Symptoms and first signs of psoriasis

The characteristic signs of psoriasis, specific to the species, play a decisive role in diagnosis and treatment.

The most common type of chronic dermatosis, according to statistics, is psoriasis. This is a complex and multifaceted disease of polyetiological origin. For a variety of reasons, a large number of different types have been identified that have their own characteristic signs of psoriasis. The need to distinguish types by symptoms arose due to the ambiguous reaction of the skin to medications and other methods of exposure.

Until recently, the disease was considered not dangerous to health and life, until cases of death were recorded due to incorrect identification of the cause, type and treatment. Furthermore, a person can be affected simultaneously by several forms of the disease, the symptoms of which must be taken into account when prescribing treatment.

The disease affects people regardless of gender and age group. The first symptoms of psoriasis can appear in both children and adults for no apparent reason. Depending on the type, not only the onset but also the development of the disease differs, and can be rapid or slow, with a gradual increase in symptoms.

Timely reporting of early symptoms and signs of psoriasis is key to effective treatment, which will allow:

• Do not allow the disease to take over large areas of the skin;
• Quickly eliminate the external symptoms of the disease and prevent damage to internal organs;
• Take timely measures to prevent relapses and prolong the disease's silent periods.

The terms "symptoms" and "signs", although similar in meaning, have significant differences. Symptoms are subjective feelings of a person that can be confirmed or refuted by examination data.

Signs are objective examinations and examination data with which the doctor makes a diagnosis.
For example, pain is purely a symptom, while rashes are a symptom.

It is important to remember this, because feeling only the symptoms it is impossible to make a correct diagnosis, and only a specialist can determine the signs of psoriasis, its specific type and form.

General signs

Regardless of whether the disease appeared suddenly and began to develop rapidly or the initial manifestations were gradual, doctors consider the beginning of the formation of papules on various areas of the skin - small scaly nodules of dark pink color, dense to the touch and protruding above of the surface.

The first thing a patient may notice is the formation of a rash in places that are more exposed to friction than others, and their skin is drier, these are:

• On the hands, areas on the palms or elbows;
• Under the knees;
• In the inguinal folds;
• On the sides of the lumbar region;
• In cinnamon;
• On the scalp under the hair.

The location of the lesion directly depends on the form of the disease. Psoriasis vulgaris prefers to appear on the elbows, and the teardrop type begins to spread to the lower back, areas of skin under the chest and shoulder blades.
The first rashes are usually barely noticeable, do not form clusters and do not cause discomfort. But if you do not consult a specialist at this stage and ignore the appearance of the disease, damage to the fingernails and toenails will begin gradually, then the disease will spread to the mucous membranes and then to the joints.

The appearance of the first signs of psoriasis may vary depending on gender or age. In infants, the psoriatic rash often begins in the inguinal folds and resembles the signs of miliaria. In adults, the onset can be of two types:

1. Round rashes of varying sizes, deep pink or red in color, with many visible whitish scales. Gradually, although each patient goes their own way, the areas of the rash thicken and rise noticeably above the surface of the skin. Rashes form psoriatic plaques, similar to drops from a paraffin candle.
2. Small, dense papules form small clusters on the elbows, palms, and sometimes along the knee and ankle joints. These signs are so insignificant that a person simply does not pay attention to them, mistaking them for ordinary irritation. It is important to listen to yourself to see if symptoms characteristic of psoriasis have arisen, such as itching and pain when touched. If you miss the initial symptoms of psoriasis, single papules quickly turn into plaques, which are very difficult to get rid of.

You can differentiate psoriasis from other skin diseases using a triad of characteristic symptoms, they are:

1. "Stearic stain effect". When scraping the surface of the plate, small transparent scales easily come off.
2. "Terminal Film Effect". If you remove the exfoliated scales, in their place will be a thin, shiny surface of the skin, bright in color.
3. "Bloody Dew Effect". At the scraping site, microscopic droplets of blood appear after a short period of time.

The classification of specific forms of psoriasis is of great importance in determining the disease. An unambiguous system has not yet been developed; Experts distinguish the main groups according to characteristic symptoms and signs.

Classification

The main division of the disease is into two large groups according to the nature of the rashes, these are:

1. Non-pustular forms, which are characterized by distribution over the entire surface of the skin, including types such as:
   • Simple (vulgar) or common psoriasis, characterized by a stable chronic course with the development of plaques. The vulgar type of the disease is the most common, occurring in 85% of cases.
   • Psoriatic erythroderma. Dangerous type, always occurring in a severe form, affecting the skin's thermoregulatory and barrier capacity. Often, erythrodermic psoriasis ends in pyoderma or sepsis.
2. Pustular forms, which are characterized by the formation not of papules, but of pustules - blisters of inflamed skin filled with serological fluid. These forms of the disease in their course can be generalized (distributed over the entire surface of the skin) or localized, mainly in the region of the palms of the hands and soles of the feet.
   • Tsumbusha-type generalized psoriasis;
   • Type of ring erythema;
   • Barber's palmoplantar type (chronic pustulosis of the extremities);
   • Annular type of pustular psoriasis;
   • Persistent acrodermatitis (psoriasis on the soles of the feet and palms of the hands);
   • Psoriatic herpetiform impetigo.

This classification system has not yet included types of diseases such as:

• Seborrheic;
• Exudative;
• Drug-dependent form;
• Inverse psoriasis of the surfaces of skin folds and folds.

Characteristic signs of different types of psoriasis

The general symptoms of psoriasis fully characterize only the vulgar form of the disease, which is the most common of all known forms of the disease. A characteristic of plaque psoriasis are the places where the first rashes appear, these are:

• Push-ups on arms and legs;
• The border between the forehead and the scalp;
• Back of hands.

tear type

A distinctive feature of this type of disease is the formation of single teardrop-shaped papules. The first signs of guttate psoriasis appear on the thighs and then spread over the entire surface of the skin. In the vast majority of cases, guttate psoriasis develops against the background of infectious diseases caused by streptococci.

Atypical appearance

This form is characterized by the formation of the first manifestations in locations atypical for psoriasis, they are:

• skin folds,
• Side surfaces of the body
• Armpits.

Pustular (exudative) appearance

The onset of the disease is characterized by the appearance on the surface of the palms, feet or legs of small blisters (papules) filled with serous fluid of a non-infectious nature. The skin around the papules is always inflamed and the blisters themselves are very unstable and are open doors for infection.

In most cases, exudative psoriasis develops in patients suffering from endocrine diseases, metabolic disorders and obesity.

Folded surface psoriasis

Distinctive features of this form are the appearance of manifestations on the skin. The rash appears in the form of large red spots that are not covered with scales and do not protrude above the surface. This species covers areas with intense sweat glands, such as:

• Bend the joints of the arms and under the knees;
• Armpits and inguinal folds;
• External genitalia;
• The area of skin under the breasts in women.

This form is often complicated by the addition of a fungal or streptococcal infection.

Psoriatic arthritis

One of the most insidious forms of the disease, characterized by a long latent course. The patient notices the first symptoms of psoriasis when the damage to the joints becomes total. Signs of this type of psoriasis are expressed in pain and swelling of the joints and their subsequent deformation.

Seborrheic appearance

The localization of rashes of this type is initially concentrated on the face, the first signs appear in the region of the nasolabial triangle, behind the ears, along the edge of hair growth. Further distribution runs along the shoulder blades in the back and across the chest. The rashes are covered with yellowish scales and the boundaries of healthy skin are blurred.

Onychodystrophy, nail psoriasis

This guy is almost intractable. The pathology exclusively affects the nail plates, which change color to dark yellow or gray. The nail structure becomes thinner and the cuticle area becomes inflamed for no apparent reason.

Conclusion

It is important to always remember that psoriasis is not just a skin disease, but also a very serious disorder of the body's internal systems. Under no circumstances should you self-medicate or turn to healers. The selection of an effective treatment regimen can only be carried out by an experienced specialist after careful examination.