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, then the body is again covered with a rash. These are the characteristic symptoms of skin psoriasis. It is necessary to know everything about the disease, including the appearance of psoriasis in the initial stage, 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 lesion of the skin, so don't be afraid to get infected in close contact with sick people. Another thing is when an ailment that causes unpleasant and painful sensations and itching is accompanied by scratching. Through microscopic wounds and damage to the epidermis, any infection quickly enters the bloodstream and a person becomes infected.
In medicine, many causes are known that can lead to diseases:
- Pathologies of the endocrine organs, involving hormonal changes;
- Regular stresses, strong experiences and shocks lead to the same ailments;
- Improper food, lack of nutrients, minerals and vitamins can provoke psoriasis;
- Low immunity, weakened due to bad habits, vitamin D3 and silicon deficiency, nervous shocks, frequent colds and hypothermia;
- Unfavorable living conditions and climate;
- Violation of metabolic processes, in particular, in the layers of the skin, due to what exactly takes the blow of the disease in the form of an itchy rash.
The drugs taken can also lead to abnormalities, if they have a long course and a strong effect, the body's immunological reaction to allergens can be an aggravating factor. And of course, the onset of psoriasis is often associated with previous infections that weren't fully cured or had serious complications.
The defeat of the disease is of a local and general nature, when the human body represents a continuous crust of sores fused together. In this regard, it is worth considering the stages of psoriasis, as they differ in the course and symptoms.
Types of disease based on 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 psoriasisThere are two main stages. During the first, a characteristic rash actively develops, which causes the patient an unpleasant burning sensation, pain, severe itching. As a result, normal appetite, sleep is disrupted, a person at this time is prone to irritability, depression, neurosis. The second stage is remission, the restoration of the normal appearance and state of the epidermis, pigmentation spots remain in place of psoriatic sores, slightly darker than normal skin color. The progressive stage is a typical clinical picture of a chronic disease. In the absence of treatment, the rehabilitation periods are short and a worsening of the pathology can be expected very soon;
- Stationary stage of psoriasis- this is a stable condition of the patient, when the symptoms do not go away, but new papules do not appear either. At the same time, the growth of existing spots, which begin to actively peel off, temporarily stops. The patient hopes that after peeling, the raised red plaques above the skin will heal and disappear, but this does not happen - after one stratum corneum appears another and so on ad infinitum. At least during the stationary phase of psoriasis, the patient does not feel an unbearable itch, which leads to scratching and insomnia;
- The last stage- the regression period. Over a period of time, a gradual decrease in plaque-like crust occurs, the sores heal, clean areas of the epidermis appear between them, until the rash disappears completely, leaving only the residual pigmentation of the painful areas.
Psoriasis has a long course. In some patients, complications occur more often in winter and autumn, in others the sun's rays affect the deterioration of the condition, however, there is a variant of off-season exacerbations, when a relapse can occur at any time of the year. In general, there are several cases of disease progression throughout the year.
To understand how psoriasis begins, it is worth considering its primary symptoms.
Initial stage: characteristic manifestations
Pathology almost always occurs suddenly, for no apparent reason, although, of course, they exist. The urge can be a cold, work stress, mild food poisoning, or an allergic reaction.
Many are interested in how psoriasis manifests itself, because at first a person may mistake small reddish lumps scattered throughout 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 be easily confused with urticaria. Also, in some cases, the initial stage is accompanied by itching. Therefore, the question of whether psoriasis itches at the initial stage, with this type of skin lesion, can be answered in the affirmative.
The main element of the rash is a flat, slightly raised lump that is pink or red in color; this inflammation has a superficial layer on which small plates of dry and horny scales are found. A detailed examination shows that the stratum corneum is initially located right in the 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, elbow joints, the entire surface of the lower and upper limbs, hands, palms and soles of the feet, groin, gluteal region, back, chest. The elements of the rash tend to appear on the auricles and behind them, cover the skin of the head under the hair, appear on any part of the face and sometimes on the genitals, especially in men.
Elements of the rash scattered 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 merge and merge into solid areas. A feature of the pathology is that papules can also occur at the site of bruises, other lesions, 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 growth interferes with walking, sitting, and performing simple human actions. In addition, patients with this ailment are prone to severe nervous and mental diseases.
Some forms cause the destruction of blood vessels, nerve endings, joints, psoriatic lesions can also destroy bone tissue. Without treatment, a person can be brought to disability, so it is necessary to 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 blood 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 rule out diseases such as syphilis, seborrheic eczema, pink lichen, rheumatism, and other ailments with similar symptoms.
In most cases, it is impossible to permanently eliminate the pathology, but early treatment can help reduce the number and quality of relapses, up to long periods of regression.
The complex treatment offers:
- Conservative therapy with steroid 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 to eliminate edema, itching and reduce the course of the inflammatory process;
- Hormonal drugs are prescribed to suppress inflammation and relieve pain in severe forms;
- Surely, the patient must take vitamin products that help increase the body's defenses;
- Topically applied ointments and creams to alleviate the patient's well-being based on medicinal herbs and sometimes hormones.
People suffering from chronic skin diseases need to lead a healthy lifestyle, give up inappropriate 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.