The most common symptom of psoriasis is the formation of psoriatic plaques, which form on inflamed areas of the skin. However, the disease can manifest itself not only on the skin. We understand how psoriasis starts, how it develops and what the signs of psoriasis are.
Most of the time, the first symptoms of psoriasis appear at a young age, but psoriasis can affect a person even in old age. The first symptoms of psoriasis can be subtle: the disease can start with lesions in small areas of the skin, usually in the creases of the limbs or scalp. Therefore, many patients may not notice the first manifestations. Does psoriasis skin itch? In fact, one of the signs of psoriasis is itching. In addition, at first the person may only experience itching and tightness, and only then begin to appear red patches on the skin.
The course of psoriasis greatly affects the quality of human life. Many patients experience not only physical but also psychological discomfort. However, modern medicine can effectively contain the manifestations of the disease. New psoriasis drugs, developed in the 21st century, in particular 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 surface of healthy skin and are covered with a layer of whitish scales. Plaque can be painful, itchy, cracking, and bleeding.
Psoriasis. Signals
Manifestations of psoriasis on the skin and nails
Leather
- Plates inflamed with redness.
- Plaques are often covered with whitish scales.
- Plaques can be painful and itchy.
- Sometimes they crack and bleed.
- Scattered plaques may appear on the scalp.
- The plaques can grow and fuse with each other, covering a large area of skin. In severe cases, the entire skin is one big plaque. This condition is called erythroderma.
Nails
- The nails change color or dips, spots or streaks appear on the nail plates.
- Over time, the nail thickens and changes color to greyish, yellow or brown. It may collapse and bleed.
- The nail can peel and peel. The skin under this torn nail thickens due to the formation of a psoriatic plaque here.
The most common symptoms of psoriasis
Itching and bleeding with psoriasis
Itching and burning of the skin are common symptoms of psoriasis that affect 90% of patients. The itch caused by psoriasis is different from the itch caused by other skin conditions. Itching in psoriasis can be very intense and can even occur on areas of the skin where there are no visible plaques. Scratching the skin resulting from itchy psoriasis can cause new rashes to appear as a result of mechanical trauma to the skin.
The appearance of cracks in the skin and bleeding with psoriasis
Psoriatic plaques can appear anywhere on the skin. Sometimes they crack when the skin gets too dry on the plaque. As the plate grows, the cracks expand. As they get bigger, they can penetrate deeper into the dermis - the layer of skin in which the capillaries are located. Then the capillaries are damaged and rupture, and the plaques begin to bleed.
The first symptoms of psoriasis can occur anywhere, but most of the time, the skin starts to crack and bleed. Location of demonstrations:
- elbows;
- knees;
- brushes;
- palms and soles.
Pustules with psoriasis
Pustules with a white or yellowish fluid inside, appearing in 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 condition. It can cause serious complications and therefore requires complex and urgent treatment and referral to a specialist.
How are pustules formed? How does pustular psoriasis start?
- First, in pustular psoriasis, plaques form, formed by dry, reddened skin that is painful to the touch.
- Then, pus-filled pustules form on the plaques.
- The pustules quickly fuse, forming large blisters.
- They then dry out and leave, leaving dry skin underneath, where they may soon reappear.
Tear Plaques for Psoriasis
Small, reddish or pinkish scaly nodules - spots on the skin that look like drops - are a distinguishing symptom of tear psoriasis. A patient may have anywhere from a few to hundreds of teardrop-shaped elements. Nodules anywhere on the skin, but most often occur in:
- shoulders;
- stomach;
- back;
- hands;
- legs;
- scalp;
- ears;
- guy.
The symptoms of guttate psoriasis develop very quickly over several days. Tear-shaped plaques sometimes cause itchy psoriasis. Typically these elements are small, no more than 10mm wide.
Tear psoriasis often follows an infection, particularly of the respiratory tract.
pain with psoriasis
Projection pain from a rash occurs when the skin is damaged and cracked as a result of excessive thickening caused by inflammation and unrestrained growth of keratinocytes. As a result, the nerve endings in the dermis become irritated and send a pain signal to the brain.
But pain doesn't just arise from mechanical damage to the skin: the inflammation that occurs in the body with psoriasis affects how the brain perceives pain. In addition, each person has an individual pain sensitivity threshold, therefore, pain in patients with the same disease picture may cause a different reaction.
42% of patients complain of pain in the projection of lesions caused by psoriasis. To a greater extent, this symptom is common among:
- women;
- old people;
- patients with severe psoriasis;
- patients with psoriasis for a long time;
- patients with concomitant psoriasis diseases.
Peeling (dandruff) with psoriasis
The scalp psoriasis plaques are hidden and may not be visible. However, as in other areas of the body, psoriatic plaques peel off, forming scales similar to dandruff. Do not confuse psoriatic desquamation with dandruff, as dandruff is caused by a fungal infection and psoriasis is caused by inflammation. Therefore, these symptoms need to be treated in different ways.
Like other symptoms of psoriasis, desquamation occurs during exacerbation and disappears during remission. The exacerbation of scalp psoriasis appears for several reasons:
- cold weather;
- dry air;
- stress.
Comment on what to do when scaling and inflammation occur in psoriasis
Nail changes with psoriasis
- Half of patients with psoriasis develop nail psoriasis, and in patients with psoriatic arthritis, this symptom occurs in 80% of cases. As a rule, defeat of the nail plates precedes the development of psoriatic arthritis.
- Nail psoriasis usually accompanies other types of psoriasis on the skin. Only 5-10% of patients with nail psoriasis have no skin lesions.
- Nail psoriasis occurs in different patients, regardless of age, sex or disease duration.
- Changes can affect all or part of the nail plate. They appear on both one and several nail plates and, most often, on the hands.
- Nail psoriasis often accompanies common (common) psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis.
- Psoriasis affects the condition of the nails in different ways. They can grow faster or get thicker. The nail plate is often white, yellow, or brown.
- Thimble-like dips and stripes appear on the nail.
- As the psoriatic process progresses, the nail begins to deteriorate and ends up being rejected, losing its connection with the nail bed.
- Nail damage causes unpleasant and painful sensations that significantly reduce quality of life.