According to official figures, around 3% of people worldwide suffer from psoriasis. But it must be assumed that the actual number of patients with this type of dermatosis is much higher. Basically, the first signs of such a disease appear at the age of 10-25 years, although diagnosed cases of psoriasis have been recorded both in infants and in the elderly. It is still not clear why it develops, but doctors have information about the initial stage of psoriasis. Therefore, with timely access to specialists, you can successfully stop the progression of the disease in the early stages.
Symptoms of the initial stage
Initially, small round papules begin to appear on the patient's skin, the size of which, as a rule, does not exceed the diameter of a pinhead. These formations have a smooth, shiny surface and clear outlines, but literally after a few days they begin to peel off. The resulting scales are silvery white and can be easily removed from the surface of the papule. Over time, the number and size of the elements of the rash increase, and the disease progresses to a progressive stage.
Most papules are reddish or pink in color, although in some situations they turn bluish. This is observed when the main elements of a rash on the legs are formed. Depending on the type of disease, the initial stage of psoriasis occurs on the elbows (extensor surfaces), knees, body, limbs or scalp.
If you remove all the scales from the button, you will find an absolutely smooth shiny surface underneath - the terminal film. But with further scratching, it quickly gets damaged, and the smallest drops of blood begin to appear.
Thus, psoriasis is characterized by three specific phenomena:
- stearin stain- increased peeling when removing scales;
- psoriatic film- exfoliation of the thinnest layer of the skin;
- blood dew- the appearance of fine drops of blood after scratching.
But it's much easier to see what the initial stage of psoriasis looks like in a photo.
Despite all the advances in medicine, no cure has been developed today to completely cure psoriasis. This disease is characterized by a wavy course, therefore, not only those who encountered such a disease for the first time, but also those who have lived with it for many years go through the initial phase of its development.
I want to stress that there is no cure for psoriasis. With the help of modern drugs, physiotherapy procedures and other methods of therapy, you can "drive" the disease into a state of stable remission, and perhaps even forget about it for several years. But this does not mean that under an unfavorable combination of circumstances, the patient will again not notice the characteristic rashes that manifest the initial stage of psoriasis on the hands and other parts of the body.
How do you understand if psoriasis is progressing?
The passage of psoriasis to the second or progressive stage is evidenced by the growth and fusion of previously unique papules, as well as the addition of itching that has not been present before. In addition, the nature of the coat also changes. Now it is observed only in the center of the formations, and their edges remain free of scales. This quite clearly indicates the growth of the elements.
To confirm the transition from psoriasis to the second stage, you can use some kind of test. Its essence consists of minor damage to the skin of the affected area. If after about a week a psoriatic element of the same shape as the injury forms in the same place, this clearly indicates the progression of the disease. In the specialized literature, such a test is described as a symptom of Kebner. Moreover, this is observed even with the banal combing of the affected skin.
In some cases, patients suffer from exudative psoriasis. It is characterized by the release of a special fluid. The scales are impregnated with it, as a result of which they turn into dense crusts. If any of these scabs are removed or damaged, the oozing skin area is exposed.