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 of the time, 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 begin with lesions in small areas of the skin, often in the folds of the extremities or the scalp. Therefore, many patients may not notice the first manifestations. Does psoriasis itch on the skin? In fact, one of the signs of psoriasis is itching. Also, at first a person can only feel 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. Plaques are enlarged, inflamed areas of red skin that protrude from the surface of healthy skin and are covered with a layer of whitish scales. Plaque can be painful, itchy, crack, and bleed.
PsoriasisSigns
Manifestations of psoriasis on the skin and nails.
Leather
- Inflamed plaques with redness.
- The plates are usually covered with whitish scales.
- The plaques can be painful and itchy.
- Sometimes they crack and bleed.
- Scattered plaques may appear on the scalp.
- The plaques can grow and fuse 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
- 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 can peel off and peel off. The skin under such a broken nail is thickened due to the formation of a 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 affecting 90% of patients. The itchiness caused by psoriasis is different from that caused by other skin conditions. The itching in psoriasis can be very intense and even occur in those areas of the skin where there are no visible plaques. Scratching of the skin as a result of itching in psoriasis can lead to the appearance of new rashes as a result of mechanical trauma to the skin.
The appearance of cracks on the skin and bleeding with psoriasis.
Psoriatic plaques can appear anywhere on the skin. Sometimes they crack when the skin gets too dry on the plaque. As the plaque increases, the cracks expand. As they grow, 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 begin to bleed.
The first symptoms of psoriasis can occur anywhere, but most of the time, the skin begins to crack and bleed. Location of demonstrations:
- elbows
- knees
- brushes
- Palms and soles.
Pustules with psoriasis
Pustules with a white or yellowish liquid inside, which appear on 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. It can cause serious complications, requiring urgent complex treatment and referral to a specialist.
How are pustules formed? How does pustular psoriasis start?
- First, with pustular psoriasis, plaques form, made up of dry, red skin that is painful to the touch.
- Then pus-filled pustules form on the plaques.
- The pustules quickly fuse together, forming large blisters.
- They then dry off and peel off, leaving dry skin underneath, on which they may soon reappear.
Teardrop shaped plates for psoriasis
Small reddish or pinkish scaly nodules (patches of skin that look like drops) are a distinguishing symptom of tear-shaped psoriasis. A patient can experience anywhere from a couple to hundreds of teardrop elements. Nodules anywhere on the skin, but they occur most often in:
- back;
- stomach;
- back;
- hands;
- legs;
- scalp;
- ears;
- face.
Guttate psoriasis symptoms develop fairly quickly, over several days. Teardrop-shaped plaques are sometimes itchy in psoriasis. These items are generally small, no more than 10mm wide.
Tear-shaped psoriasis often appears after an infection, mainly of the respiratory tract.
Pain with psoriasis
Pain in the projection of a rash occurs when the skin is damaged and cracked as a result of excessive thickening caused by inflammation and the rampant growth of keratinocytes. As a result, the nerve endings in the dermis become irritated and send a pain signal to the brain.
But pain appears not only 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 sensitivity to pain, therefore, pain in patients with the same disease picture can cause a different reaction.
42% of patients complain of pain in the projection of the lesions caused by psoriasis. To a greater extent, this symptom is common among:
- woman;
- the elderly;
- patients with severe psoriasis;
- patients who have had psoriasis for a long time;
- patients with concomitant psoriasis.
Peeling (dandruff) with psoriasis
Scalp psoriasis plaques are hidden and may not be visible. However, as with other areas of the body, psoriatic plaques shed and form flakes similar to dandruff. Do not confuse psoriatic flaking with dandruff, as dandruff is caused by a fungal infection and psoriasis is caused by inflammation. Therefore, these symptoms must be treated in different ways.
Like other symptoms of psoriasis, flaking occurs during exacerbation and disappears during remission. The exacerbation of psoriasis of the scalp appears for several reasons:
- Cold weather;
- dry air;
- stress.
Discuss what to do when flaking and inflammation occurs in psoriasis.
Nail changes with psoriasis.
- Half of psoriasis patients develop nail psoriasis, and in psoriatic arthritis patients, this symptom occurs in 80% of cases. As a rule, the defeat of the nail plates precedes the development of psoriatic arthritis.
- Nail psoriasis usually accompanies other types of skin psoriasis. Only 5-10% of patients with nail psoriasis do not have skin lesions.
- Nail psoriasis occurs in different patients, regardless of age, sex, or duration of disease.
- The changes can affect all or part of the nail plate. They appear both on one and on several nail plates, and more often on the hands.
- Nail psoriasis often accompanies common (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.
- Depressions and thimble-shaped stripes appear on the nail.
- With the progression of the psoriatic process, the nail begins to deteriorate and is finally rejected, losing its connection with the nail bed.
- Damage to the nail causes unpleasant and painful sensations that significantly reduce the quality of life.