoriasis accompanies other types of psoriasis on the skin. Only 5-10% of patients with nail psoriasis have no skin lesions.
- Psoriasis of the nails occurs in different patients regardless of age, gender, or duration of the disease.
- Changes can affect all or part of the nail plate. They appear on both one and more nail plates, and more often on the hands.
- Psoriasis of the nails usually accompanies common (vulgar) psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis.
- Psoriasis affects the condition of the nails in different ways. They can grow faster or get thicker. The nail plate often turns white, yellow, or brown.
- Thimble-like pits and streaks appear on the nail.
- As the psoriasis process progresses, the nail begins to deteriorate and is eventually shed, losing its connection with the nail bed.
- Damage to the nail causes unpleasant and painful sensations, which significantly reduce the quality of life.