Symptoms and first signs of psoriasis.

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

The most common type of chronic dermatosis, according to statistics, is psoriasis. It is a complex and multifaceted disease of polyetiological origin. For various reasons, a large number of different types have been identified that have their own characteristic signs of psoriasis. The need to distinguish between types based on symptoms arose due to the ambiguous reaction of the skin to medications and other methods of exposure.

Until recently, the disease was not considered 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 their sex and age category. The first symptoms of psoriasis can appear in both babies and adults for no apparent reason. Depending on the type, not only the onset differs, but also the development of the disease, which can be rapid or slow, with a gradual increase in symptoms.

Timely warning of the initial symptoms and signs of psoriasis is the key to effective treatment, this will allow:

• Do not allow the disease to take over large areas of the skin;
• Quickly eliminate external symptoms of the disease and prevent 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 test data.

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

It is important to remember this, since 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

Regardless of whether the disease appeared suddenly and began to develop rapidly or the initial manifestations were gradual, doctors consider the beginning of the formation of papules in various areas of the skin: small scaly nodules of dark pink color, dense to the touch and protruding . above the surface.

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

• In the hands, areas of 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 shape begins to spread from the lower back, the areas of skin under the chest and the shoulder blades.
The first rashes on the skin 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 onset of the disease, damage to the nails of the hands and feet will begin gradually, then the disease will spread to the mucous membranes, and then to the joints.

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

1. Round rashes of different sizes, deep pink or red, with many whitish scales visible. Gradually, although each patient has his own way, the areas of the rash thicken and rise noticeably above the surface of the skin. The rashes form psoriatic plaques, similar to drops on a paraffin candle.
2. Small, dense papules form small clusters on the elbows, palms, and sometimes along the knee and ankle joints. These signs are so insignificant that a person simply does not pay attention to them, mistaking them for a common irritation. It is important to listen to yourself to see if characteristic symptoms of psoriasis have appeared, such as itching and pain to the touch. If the initial symptoms of psoriasis are ignored, individual papules quickly turn into plaques, which are very difficult to get rid of.

Psoriasis can be differentiated from other skin diseases using a triad of characteristic symptoms, these are:

1. "Stearic staining effect". When scraping the surface of the plate, small transparent flakes easily come off.
2. "Terminal film effect". If you remove the exfoliated scales, in their place a thin, shiny surface of the skin, bright in color, will remain.
3. "Bloody dew effect". At the site of the scraping, after a short period of time, microscopic drops of blood appear.

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 based on characteristic symptoms and signs.

Classification

The main division of the disease is carried out into two large groups according to the nature of the skin rashes, these are:

1. Non-pustular forms, which are characterized by their 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 vulgar type of the disease is the most common, occurring in 85% of cases.
   • Psoriatic erythroderma. A dangerous type, which always presents in a serious form and affects the thermoregulatory and barrier capacity of the skin. Most often, erythrodermic psoriasis ends in 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 course can be generalized (distributed over the entire surface of the skin) or localized, mainly in the area of the palms and soles.
   • Generalized Tsumbusha-type psoriasis;
   • Type of annular erythema;
   • Barber palmoplantar type (chronic pustulosis of the extremities);
   • Annular type of pustular psoriasis;
   • Persistent acrodermatitis (psoriasis of soles and palms);
   • Psoriatic herpetiformis impetigo.

This classification system has not yet included types of diseases such as:

• Seborrheic;
• Exudative;
• drug dependent form;
• Inverse psoriasis of the fold and fold surfaces of the skin.

Characteristic signs of different types of psoriasis.

The general symptoms of psoriasis fully characterize only the vulgar form of the disease, which is the most common of all known forms of the disease. A characteristic feature of plaque psoriasis is the places where the first rashes appear, these are:

• Push-ups of arms and legs;
• The boundary between the forehead and the scalp;
• Back of the hands.

teardrop type

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, these are:

• skin folds,
• Lateral surfaces of the body.
• Armpits.

Pustular (exudative) appearance

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 are open doors to infection.

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

Psoriasis of fold surfaces.

The 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 from the surface. This species covers areas with intense sweat glands, such as:

• Bend the joints of the arms and below the knees;
• Armpits and inguinal folds;
• External genitalia;
• The area of skin under the breasts in women.

Most often, this form is complicated by the addition of a fungal or streptococcal infection.

Psoriasic arthritis

One of the most insidious forms of the disease, which is characterized by a long latent course. The patient notices the first symptoms of psoriasis when the damage to the joints is complete. The signs of this type of psoriasis are expressed in pain and swelling of the joints and their subsequent deformation.

Seborrheic appearance

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

Onychodystrophy, nail psoriasis

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