Symptoms and first signs of psoriasis

Characteristic signs of specific species of psoriasis 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 according to symptoms arose due to the unclear reaction of the skin to drugs 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 the wrong identification of the cause, type and treatment. Moreover, a person can be simultaneously affected 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 category. The first symptoms of psoriasis can appear in both babies and adults for no apparent reason. Depending on the type, not only the onset, but also the development of the disease varies; it can be fast or slow, with a gradual increase in symptoms.

Timely notification of the initial symptoms and signs of psoriasis is the key to the effectiveness of the treatment, this will allow:

• Do not allow the disease to involve large areas of the skin;
• Quickly eliminate the external symptoms of the disease and prevent damage to internal organs;
• Take measures in time to prevent the recurrence and extension of quiet periods of the disease.

The terms "symptom" and "sign", although similar in meaning, have significant differences. Symptoms are subjective feelings of a person, which can be confirmed or contradicted by examination data.

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

This is important to remember, since by feeling only the symptoms it is impossible to make an accurate 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 in various areas of the skin - small nodules with dark pink scales, dense to the touch and elongated. above the surface.

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

• On the hands, areas on the palms or elbows;
• Below the knees;
• In the inguinal folds;
• On the sides of the lower back;
• On foot;
• 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 tear type begins to spread from the lower back, areas of the skin under the chest and shoulder blades.
The first rashes on the skin are usually barely visible, do not form clusters and do not cause any discomfort. But if you do not consult a specialist at this stage and ignore the onset of the disease, the damage to the nails on the hands and feet will gradually begin, then the disease will spread to the mucous membrane and then spread to the joints.

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

1. Round rashes of various sizes, pink or deep red in color, with many visible white scales. Gradually, although each patient has his own way, the areas of redness thicken and rise visibly above the surface of the skin. The 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 joints and ankles. These signs are so insignificant that a person simply does not pay attention to them, confusing them with ordinary irritation. It is important to listen to yourself to see if the characteristic symptoms of psoriasis, such as itching and pain to the touch, have appeared. If you miss the initial symptoms of psoriasis, then the single papules quickly turn into plaques, which are very difficult to get rid of.

You can distinguish psoriasis from other skin diseases using a trio of characteristic symptoms, these are:

1. "The stearic stain effect". When you scratch the surface of the plaque, small transparent scales are easily removed.
2. "The Terminal Movie Effect". If you remove the exfoliated scales, in their place there will be a thin shiny surface of bright colored skin.
3. "Blood Dew Effect". At the scratch site, microscopic drops 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 symptoms and characteristic signs.

Distribution

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

1. Non-pustular form, which are characterized by distribution over the entire surface of the skin, including such types 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, appearing in 85% of cases.
   • Psoriatic erythroderma. A dangerous type, always appearing in a severe form, that affects the thermoregulatory and barrier abilities of the skin. Very often, erythrodermic psoriasis ends in pyoderma or sepsis.
2. Pustular forms, which are characterized by the formation not of papules, but of pustules - inflamed skin blisters 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 area of the palms and soles.
   • Generalized psoriasis of the Tsumbusha type;
   • Erythema ring type;
   • Palmoplantar type of Berber (chronic pustulosis of the extremities);
   • Annular type of pustular psoriasis;
   • Persistent acrodermatitis (psoriasis of the soles and palms);
   • Psoriatic herpetiform impetigo.

This classification system has not yet included such types of diseases 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 feature of plaque psoriasis are the places where the first rashes appear, these are:

• Bends in arms and legs;
• The border between the forehead and the scalp;
• The back of the hands.

kind of tear

A distinctive feature of this type of disease is the formation of single papules, shaped like a point. The first signs of guttate psoriasis appear on the thigh 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 atypical places for psoriasis, these are:

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

Pustular appearance (exudative).

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 non-infectious serous fluid. The skin around the papules is always inflamed, and the blisters themselves are very unstable and open to infection.

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

Psoriasis of the folded surfaces

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 rise above the surface. This species covers areas with intense sweat glands, such as:

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

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

Psoriatic arthritis

One of the most insidious forms of the disease, which is characterized by a long latent course. The patient notices the first symptoms of psoriasis when the joint damage has become total. The 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 area of the nasolabial triangle, behind the ears, along the edge of hair growth. Further distribution goes along the shoulder blades to the back and along the chest. The rashes are covered with yellow scales, and the borders with healthy skin are blurred.

Onychodystrophy, nail psoriasis

This type is almost untreatable. The pathology affects exclusively the nail plates, which change their 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 only 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 choice of an effective treatment regimen can only be carried out by an experienced specialist after a careful examination.