A chronic disease lasts a long time, sometimes for years: the almost complete disappearance of signs of pathology can be replaced by a period of relapse, and then the body is covered again with a rash. These are the characteristic symptoms of skin psoriasis. It is necessary to know everything about the disease, including what psoriasis looks like in the initial phase, since the rapid detection and treatment of the disease depends on it.
Causes of the disease
The main factors in the development of the disease are a genetic predisposition transmitted by parents and close relatives, and a weakened immune system, which cannot cope with its functions.
This is a non-infectious skin lesion, so don't be afraid of getting infected through close contact with sick people. Another thing is when an ailment that causes unpleasant, painful and itchy sensations is accompanied by scratching. Through microscopic wounds and damage to the epidermis, any infection quickly enters the bloodstream and the person becomes infected.
In medicine, many causes are known that can lead to disease:
- Pathologies of the endocrine organs, which involve hormonal changes;
- Habitual stresses, strong experiences, and shocks cause the same disturbances;
- Inadequate diet, lack of nutrients, minerals and vitamins can cause psoriasis;
- Low immunity, weakened by bad habits, vitamin D3 and silicon deficiency, nervous shocks, frequent colds and hypothermia;
- Unfavorable climate and living conditions;
- Violation of metabolic processes, in particular, in the layers of the skin, due to what exactly gets the hit of the disease in the form of an itchy rash.
Medications that are taken can also cause abnormalities; if they have a long course and a strong effect, the immune reaction of the body to allergens can be an aggravating factor. And of course, the onset of psoriasis is often associated with previous infections that were not completely cured or had serious complications.
The defeat of the disease is local and general in nature, when the human body represents a continuous crust of fused sores. In this regard, it is worth considering the stages of psoriasis, as they differ in their course and symptoms.
Types of disease by the nature of the course.
The disease develops cyclically - this is a gradual change and an increase in typical symptoms.
There are three main stages:
- Progressive psoriasisThey are two main stages. During the first, a characteristic rash actively develops, causing the patient an unpleasant burning sensation, pain and severe itching. As a result, normal appetite, sleep is disrupted, a person at this time is prone to irritability, depression and neuroses. The second stage is remission, restoration of the appearance and normal state of the epidermis, the pigmentation spots remain in place of psoriatic sores, slightly darker than the normal color of the skin. The progressive stage is a typical clinical picture of a chronic disease. When there is no treatment, the rehabilitation periods are short and very soon an exacerbation of the pathology can be expected again;
- Stationary stage of psoriasis- this is a stable condition of the patient, when the symptoms do not disappear, but new papules do not appear either. At the same time, the growth of existing spots, which actively begin to peel off, temporarily stops. The patient hopes that after exfoliation the red plaques that rise above the skin will heal and disappear, but this does not happen; after a stratum corneum another appears and so on ad infinitum. At least during the stationary stage of psoriasis, the patient does not feel excruciatingly itchy, leading to scratching and insomnia;
- The last stage- the regression period. Over a period of time, a gradual decrease in the plaque-like scab occurs, the sores heal, clean areas of the epidermis appear between them, until the rash completely disappears, leaving only the residual pigmentation of the painful areas.
Psoriasis has a long course. In some patients, complications occur more frequently in winter and autumn, in others, the sun's rays affect the deterioration of the condition, however, there is a variant of exacerbations out of season, when a relapse can occur at any time ofthe year. In general, there are several cases of disease progression during the year.
To understand how psoriasis begins, it is worth considering its main symptoms.
Initial stage: characteristic manifestations.
Pathology almost always occurs suddenly, for no apparent reason, although of course they do exist. The impetus can be a cold, stress at work, mild food poisoning, or an allergic reaction.
Many are interested in how psoriasis manifests itself, because at first a person may mistake small reddish nodules scattered on different parts of the body for an allergic rash. And if it is a pustular appearance, then small bubbles with pus appear on the epidermis, which can easily be mistaken for hives. Also, in some cases, the initial stage is accompanied by itching. Therefore, the question whether psoriasis itches in the initial stage, with this type of skin lesion, can be answered in the affirmative.
The main feature of the rash is a flat, slightly raised, pink or red nodule; This inflammation has a superficial layer in which small plates of dry scales and corneas are located. Close examination shows that the stratum corneum is initially at the very center of the inflammatory focus and then grows over the entire surface of the plaque.
The location of the rash is varied: these are the inner and outer folds of the knee, the elbow joints, the entire surface of the lower and upper extremities, the hands, palms and soles of the feet, the groin, thegluteal region, back and chest. The elements of the rash tend to appear in the atria and behind them, cover the skin of the head under the hair, appear anywhere on the face, and sometimes on the genitals, especially in men.
Elements of the rash spread over the body become covered with a gray crust in just two to three days. In medicine, this is called the point form of the disease.
Subsequently, the growth of new sores continues, after which they can coalesce and merge into solid areas. A feature of the pathology is that papules can also occur at the site of bruises and other injuries, if the disease begins to progress.
If the appearance of the first inflammation is usually not accompanied by itching, with a progressive course, it becomes painful, and then the patient should be treated with local hormonal drugs.
Initiated psoriasis can lead the patient to a severe physical and mental state.
Plaque growths interfere with walking, sitting, and simple human actions. In addition, patients with this ailment are prone to serious nervous and mental illnesses.
Some forms cause the destruction of blood vessels, nerve endings, joints, psoriatic lesions can even destroy bone tissue. Without treatment, a person can become disabled, so you should go to the doctor in case of early manifestations of the disease.
Diagnosis and treatment
Before conducting laboratory and instrumental examinations, the doctor is faced with the task of obtaining a complete description of the patient's complaints, studying the causes of the disease, and tracing the genetic relationship with the onset of pathology.
To determine the disease, there is a certain functional test. If there are three main elements (psoriatic trio), characterized by the presence of a stearin stain, a layer of pink cells and bleeding caused by vascular damage, then an accurate diagnosis can already be made.
In the future, procedures such as:
- Biopsy of samples of the affected skin tissue;
- Bacteriological culture to determine the infection in the focus of inflammation;
- Clinical blood test for leukocyte concentration;
- Immunological test for allergic predisposition;
- X-rays, ultrasound, determination of the state of internal organs, joint cavities, bones;
- Differential diagnosis helps to exclude conditions such as syphilis, seborrheic eczema, pink lichen, rheumatism, and other disorders with similar symptoms.
In most cases, it is impossible to get rid of the pathology permanently, but earlier treatment can help reduce the number and quality of relapses, up to long periods of regression.
Complex treatment offers:
- Conservative therapy with steroidal and non-steroidal drugs, psychotropic drugs that relieve the patient's depression;
- In addition, funds are prescribed to reduce the allergic response of the immune system, which allows you to eliminate edema, itching and reduce the course of the inflammatory process;
- Hormonal medications are prescribed to suppress inflammation and relieve pain in severe forms;
- Without fail, the patient must take vitamin products that help increase the body's defenses;
- Ointments and creams for topical application to alleviate the well-being of the patient based on medicinal herbs and sometimes hormones.
People suffering from chronic skin disease should lead a healthy lifestyle, abandon improper nutrition, and perform water procedures every day to avoid complications of the disease. And of course, for successful rehabilitation, you need to see a doctor as soon as possible.