How psoriasis begins and manifests itself: symptoms and diagnosis

26 December 2020

Chronic disease of a non-infectious nature which, according to statistical data, affects several percent of the entire population, is psoriasis, whose symptoms manifest themselves in the form of focal rash, itching and severe peeling of the skin.

The disease can develop at any age and regardless of the social environment to which the person belongs. Psoriasis occurs equally in men and women. Most of the time, the disease affects young people under the age of 20.

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 is found in almost 85% of cases, but the disease is notcontagious and is not transmitted by airborne droplets or by domestic means. It is difficult to treat, but complex therapy almost always gives good results.

Disease manifestation

How does psoriasis manifest and what is this disease? Psoriatic plaques usually develop first in areas subject to greater friction, such as elbows or knees.

In addition, signs of psoriasis can appear on absolutely any area of the skin - head, face, back, abdomen, palms, feet, armpits and even genitals.

If we consider another similar disease - eczema, it affects the inside of the flexor surfaces, with psoriasis - the outside of the knee and the elbow joints.

The pathology is chronic in nature and has a wavy course, that is, a person's condition may improve under the influence of treatment methods or, on the contrary, worsen under the influence of negative factors, while remission andexacerbations are generally totally spontaneous.

Relapse can be caused by alcohol abuse, stress, infectious diseases. The severity of psoriasis varies from person to person and even in the same person, over the course of the disease.

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

Psoriasis progresses over time, especially if no appropriate measures are taken to correct it. The progression of the disease consists of an increase in periods of exacerbations 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 where the disease has progressed continuously without periods of remission.

Pathologies such as onychodystrophy - nail lesions are very common. This disease can progress on its own, without the addition of a skin lesion. In addition, psoriasis can contribute to the development of an inflammatory process in the joints - psoriatic arthritis (a disease of 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 tendency of the disease to relapse and worsen constantly, psoriasis is very difficult to treat. Complete healing is almost impossible, that is, it remains with the person until the end of his life, but with proper treatment and following all medical prescriptions, longer periods of remission can be achieved.

Reasons

So far, medicine does not know the true cause of this pathology, however, it has been proven that a malfunction of the immune system, neurological disorders and metabolic disorders can cause the disease. There are also several factors that can trigger the development of the disease:

Genetic predisposition,in other words, simple heredity. Experts say signs of psoriasis can be found in people whose blood relatives suffered from psoriasis. In addition, if one parent is sick, the risk of developing the disease rises to 20%, and if both parents - up to 50%. This is due to the existence of some genes responsible for the development of dermatological changes. The first signs of hereditary psoriasis, as a rule, appear before the age of 25.
Neurological diseases.Any emotional shock, nervous tension, chronic fatigue can cause the disease to develop. In addition, in people with psoriasis, any stressful situation can cause an exacerbation of the disease.
Hormonal insufficiency.All pathological changes in the functioning of the organs of the endocrine system can trigger 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 carried out, the results of which showed that many patients with psoriasis were infected with giardiasis, opistorquiasis, ascariasis, enterobiasis. It turns out that, in the process of their vital activity, helminths emit toxic substances that poison the whole body. This leads to an exacerbation of chronic diseases and a significant decrease in immunity.
Viral infections,which also attack the human immune system.

From the above, it is clear that the process of development of psoriasis, in one way or another, is associated with disturbances in the functioning of the body's defense mechanisms. Psoriasis in the body can develop under the influence of a whole complex of triggers or under the influence of factors such as 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 peel off and a denser scaly layer is found under them.

When the disease begins to progress, the so-called Kenber phenomenon is observed, when plaques appear in places of cutaneous trauma (with wounds, cuts, burns).

Varieties

There are several types of psoriasis, each with a specific clinical condition:

Plaque (true psoriasis)is the most common form of the disease, which occurs in more than 80% of all patients. The skin is inflamed, dry and thickened, with protruding areas above it, which are covered with light silver scales. The skin in these areas is warm to the touch and flakes constantly. After peeling, reddish inflammatory foci are found, which are often damaged and bleed. Inflammation can merge into large foci. In psoriasis of the elbows and knees, the peeling is not as pronounced.
Drop-shaped- there are many small, dry red or purple round inflammations, appearing above the surface of the skin. Guttate psoriasis covers large areas of the body. The first signs of the disease can occur after a previous sore throat or pharyngitis, which are caused by streptococcal infection.
Pustularis the most complex form of the disease. It has the appearance of rash foci with blisters elevated above the surface of healthy skin. These bubbles are full of exudate. Around the pustules, the skin turns red, swells, thickens and subsequently peels off. When a secondary infection occurs, the blisters are filled with purulent fluid. Typically, this psoriasis is limited and affects specific areas, such as the leg and forearm. In severe cases, the inflammation begins to spread over the skin's surface and the rash spots merge into a single focus.
Psoriatic arthritis- joints and connective tissue are involved in the pathological process. The main manifestation of this form is intense itching. In addition, the skin of the finger joints becomes painful, swollen, peeling and peeling.
Onychodystrophy (nail psoriasis)may look like ringworm. With this disease, the appearance of the nails changes, they become brittle and exfoliate, the color of the nail bed and the plaque 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 is firm. Often, onychodystrophy leads to nail loss.

Additional symptoms of psoriasis include:

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

How the disease continues

There are several stages in the course of the disease:

Progressive.This is the initial stage of the disease. It is characterized by exacerbations, in which there is an increase in the number of new eruptions.
Stationary.At this stage, the condition remains the same, that is, the rash and other symptoms of psoriasis do not increase or decrease.
Regression stage.Last stage of the disease, which continues without rashes.

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

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

Among other things, psoriasis is considered a seasonal disease, meaning that all symptoms worsen depending on the season. Most people usually get worse in winter or summer. In some patients, this process is not associated with the change of season.

Diagnosis

How is this disease diagnosed? The diagnosis of psoriasis is based primarily on examination by a dermatologist. Examination identifies the shape and extent of the lesion.

In some cases, the differential diagnosis is made to distinguish psoriasis from another dermatological disease. How to recognize that a patient has this specific disease?

As already mentioned, in psoriasis the Kenber phenomenon is observed, which is not inherent in skin pathologies. Another symptom must also be taken into account, when a clear border appears around a new papule, which has not yet started to come off - a kind of vascular reaction, which indicates the progress of the disease.

Sometimes a skin biopsy is used to 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

Medication

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

These drugs contain ingredients that prevent excess cell division of the skin and relieve the unpleasant itchy symptom. A number of substances are distinguished that effectively combat this disease:

Glucocorticoid hormones.They relieve inflammation and normalize the immune system.
Vitamin D.The use of vitamin D drugs will be more effective after the disease reaches the stationary stage, when the patient's condition is stable. Good results are obtained by taking these drugs in combination with ultraviolet irradiation procedures.
Silicon.Improves the condition of the skin, has a sorbent effect and absorbs the antigens that are involved in the development of the disease.
Tarhas a good effect on inflammation spots, which are located on the head.
Lecithin.Promotes rapid tissue regeneration. Preparations with this substance help the body to deal with inflammation more quickly.
Activated zincin a short time removes redness and relieves itching.

Patients also receive drugs from the following groups:

corticosteroids- normalizes metabolic processes;
cytostatics- prevent cell division, but can weaken the body's defense mechanisms;
immunomodulators- they also regulate immune responses, but their effectiveness is in question;
non-steroids- relieve inflammation and itching.

Vitamin complexes are prescribed in combination with these drugs.

Along with drug treatment, the following methods are very popular:

Hirudotherapy.Leech therapy improves blood circulation and normalizes immune mechanisms.
Cryotherapy.A peculiar way of "freezing" relieves itching, swelling and inflammation.
Ultraviolet radiation.These short-term procedures are combined with the introduction of special drugs.

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

Children usually have a less severe course of psoriasis than adults, so local therapy gives good results and, even in the case of an exacerbation, a repeated course of treatment allows you to achieve remission oflong term.

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

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

Traditional medicine

Prescriptions for traditional medications are often used to treat psoriasis. Medicinal herbal compresses are effective.

To prepare the compress, grind 4 tbsp. tablespoons of dried herbs and pour a glass of boiling water and let it ferment. In the broth, it is necessary to moisten the gauze and apply to the wounds.

The following plants have healing properties:

marigold;
ponytail;
walnut leaves;
celandine;

yarrow;

sweet clover;

burdock;

black currant leaves.

You can also prepare an oral tincture. For this, 1 tablespoon. a spoonful of dried herbs should be poured with a glass of boiling water, insisted for 8 hours, strain and drink 100 ml twice a day, preferably half an hour before meals. Suitable for collecting herbs:

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

Warning!Some of these herbs can cause side effects, so before starting treatment, you should read all contraindications.

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

Burn dry rose bushes and mix ash with petroleum jelly. The ointment should be applied to the affected areas every day.
Grind celandine leaves to make 2 tbsp. spoons, add lanolin and petroleum jelly. Ointment to treat inflamed skin.
Mix the string dye with lanolin and petroleum jelly and rub on the psoriatic plates.
Grind the sweet roots, mix with oil or petroleum jelly, boil the resulting ointment, cool and rub the wounds.

Soothing herbal teas are beneficial. They can be produced from motherwort, 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 in a situation are concerned about the behavior of the disease during this period.

Psoriasis is an unpredictable disease, so it is difficult to answer the question: "How to determine the course of the disease during pregnancy". Symptoms of psoriasis may start to progress, remain stationary, or subside. There are cases where after delivery the disease disappears completely.

Every pregnant woman fears that the disease may be transmitted to the baby, but not that the disease itself is inherited, but only a predisposition to it.

During lactation, if the mother is undergoing therapy with potent drugs, breastfeeding is very dangerous, as the substances can harm the baby's health. In this case, it is necessary to interrupt the treatment or transfer the baby to artificial feeding.

The disease does not affect the fetus' conception and intrauterine development, but the medications the pregnant woman takes can have negative consequences, so it is important to consult your doctor during pregnancy planning, which will cancel some of them.

Prevention

This disease cannot be prevented, but its manifestations can be significantly reduced. To decrease the symptoms of the disease, you need to follow the following preventive rules:

Try not to get nervous and learn to keep your emotions in check. Natural sedatives can be used to facilitate this task.
Reduce your consumption of salty, smoked, spicy, fried and fatty foods, as well as honey, citrus fruits, chocolate and coffee.
Wear clothes made of natural fabrics.
Choose personal care products with low pH levels that do not dry out or irritate injured skin.
Be careful with medications, as many of them can cause psoriasis attacks, antibiotics are especially dangerous.
Stop smoking and drinking 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 many disorders, worsens the quality of life and lowers the person's self-esteem.

It can happen suddenly and, unfortunately, no one is immune to this disease. That is why it is very important to know how this condition manifests itself in order to consult the doctor in time and start treatment.