First symptoms and signs of psoriasis

Species-specific signs of psoriasis play a decisive role in diagnosis and treatment.

According to statistics, the most common type of chronic dermatological disease is psoriasis. This is a complex and multifaceted disease of pluralistic origin. For a variety of reasons, a large number of different types have been identified that have characteristic signs of psoriasis. The need to distinguish between types according to symptoms arises due to the unclear reaction of the skin to drugs and other methods of exposure.

Until recently, this disease was considered not dangerous to health and life, until deaths were recorded due to misidentification of cause, type and treatment. In addition, 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. The first symptoms of psoriasis can appear in both infants and adults for no apparent reason. Depending on the type, not only the onset but also the progression of the disease is different, which can be rapid or slow, with gradually increasing symptoms.

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

• Do not let the disease spread on a large scale;
• Quickly eliminates external symptoms of the disease and prevents damage to internal organs;
• Take timely measures to prevent recurrence and prolong the silent period of the disease.

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

Signs are objective test and examination data by which a doctor makes a diagnosis.
For example, pain is simply a symptom, while a skin rash is a sign.

It is important to remember that just feeling the symptoms cannot make an accurate diagnosis, and only a specialist can determine the signs of psoriasis, its type and specific form.

General signs

Regardless of whether the disease appears suddenly and begins to develop rapidly or the initial manifestations are gradual, clinicians consider the beginning of the formation of papules in different areas of the skin - papules. small bumps with dark pink scales, dense to the touch and protruding. on the surface.

The first thing the patient may notice is the formation of a rash in places that are more exposed to friction than others and the skin on them is driest, which are:

• On the hand, palm or elbow area;
• Below the knee;
• In the inguinal fold;
• On both sides of the lower back;
• On the shin;
• On the scalp under the hair.

The location of the lesion directly depends on the form of the disease. Psoriasis usually appears on the elbows, in the form of drops that begin to spread from the lower back, skin under the chest and shoulder blades.
The first rashes on the skin are often difficult to notice, do not form in clusters and do not cause discomfort. But if you do not consult a specialist at this stage and ignore the onset of the disease, damage to the nails and feet will gradually begin, then the disease will spread to the mucous membranes, then to thejoints.

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

1. Round rash of various sizes, dark pink or red, with many white scales. Gradually, although each patient has their own treatment, the rash areas thicken and appear clearly on the skin's surface. The rash forms psoriatic plaques, similar to drops of paraffin candles.
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, confusing them with ordinary discomfort. It's important to listen to yourself to see if typical symptoms of psoriasis appear, such as itching and pain to the touch. If you miss the initial symptoms of psoriasis, single papules will quickly turn into plaques, which are difficult to remove.

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

1. "Stain effect". When scraping the surface of the plaque, small transparent scales easily peel off.
2. "End-to-end movie effects". If you remove the fallen scales, they will be replaced by a thin, shiny skin surface with bright colors.
3. "Bloody mist effect". At the shaving site, after a short time, extremely small drops of blood will appear.

The classification of specific forms of psoriasis is of great importance in identifying the disease. A clear system has not yet been developed; experts distinguish main groups according to characteristic symptoms and signs.

Classify

The main division of the disease is divided into two large groups depending on the nature of the rash on the skin, which are:

1. Form without pustules, characterized by distribution over the entire skin surface, includes types such as:
   • Psoriasis simple (vulgar) or common, is characterized by a stable chronic phase with the development of plaques. The vulgar type is the most common, occurring in 85% of cases.
   • Erythrodermic psoriasis. It is a dangerous type, always occurring at a severe level, affecting the skin's ability to regulate heat and barrier. Quite often, erythrodermic psoriasis ends with pyoderma or sepsis.
2. Pustular form, is characterized by the formation not of pustules, but of pustules - blisters on inflamed skin filled with serous fluid. These forms of the disease can be widespread (distributed over the entire skin surface) or localized, mainly on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet.
   • Generalized psoriasis of Tsumbusha type;
   • Erythema ring type;
   • Barber's palmoplantar type (chronic pustules of the extremities);
   • Annular type of pustular psoriasis;
   • Persistent dermatitis (psoriasis on the soles of the feet and palms);
   • Psoriatic impetigo.

This classification system does not include diseases such as:

• sebum secretion;
• secretion;
• Drug-dependent form;
• Inverse psoriasis on the surface of folds and folds of the skin.

Characteristic signs of different types of psoriasis

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 is the places where the rash first appears, which are:

• Bend arms and legs;
• The border between the forehead and the scalp;
• Back of hand.

teardrop style

The prominent feature of this disease is the formation of single, teardrop-shaped papules. The first signs of guttate psoriasis appear on the thighs and then spread to the entire skin surface. In the 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 places atypical for psoriasis, which are:

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

Appearance of pustules (exudation)

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 papules themselves are very unstable and open to infection.

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

Psoriasis on the surface of the folds

The distinguishing feature of this form is the appearance of manifestations on the skin. The rash appears as large red spots that are not scaly and do not rise above the surface. This species covers areas with strong sweat glands, such as:

• Flex the joints in the arms and below the knees;
• Armpits and inguinal folds;
• external genitalia;
• The skin under the breasts in women.

Most often, this form is complicated by fungal or streptococcal infection.

Psoriatic arthritis

One of the most dangerous forms of the disease, characterized by a long latent period. Patients notice the first symptoms of psoriasis when joint damage has become complete. Signs of this type of psoriasis are manifested by pain, swelling of the joints and their subsequent deformation.

Sebum appears

The localization of this type of rash is initially concentrated on the face, the first signs appear in the area of the nose triangle, behind the ears, along the growing edge of the hair. The deeper distribution goes along the shoulder blades in the back and along the chest. The rash is covered with yellow scales and the border with healthy skin is blurred.

Nail dystrophy, nail psoriasis

This type is almost impossible to treat. The pathology affects only the nail plates, they change color to dark yellow or gray. The structure of the nail becomes thinner and the cuticle becomes inflamed for unknown reasons.

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. In any case, you should not self-medicate or seek help from a healer. The choice of an effective treatment regimen can only be made by an experienced specialist after careful examination.