Afterappears, most patients' psoriasis will not go away on its own, but will only progress and become more extensive and spread to the skin.
However, with timely diagnosis, treatment can be easier and recovery faster.
The main purpose here is to pay attention to the first symptoms of psoriasis in time and to meet with a dermatologist immediately.
Characteristic signs of psoriasis
Early psoriasis may appear as small, reddish scaly patches.
The location of such rashes directly depends on the form of disease progression.
In most cases, you can see them:
- on the elbows and knees; Head
- (in the hairy area);
- on palms and feet;
- In the fold area (women's buttocks, armpits, area under the breast).
Primary eruptions (papules) are very small: their diameter does not exceed 4 mm.
However, as the disease progresses, they expand and fuse with each other, forming plaques without clear shapes.
In most cases, the appearance of papules is not accompanied by pain or itching. The development of psoriasis and the increase in the size of the affected skin area can increase discomfort.
The affected area began to be painful and itchy, and there was a strong burning sensation.
These symptoms of psoriasis can be supplemented by emotional inconveniences, which can significantly increase the speed of disease transmission.
When this rash is found, it is not appropriate to start self-treatment, because psoriasis in the early stages of development is similar to other skin diseases.
Therefore, the wrong choice of drugs will not lead to positive results, it will only make the situation worse.
Cumulative symptoms
Scale lichen belongs to the category of systemic pathology.
This means that it not only manifests on the skin and nails, but also affects the spine, joints and tendons, and certain body systems (for example, endocrine, immune and nerve).
There are known diseases that affect the digestive system (liver) and urinary system (kidney).
The first symptoms of psoriasis
- Continuous fatigue;
- Weaknesses;
- Depressive state (until depression).
Due to the complex effects of the disease on the body, experts believe that it is appropriate to call it psoriasis.
But, despite this, the key aspect of the disease is based on damage to the skin.
As mentioned above, the first call for pathological development is small papules in the color range between pale pink and red.
They differ in their symmetrical positions on the skin surface (folds, lower back, head covered with hair), sometimes-on the mucous membrane of the external genital organs.
In the further development of the disease, the size of the papules may exceed 10 cm.
The psoriasis outbreak depends on its characteristics and can be subdivided into:
- point (its size is not larger than the head of the pin);
- Teardrop-shaped (like tears in shape and the size of lentils);
- Coin-shaped (a 5 mm diameter patch with rounded edges);
- is rarely bow-shaped, circular or map-like.
The top of the papules is covered with scaly patches, which are formed by the keratinocytes of the epidermis and can be removed without any effort. Initially, they appear in the center of the plaque and gradually spread.
Keratinocytes have air gaps, which can cause visual fragility and light shades.
Sometimes an element is surrounded by a pink ring, which acts as an area for plaque growth and inflammation. In this case, the state of the surrounding skin will not change.
Removal of plaque can reveal a bright, deep red surface based on capillaries, which are very thin.
The existence of blood vessels with such a small diameter is caused by damage to the upper layer of the skin. Due to the incomplete maturation of epidermal cells (keratinocytes), their structure is disturbed and cannot differentiate properly.
Symptoms of different forms of psoriasis
The common psoriasis has very specific symptoms, so it is not difficult to diagnose.
It appears as a scaly round area that protrudes above normal skin and appears pink or red.
Sometimes, there are no typical plaques in the early stages of the disease: small papules can be observed before they appear on the scalp and joint areas (ankles, elbows and knees).
They can last long enough without causing any inconvenience to the patient: there is no itching and pain, or even no pain at all, or almost no feeling, and the pimples themselves are almost invisible.
They will not fall off, but when gently scratched, they will immediately show scales. As the sun's radiation affects the skin, this pink seal will disappear or decrease in size significantly in summer.
The common acute form of psoriasis is manifested as a rash with brightly colored papules and repeated persistent itching, and is the result of factors that activate the disease.
To avoid accidentally using it for allergic reactions, you need to wipe the surface of the plaque slightly before the characteristic phenomenon appears.
Seborrheic psoriasis starts on the scalp (in the area covered by the hair) and then spreads to the face and shoulders.
is characterized by severe peeling of the skin in the corresponding area, which is usually seen by patients as dandruff, so they will not rush to seek medical attention.
This fact allows the disease to enter the development stage quietly when the area behind the forehead and ears is peeled. And only after the plaques have formed.
Skin fold lesions in psoriasis (armpits, genitals, and groin under the breasts of women) are often confused with ordinary irritation caused by friction or sweat.
This disease is characterized by smooth patches that look like spots. No peeling was observed, but they often get wet. The rashes themselves are bright red, they are uniform and shiny.
When the genitals are infected, the typical signs of psoriasis can be misinterpreted as balanitis in men (the lesions on the head of the penis and the foreskin inside) and vulvitis in women (a rash on the labia minora) in women.
The palm-plantar form of this disease manifests as compacted areas, similar to calluses, whose surface is covered by yellow scales that are difficult to remove.
The affected area is cracked and sore. For this form of disease, it is difficult to induce the appearance of terminal membranes and blood shed by scratching.
Nail psoriasis begins with psoriatic thyroid muscular dystrophy, which is one of the main symptoms of this disease and appears earlier than the rash.
In the early stages, the edges of the nails are covered with grooves and small depressions.
As the disease progresses, they spread to the roots, and then the color change is observed. The nails become dull and thick. Due to poor blood circulation, the manifestations of the disease increase.
Epidermal cells accumulate under the nail plate, surrounded by red tissue on all sides, and will fall off after a period of time.
This kind of psoriasis is very dangerous because it increases the sensitivity of the tissues, which in turn increases the possibility of infection. This disease is often mistaken for fungus.
The movement joints of bones (joints) are often affected. They deform and the joint capsule undergoes dystrophic deformation.
Psoriatic arthritis begins with increased joint volume and pain.
The fingers of the hands and feet are most susceptible to this type of psoriasis.
In severe cases, the shoulders and elbows, hip and knee joints, and parts of the spine are exposed to the disease.
Impact on the symptoms of psoriasis staging
The symptoms of psoriasis are directly proportional to the season of the year and the stage of the disease.
The most common is in spring and summer, the activity of this disease is significantly reduced, which is caused by ultraviolet light.
Therefore, due to lack of sunlight during autumn and winter, the disease develops rapidly. Almost no patients experienced aggravation in summer.
Psoriasis is divided into three stages:
- Progressive-It is characterized by the continuous appearance of new rashes, the size of the previously appeared plaques and their surroundings increase, with pink edges, and the affected area is very itchyAnd flaky;
- Fixed-The new rash no longer appears, the old rash no longer grows; the top layer of the skin in the patch area becomes wrinkled;
- Return-The skin will not fall off, the plaques will disappear, leaving behind pigmented areas.
Psoriasis diagnosis
The sooner the disease is detected, the faster the treatment process will begin. Therefore, more obvious results will be obtained.
Due to the specific conditions of the disease, the diagnosis of psoriasis may be limited to a simple examination by a dermatologist.
However, in some cases, difficulties may occur due to implicit or asymptomatic conditions. If the disease does not manifest in any way or does not appear to have features, difficulties will occur. This situation requires further research procedures.
A specific method is used for diagnosis, which involves gradual scraping of papules along the layers.
As a result of this operation, the characteristic signs of psoriasis and other diseases (psoriatic triad) can be distinguished and the final diagnosis can be made:
- Stearin dyeing;
- Terminal membrane (pink epidermal cells);
- Blood Dew (Due to ruptured capillaries, blood drops appear on the surface of the plaque).
If necessary, examine the patient in the form of a sample of diseased tissue.
If you suspect arthritis related to psoriasis, get an X-ray.
If psoriasis is in its early stages, the diagnosis is not difficult: the image of osteoporosis is clearly visible.
In later periods, the joint space narrows, bone-forming tissue erosion, bone sclerosis and periostitis.
If the disease is severe, the joints of the wrist and bones will be damaged, and as a result, the joints will be completely incapable of mobility.
It should be noted that all the tests performed are not only necessary for the final diagnosis, but also necessary for the differentiation from other diseases, which are the same at first glance.
These diseases include: psoriasis, seborrheic eczema, lichen rosacea, atopic dermatitis, lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, etc.