The most common symptom of psoriasis is the formation of psoriatic plaques, which form from inflamed areas of the skin. However, the disease can manifest itself not only on the skin. We understand how psoriasis starts, how it progresses, and what the signs of psoriasis are.
Most often, the first symptoms of psoriasis appear at a young age, but psoriasis can overtake a person even in old age. The first symptoms of psoriasis can be subtle: the disease can start with lesions on small areas of the skin, often on the folds of the limbs or scalp. Therefore, many patients may not notice the first manifestations. Is psoriasis skin itchy? This is because one of the signs of psoriasis is itching. In addition, at first a person may feel only itching and tightness, and only then do 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 discomfort. However, modern medicine can effectively contain the manifestations of the disease. New drugs for psoriasis, developed in the 21st century, in particular, genetically modified biological drugs (GIBP), allow you to completely get rid of the manifestations of the disease and lead a productive life.
What is psoriatic plaque?
Psoriatic plaques are the most common symptom of psoriasis. Patches are enlarged, inflamed areas of red skin that protrude from the surface of healthy skin and are covered with a layer of whitish scales. The plaque can be painful, itchy, cracked, and bleed.
Psoriasis. Panels
Manifestations of psoriasis on the skin and nails
Leather
- Inflamed plaques with redness.
- The plaques are often covered with whitish scales.
- The plaques can be painful and itchy.
- Sometimes they crack and bleed.
- Scattered patches may appear on the scalp.
- The plaques can grow and merge with each other, covering a large area of the skin. In severe cases, the entire skin is a large plaque. This condition is called erythroderma.
Nails
- The nails change color or depressions, dots or stripes appear on the nail plates.
- Over time, the nail thickens and changes color to grayish, yellow or brown. It can collapse and bleed.
- The nail may flake and peel off. The skin under such a torn nail is thickened due to the formation of psoriatic plaque here.
The most common symptoms of psoriasis
Itching and bleeding with psoriasis
Itching and burning of the skin are common symptoms of psoriasis that affect 90% of patients. Itching caused by psoriasis is different from itching caused by other skin conditions. The itching in psoriasis can be very intense and even occurs on areas of the skin where there are no visible plaques. The scratching of the skin resulting from itching in psoriasis can cause new rashes to appear as a result of mechanical trauma to the skin.
The appearance of cracks in the skin and bleeding with psoriasis
Psoriatic plaques can appear anywhere on the skin. Sometimes they crack when the skin gets very dry on the plaque. As the plaque increases, the cracks expand. As they grow larger, they can penetrate deeper into the dermis - the layer of skin in which the capillaries are located. Then the capillaries are damaged and burst, and the plaques start to bleed.
The first symptoms of psoriasis can occur anywhere, but more often the skin begins to crack and bleed. Location of events:
- elbows;
- knees;
- brushes;
- palms and soles.
Pustules with psoriasis
Pustules with white or yellowish liquid inside, appearing on psoriatic plaques, are the main symptom of pustular psoriasis. It is a rare form of psoriasis, and only 2% of patients develop pustules. Pustular psoriasis is a very dangerous disease. It can lead to serious complications, so it requires urgent complex treatment and referral to a specialist.
How do pustules form? How does pustular psoriasis start?
- First, with pustular psoriasis, plaques form, formed by dry, reddened skin that is painful to the touch.
- Then pus-filled pustules form on the plaques.
- The pustules quickly coalesce with each other, forming large blisters.
- Then they dry out and peel off, leaving a dry skin underneath, on which they can soon reappear.
Teardrop plaques for psoriasis
Small reddish or pinkish scaly nodules - patches of skin that look like drips - are a symptom that distinguishes guttate psoriasis. A patient can feel from a few to hundreds of teardrop shaped elements. Lump anywhere on the skin, but most commonly occurs on:
- shoulders;
- stomach;
- return;
- hands;
- legs;
- scalp;
- ears;
- face.
Symptoms of guttate psoriasis develop fairly quickly, over several days. Sometimes the teardrop-shaped plaques are itchy in psoriasis. Usually these elements are small, no more than 10mm in width.
Often, guttate psoriasis flares up after infection, mostly in the respiratory tract.
Pain with psoriasis
The pain in showing a rash occurs when the skin is damaged and cracked as a result of excessive thickening caused by inflammation and runaway growth of keratinocytes. As a result, the nerve endings in the dermis become irritated and send a pain signal to the brain.
But pain doesn't just appear due to mechanical damage to the skin: the inflammation that occurs in the body with psoriasis affects the way the brain perceives pain. In addition, each person has an individual threshold of pain sensitivity. Therefore, pain in patients with the same picture of the disease may cause a different reaction.
42% of patients complain of pain in the projection of lesions caused by psoriasis. To a greater extent, this symptom is common in:
- women;
- the elderly;
- patients with severe psoriasis;
- patients who have suffered from psoriasis for a long time;
- patients with concomitant psoriasis.
Peeling (dandruff) with psoriasis
Scalp psoriasis patches are hidden and may not be visible. However, as with other parts of the body, psoriatic plaques peel off, forming dandruff-like scales. Do not confuse psoriatic peeling 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, peeling occurs during exacerbation and goes away during remission. Scalp psoriasis exacerbation appears for various reasons:
- cold temperature;
- dry air;
- stress.
Discuss what to do about scaling and inflammation in psoriasis
Changes in the nails with psoriasis
- Half of patients with psoriasis develop psoriasis of the nails, 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.
- Usually, nail psoriasis accompanies other types of psoriasis on the skin. Only 5-10% of patients with nail psoriasis do not have lesions on the skin.
- Psoriasis of the nails occurs in different patients, regardless of their age, gender or the duration of the disease.
- The changes can affect all or part of the nail plate. They appear both on one and more nail plates, and more often on the hands.
- Psoriasis of the nails usually accompanies ordinary (vulgar) psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis.
- Psoriasis affects the condition of the nails in different ways. They can grow faster or get thicker. The nail plate often turns white, yellow or brown.
- Thimble-like depressions and stripes appear on the nail.
- With the progression of the psoriatic process, the nail begins to deteriorate and is ultimately rejected, losing its connection with the nail bed.
- Damage to the nail causes unpleasant and painful sensations that significantly reduce the quality of life.