Symptoms and first signs of psoriasis

The characteristic signs of psoriasis, specific to each species, play a decisive role in diagnosis and treatment.

According to statistics, the most common type of chronic dermatosis is psoriasis. It is a complex and multifaceted disease of polyetiological origin. For various reasons, a large number of different types have been identified, presenting their own characteristic signs of psoriasis. The need to distinguish types by symptoms arose from the ambiguous 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 incorrect identification of the 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 category. 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 course of the disease differs: it can be fast or slow, with a gradual increase in symptoms.

Rapid detection of the first symptoms and signs of psoriasis is the key to the effectiveness of treatment, this will allow:

• Do not allow the disease to invade large areas of the skin;
• Quickly eliminates external symptoms of the disease and prevents damage to internal organs;
• Take timely measures to prevent relapses and prolong calm periods 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 examination data.

Signs are objective examination and examination data with which the doctor makes a diagnosis.
For example, pain is purely a symptom, while rash is a sign.

It is important to remember that by feeling only the symptoms, it is impossible to make a correct diagnosis and only a specialist can determine the signs of psoriasis, its specific type and form.

General signs

Whether the disease appeared suddenly and began to develop rapidly or the initial manifestations were gradual, clinicians consider the beginning of the formation of papules in various areas of the skin - small scaly nodules of dark pink color, dense at thetouch and protruding. above the surface.

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

• On the hands, areas at the palms or elbows;
• Below the knees;
• In the inguinal folds;
• On the 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 vulgaris prefers to appear on the elbows and the teardrop type begins to spread from the lower back, areas of skin under the chest and shoulder blades.
The first rashes are usually barely noticeable, do not form clusters and do not cause any discomfort. But if you do not consult a specialist at this stage and ignore the appearance of the disease, damage to the nails of the fingers and toes will begin gradually, and then the disease will spread to the mucous membranes, and then to the joints.

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

1. Round rashes of various sizes, dark pink or red in color, with numerous visible whitish scales. Gradually, although each patient has his own way, the areas of the rash thicken and noticeably rise 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 symptoms characteristic of psoriasis have appeared, such as itching and pain when touched. If you miss the first symptoms of psoriasis, single papules quickly turn into plaques, which are very difficult to get rid of.

You can differentiate psoriasis from other skin diseases using a triad of characteristic symptoms, namely:

1. "Stearic stain effect". When you scratch the surface of the plaque, small transparent scales easily come off.
2. "Terminal film effect". If you remove the exfoliated scales, in their place there will be a thin shiny surface of the skin, bright in color.
3. "Bloody dew effect". At the scratching site, microscopic droplets 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 characteristic symptoms and signs.

Classification

The main division of the disease falls into two large groups depending on the nature of the rashes, namely:

1. Non-pustular forms, which are characterized by distribution over the entire surface of the skin, including types such as:
   • Simple (vulgar) or ordinary psoriasis, characterized by a stable chronic course with the development of plaques. The common type of the disease is the most common, occurring in 85% of cases.
   • Psoriatic erythroderma. A dangerous type, always presenting in a severe form, affecting the thermoregulatory and barrier capacities of the skin. Very often, erythrodermic psoriasis ends with pyoderma or sepsis.
2. Pustular forms, which are characterized by the formation not of papules, but of pustules - blisters of inflamed skin filled with serological fluid. These forms of the disease in their evolution can be generalized (distributed over the entire surface of the skin) or localized, mainly on the palms and soles.
   • Generalized Tsumbusha type psoriasis;
   • Annular erythema type;
   • Barber palmoplantar type (chronic pustulosis of the extremities);
   • Anular type of pustular psoriasis;
   • Persistent acrodermatitis (psoriasis of the soles and palms);
   • Psoriatic impetigo herpetiformis.

This classification system does not yet include disease types such as:

• Seborrheic;
• Exudative;
• Drug-dependent form;
• Inverse psoriasis of the surfaces of the folds and folds of the skin.

Characteristic signs of different types of psoriasis

General symptoms of psoriasis fully characterize only the common 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, namely:

• Bends over arms and legs;
• The border between the forehead and the scalp;
• Backs of the hands.

type of tear

A distinctive feature of this type of disease is the formation of single, drop-shaped papules. The first signs of guttate psoriasis appear on the thighs 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 of psoriasis, namely:

• 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 serous fluid of a non-infectious nature. The skin around the papules is always inflamed, and the blisters themselves are very unstable and open doors for infection.

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

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

• Bend the joints of the arms and under the knees;
• Armpits and inguinal folds;
• External genitalia;
• The area of skin under the breasts 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, characterized by a long latent course. The patient notices the first symptoms of psoriasis when the joint damage has become complete. Signs of this type of psoriasis are pain and swelling of the joints, as well as their subsequent deformation.

Seborrheic appearance

The localization of rashes of this type is initially concentrated on the face, the first signs appear in the nasolabial triangle, behind the ears, along the edge of hair growth. Further distribution is along the shoulder blades of the back and along the chest. The rashes are covered with yellowish scales and the boundaries of healthy skin are blurred.

Onychodystrophy, nail psoriasis

This guy is almost incurable. The pathology affects exclusively the nail plates, which change color to dark yellow or gray. The structure of the nails 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. In no case should you self-medicate or turn to healers. The selection of an effective treatment regimen can only be carried out by an experienced specialist after careful examination.