The most common symptom of psoriasis is the formation of psoriatic plaques that form on inflamed areas of the skin. However, the disease can manifest itself not only on the skin. We understand how psoriasis begins, how it progresses, and what the symptoms of psoriasis are.
The first signs of psoriasis often appear at a young age, but psoriasis can affect a person even in old age. The first symptoms of psoriasis can be subtle: the disease can begin with lesions in small areas of skin, often in the folds of the extremities or scalp. Therefore, many patients do not notice the first manifestations. Is psoriasis itchy skin? Indeed, one of the symptoms of psoriasis is itching. In addition, at first a person may feel only itching and tightness, and only then red spots begin to appear on the skin.
The course of psoriasis greatly affects the quality of human life. Many patients experience not only physical but also psychological distress. However, modern medicine can effectively contain the manifestations of the disease. New drugs against psoriasis, developed in the 21st century, especially genetically engineered biological drugs (GIBP), allow you to completely get rid of the disease and lead a productive life.
What is a psoriatic plaque?
Psoriatic plaques are the most common symptom of psoriasis. Plaques are enlarged, inflamed areas of red skin that rise above the surface of healthy skin and are covered with a layer of whitish scales. The plaque may be painful, itchy, cracked, and bleeding.
Psoriasis. Symbols
Psoriasis on the skin and nails
Leather
- Inflammatory plaques with redness.
- The boards are often covered with whitish coins.
- Plaques can be painful and itchy.
- Sometimes they crack and bleed.
- Scattered plaques may appear on the scalp.
- The plaques can grow and coalesce over a large area of skin. In severe cases, the whole skin is a large plaque. This condition is called erythroderma.
Nails
- Nails change color or depressions, dots or streaks appear on nail plates.
- Over time, the nail thickens and changes color to grayish, yellow or brown. It can collapse and bleed.
- The nail is peeled and peeled. The skin under such a torn nail thickens due to the formation of psoriatic plaques.
The most common symptoms of psoriasis
Itching and bleeding with psoriasis
Itching and burning of the skin are common symptoms of psoriasis that bother 90% of patients. The itching caused by psoriasis is different from the itching caused by other skin diseases. In psoriasis, the itching can be severe and can occur even in areas where there are no visible plaques on the skin. Itching of the skin caused by itching in psoriasis can cause new rashes as a result of mechanical damage to the skin.
Appearance of cracks in the skin and bleeding with psoriasis
Psoriatic plaques can appear anywhere on the skin. Sometimes the skin cracks on the board as it dries too much. As the plaque grows, the cracks widen. As they grow, they can penetrate deeper into the dermis - the layer of skin where the capillaries are located. Then the capillaries are damaged and explode, and the plaques begin to bleed.
The first signs of psoriasis can occur anywhere, but more often the skin begins to crack and bleed. Location of manifestations:
- elbows;
- knees;
- brushes;
- palms and feet.
Pustules with psoriasis
Pustules with white or yellowish fluid inside visible in psoriatic plaques are the main symptom of pustular psoriasis. This is a rare form of psoriasis and only 2% of patients develop pustules. Pustular psoriasis is a very dangerous condition. This can lead to serious complications, so it requires urgent complex treatment and consultation with a specialist.
How do pustules form? How does pustular psoriasis start?
- First, with pustular psoriasis, plaques form on dry, reddened skin that are painful to the touch.
- Then pus-filled pus forms on the plaques.
- The pustules rapidly coalesce to form large blisters.
- Then they dry and are removed, leaving dry skin underneath and may soon reappear.
Tear boards for psoriasis
Small reddish or pink scaly nodules - droplet-like skin spots - are a hallmark of tearful psoriasis. The patient may encounter several to hundreds of tear-shaped elements. Knots can occur anywhere on the skin, but most often in the following:
- shoulders;
- stomach;
- back;
- hands;
- legs;
- scalp;
- ears;
- face.
Symptoms of guttate psoriasis develop very quickly within a few days. Sometimes tear-shaped plaques cause itching in psoriasis. Such elements are usually small, no more than 10 mm wide.
Often, tearful psoriasis flares up, mainly after an infection in the respiratory tract.
Pain with psoriasis
Pain in the projection of the rash occurs when the skin is damaged and cracked as a result of excessive thickening caused by inflammation and expansion of keratinocytes. As a result, nerve endings in the dermis become irritated and send pain signals to the brain.
However, the pain is not only due to mechanical damage to the skin: the inflammation that occurs in the body with psoriasis affects how the brain perceives pain. In addition, each person has an individual threshold for pain sensitivity, so pain may cause a different reaction in patients with the same picture of the disease.
42% of patients complain of pain in the projection of lesions caused by psoriasis. This symptom is more common among:
- women;
- older people;
- severe psoriasis patients;
- patients with long-term psoriasis;
- patients with concomitant psoriasis.
Peeling with psoriasis (dandruff).
Scalp psoriasis plaques are hidden and may not be visible. However, as in other parts of the body, psoriatic plaques shed and form dandruff-like scales. Do not confuse psoriatic peel with dandruff, as dandruff is caused by a fungal infection and psoriasis is caused by inflammation. Therefore, these symptoms need to be treated in different ways.
Like other symptoms of psoriasis, itching occurs during exacerbation and disappears in remission. Exacerbation of psoriasis of the scalp appears for various reasons:
- cold weather;
- dry air;
- stress.
Explain what to do when scaling and inflammation occur in psoriasis
Changes in nails with psoriasis
- Half of patients with psoriasis develop nail psoriasis, and in patients with psoriatic arthritis, this symptom occurs in 80% of cases. As a rule, the defeat of the nail plates precedes the development of psoriatic arthritis.
- Typically, nail psoriasis accompanies other types of psoriasis on the skin. Only 5-10% of patients with nail psoriasis do not have skin lesions.
- Psoriasis of the nails occurs in different patients, regardless of age, sex and duration of the disease.
- Changes can affect all or part of the nail plate. They appear on both one and several nail plates and more often on the hands.
- Psoriasis of the nails is usually accompanied by ordinary (vulgar) psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis.
- Psoriasis affects the condition of the nails in different ways. They can grow faster or thicker. The nail plate is often white, yellow or brown.
- Nail-type depressions and streaks appear on the nail.
- With the development of the psoriatic process, the nail begins to deteriorate, and as a result, it loses contact with the nail bed and is rejected.
- Damage to the nail causes unpleasant and painful feelings, which significantly reduces the quality of life.