Psoriasis is a long-term and practically incurable, non-contagious disease. It mainly affects the skin, nails and joints. Psoriasis can occur in a person of any age, even in children.
There are several theories about the cause of psoriasis:
- Theory of neurogenic disorders;
- Theory of problems in the endocrine system;
- Theory of viral disorders or theory of metabolic disorders.
But none of these theories has been practically scientifically proven. To date, scientists have concluded that the onset of the disease is influenced by a person’s inheritance or genetic predisposition to pathological changes in skin cells.
These cells form in the basal layer and, reaching the outer layer of the cornea, form scales. The genetic factor confirms the presence of the disease in relatives. In other words: if your relatives suffer from psoriasis, then it can appear in you or your children.
Factors influencing the occurrence of psoriasis
The following factors affect the occurrence of psoriasis:
- Nerve disorders;
- Mental and physical shock, body overload;
- Diseases of the endocrine system;
- Biochemical and enzymatic disorders;
- Hypothermia of the body;
- Decreased immunity.
It is difficult to identify and confirm what caused this disease. They often say that the disease appeared for no apparent reason.
What kind of disease is psoriasis: how does it appear?
With this disease, papules and plaques appear on the skin. The plaques are severely dotted, compressed spots on the skin with a pink or reddish tinge with small light scales. Tiles have different shapes, but most often they are round or oval. They can be located anywhere on the human body, but are most often seen in large joints, in the sacrum and in the lower back, under the hair on the head.
Psoriatic papules are characterized by a rapid growth with the formation of plaques of several centimeters, which then merge into large skin lesions.
How is psoriasis diagnosed?
The following indicators are important for the diagnosis:
- If you try to scratch the papule, the scales are easily sprayed, a "stearin stain" is formed.
- A glossy reddish surface appears on the skin - the terminal film of the stain;
- If you continue to scratch the stain, then on its surface appears bleeding spot - "blood dew".
Stages of psoriasis
The following stages of development are characteristic of disease-related rashes:
- Progressive stage (appearance of small papules, which grow over time and merge into larger ones);
- Stationary phase (plates grow and do not change for a certain period of time);
- Regressive phase (redness fades, becomes thinner and disappears from the skin surface).
Depending on the condition of the body, the disease can last for a very long time.
For the first stage of redness, the Kebner effect is characteristic: new psoriatic lesions appear at the site of the damaged skin after about a week.
During the period of skin remission in the area of the elbow or knee joints, isolated plaques may remain, the so-called "task".
Types of psoriasis
There are several types of disease:
- Exudative form: with it is expressed the swelling and brightness of the papules with yellow crust on their surface;
- Follicular form: small papules located in the follicular area of the follicle;
- Palmar-plantar form of psoriasis: with it, the skin of the feet and palms is covered with cracks and scales, psoriatic plaques are visible on them;
- Seborrheic psoriasis: localized mainly on the scalp;
- Psoriatic erythroderma. In this form, the disease is very severe, the entire surface of the skin is affected by psoriasis, peripheral lymph nodes grow, fever, itching, sleep disturbances appear, changes in blood and urine are observed;
- Arthropathic psoriasis: affects and deforms the joints, restricting movement in them. It is characterized by severe pain and swelling in the affected wrist area. This is a very painful form of psoriasis that often results in disability.
In all forms of psoriasis, a change is noticed in the nails: they become cloudy, thicken and small spots appear on them, as if they had been pierced with a needle.
The disease lasts for many years with periods of deterioration and improvement of health, characterized by seasonality: irritation in the cold and remission in the warm season.
Treatment of psoriasis
Psoriasis should be treated under the supervision of a doctor in the dermatology department. Treatment is prescribed by optimally combining therapeutic drugs with ointments and physiotherapy, as well as limiting animal fats and carbohydrates in food, alcohol and spicy foods.
Patients should be under the supervision of a physician and need annual spa treatment. With psoriasis, it is recommended to visit radon sources and hydrogen sulfide baths, swim in the sea and sunbathe.