Symptoms, types, treatment of psoriasis on the legs

Since the exact etiology of the process is unknown, the search for the most effective treatment is relevant. In the treatment of the disease, hormonal drugs are often used, which relieve only external symptoms, while remission lasts for several months, and the drugs themselves can cause side effects. Medicine for psoriasis on the legs is prescribed by a dermatologist, while the complex of folk methods may include folk remedies for psoriasis.

There are many ways to treat psoriasis on the legs. As a rule, the treatment of psoriasis of the legs includes systemic and local therapy, the appointment of physiotherapy, compliance with the diet and diet.

Classification of lower extremity psoriasis

In the legs, psoriasis only occurs in 30% of cases of skin lesions. Dermatologists classify the initial stage of the development of the disease in this part of the body into two groups:

1. Psoriasis type 1. It affects the legs of children, adolescents, men and adult women due to their genetic predisposition to this disease. In total, at least 60% of all cases had parents who suffered from this disease. Most often, psoriasis of the lower extremities is transmitted to descendants born in the 3rd-4th generation. The treatment of hereditary psoriasis is long and requires the systemic administration of special drugs to contain the spread of plaques from the surface of the legs to the trunk and other parts of the body.
2. Psoriasis type 2. This is an already acquired form of the disease, which develops due to the presence of the risk factors mentioned above. The age category of patients with leg psoriasis is 40 years and older. Often these dermatological patients abuse alcohol, eat unhealthy foods, work in companies with harmful working conditions, or have experienced a morally difficult stressful situation in their lives. In such patients, the initial stage of the disease is always acute and with a vivid clinical picture. A month after the appearance of the first red spots, the knee and hip joints begin to be affected. It all depends on where the plates are.

Prevention

It's no secret that the disease is much easier to prevent than to cure.

This statement is true for psoriasis in its entirety. To prevent the development of psoriasis, the following recommendations should be observed:

• avoid emotional tension and stress. Have a positive attitude towards life, do not worry about trifles;
• lead a healthy lifestyle, do not abuse alcohol, do not smoke and, moreover, in no case do not use drugs;
• timely treat foci of infections in the body, strengthen general immunity;
• coat the skin with moisturizers, prevent dehydration and dryness;
• do not neglect such effective means of prevention as folk. Sometimes it is enough to coat the areas of skin allergies with appropriate herbal creams and you will never hear the diagnosis of psoriasis.

Care of affected skin

If there are patches and rashes on the legs, they should be smeared with special preparations containing moisturizing ingredients. It is good if the composition also includes anti-inflammatory and immunostimulating substances.

Do not coat affected areas of skin with harsh products containing high concentrations of alcohol. The skin should not be dehydrated.

Special care should be taken to avoid injury and skin damage. It is known for certain that they cause new rashes, which are difficult to heal. It is worth using only soft, non-traumatic bath accessories.

Go on a diet

Good nutrition is not without importance. Often it is violations of the diet recommended by the doctor that do not cure psoriasis for many years.

Alkaline foods in the diet should be two to three times more acidic. Alkaline foods include non-acidic fruits and vegetables. Alkaline mineral water can help. You need to monitor the rapid emptying of the intestines, use products that improve peristalsis

Complications

Complications of psoriasis are characterized by the appearance of concomitant diseases. The cardiovascular system suffers the most, often leading to heart attack or coronary artery disease. In some cases, the disease can cause diabetes.

The treatment of finger psoriasis requires an integrated approach and, above all, time. Therapeutic actions should be aimed primarily at reducing foci of inflammation. Psoriasis on the hands often passes to the nails, which should not be allowed. Otherwise, healing will take much longer.

Medical treatment

The treatment should be complex, so the drugs should be different. Be sure to use:

1. Creams and ointments.
2. Antihistamines.
3. Drugs for the gastrointestinal tract.
4. Preparations to increase immunity.

This is a basic treatment that always helps in the mild stages of psoriasis.

Physiotherapy

Physiotherapy is used as one of the stages in the treatment of psoriasis. These procedures are based on the use of various natural factors, therefore they help to stop the course of the disease. The patient undergoes a course of infrared and ultraviolet irradiation, acupuncture and cryotherapy.

Folk methods

Traditional medicine is rich in recipes for getting rid of the symptoms of the disease and achieving long-term remission. First of all, various baths have proven themselves:

• with sea salt;
• with herbal decoctions.

Bay leaf baths are effective. For cooking, pour 20 gr. leaves with 2 cups of water and boil for 10 minutes over low heat. After the broth has cooled, you need to hold the affected hands or feet in it for at least half an hour.

The skin of the hands or feet affected by psoriasis can be wiped with juniper tincture, birch tar or celandine juice. Sea buckthorn oil is recommended to lubricate the nails in order to strengthen them.

What does psoriasis on the leg look like?

The initial form of the disease does not cause severe discomfort in the patient. It is manifested by slight itching and redness of the skin. Gradually, the intensity increases, and plaques of a pink or red tint appear on the legs. The size of the papules is in the range of 3-5 mm, with further development the spots grow and connect with each other.

Characteristic manifestations are yellowish or white scales, they are easily scraped off, but the peeling in this case increases. If you peel off the peel, you can see a bright red film. Its removal causes the release of a drop of blood, called in medicine blood dew.

Psoriasis formed on the soles of the feet, accompanied by unbearable itching. Patients cannot resist the desire to comb the affected area. This opens up access to bacterial infection, making it difficult to continue treatment.

Why does psoriasis develop on the legs

Psoriasis of the legs is a chronic skin pathology with a hereditary predisposition. The development of the disease is facilitated by the influence of predisposing factors. Factors predisposing to the development of psoriasis on the legs:

1. Limb injuries - abrasions, cracks, wounds. In people prone to this pathology, they often become inflamed, accompanied by itching, combed. Against this background, psoriatic rashes appear. These causes most often cause psoriasis of the knee joints in children, adolescents and athletes.
2. Skin diseases and abrasions of the feet. Especially often the disease develops against the background of fungal infections. It is important to wear tight shoes in which the feet sweat and hurt.
3. Metabolic disorders, obesity, diabetes mellitus, endocrine diseases, age-related hormonal disorders, pregnancy. Any hormonal imbalance can cause the onset of the disease.
4. All chronic processes and foci of infection leading to intoxication of the body.
5. High emotional, mental and physical stress.
6. Irregular poor nutrition, intestinal dysbacteriosis.
7. Immune disorders.

Treatment with folk remedies

Very often, the treatment of foot psoriasis is not limited to traditional medicine. It is better to ally with the recipes of effective traditional medicine.

Most often, a recipe for decoctions, ointments, baths, compresses is used to get rid of psoriatic disease.

Decoctions

To prepare a remedy that can relieve the acute symptoms of the disease, you will need celandine and oregano, taken in equal proportions, add chopped licorice root to them, which should be 2 times more than each of the previous components, and take three times as many strings. All this mixture should be poured with boiling water and kept for a quarter of an hour. Then strain the infusion and take half a glass twice a day. The greatest effectiveness can be achieved if psoriasis has just begun to appear.

Ointment

Birch tar is mixed with olive oil, the resulting mixture is applied to the plates as often as possible to achieve maximum effect.

thermal baths

For these purposes, an infusion of celandine is suitable, it will help not only to get rid of rashes, but also to normalize the functioning of the body.

Celandine is poured with boiling water, insisted for at least an hour, filtered and added to a warm bath. The procedure for taking a bath with celandine should not exceed 10 minutes. This method can become daily.

Compress

Potatoes did well here. To prepare a compress, you will need to grate raw potatoes on the smallest grater. Then the juice is squeezed out of the resulting mass and applied to the affected areas, the leg is wrapped with a film or bag on top and a warm sock is put on. Potato compress is kept for several hours, otherwise the effect will not be achieved.

Characteristics of skin rashes

The clinical picture of psoriasis of the foot manifests itself depending on the course of the disease, or rather its stage.

There are the following stages of psoriasis:

1. Initial. Rashes at the very beginning of the disease resemble acne, having a slightly convex shape. In addition, silver-steel colored scales begin to form on each papule;
2. Progressive. The rashes appear more and more and the papules begin to increase in diameter and coalesce, forming a continuous area of damage. This whole process is accompanied by intense and unbearable itching;
3. Acute. The disease, entering the stage of acute development, is accompanied by new rashes, while the old ones stop growing, beginning the process of peeling;
4. Stationary. New elements of the rash no longer appear, and the affected areas of the skin are completely exfoliated. In place of the old plaques, an area of pigmentation forms;
5. Regression. At this stage, the disease is characterized by clearing the skin of psoriatic signs, the general well-being of the patient improves to a large extent.

Treatment and diagnosis

Diagnosis and treatment of psoriasis of the legs is carried out by a dermatologist, the method is very simple and consists of a simple examination of the skin, blood tests (general and biochemistry). Modern medicine does not have the means to completely cure psoriasis. In some cases, treatment is used to relieve the condition and remission of symptoms.

It depends on many factors such as:

• patient's sex;
• Age range;
• place of residence (climate zone);
• activities (work, etc. );
• stage of psoriatic lesions.

Treatment with local drugs

In addition to products that moisturize the skin, a dermatologist may prescribe the use of topical preparations that are easy to use at home:

• agents containing coal tar, they help slow the growth of psoriatic plaques and keratinized scales.
• salicylic acid solution allows you to remove and exfoliate scales with great efficiency;
• Corticosteroids, made as gels, are applied to the skin and covered with a dressing. This remedy slows the growth of the formation of new psoriatic plaques.

Systemic drugs

If local drugs cannot cope with the manifestation of psoriasis, other groups of drugs are prescribed.

For the treatment of psoriasis of the legs, a combination treatment consisting of retinoids and light therapy is very often used. As a rule, ultraviolet therapy or point laser therapy is prescribed.

If all the methods mentioned above have not helped, drugs that selectively affect the immune system may be indicated.

Psoriasis of the legs is a very unpleasant disease, but you should know that it does not pose a threat to life, although it significantly reduces its quality. Rare cases are characterized by the fact that the inflammation does not manifest itself in any way for several years. However, at the first symptoms, you should immediately consult a doctor, and not self-medicate - this will help to avoid the progression of the disease and complications.

How does psoriasis appear on the feet?

Rashes with this type of lesion are concentrated on the sole and back of the foot. They have the form of classic psoriatic plaques - areas of inflamed skin, a few millimeters above the surface of healthy tissue, covered with grayish scales. The development of pathology is accompanied by the formation of calluses, hyperkeratosis (thickening) of the skin in these areas develops. As the disease worsens, deep cracks appear, the epidermis becomes intensely red. Very often, due to the external manifestations of this form of the disease, it is confused with the development of diseases such as eczema, mycotic lesions and signs of secondary syphilis. Photos will help to accurately identify foot psoriasis.

Psoriasis of the foot: causes

The causes of psoriasis on the feet are not completely known. Absolute certainty only exists in relation to the importance of the hereditary factor in the occurrence of the pathology. All other reasons act only as possible provoking factors. These include:

• weakening of the body's immune forces;
• transferred viral and bacterial infections, especially streptococcal infections;
• stress, depression;
• the presence of excessive sweating of the legs;
• hormonal changes in the body;
• violation of metabolic processes.

Manifestations of psoriasis on the feet: photo

In addition to visible inflammation, redness of the skin, in pathology there are also symptoms such as itching, burning, pain of varying intensity in the affected area. This creates significant discomfort for a person, since movements when walking are difficult.

Due to the roughness of the epidermis on the feet, the plaques do not always flake off, although such a sign may also be present. It depends on the hydrophilicity of the tissues in the patient.

Psoriasis of the foot: treatment

Before prescribing treatment for psoriasis of the feet, the doctor should conduct an external examination of the pathological area in order to visually differentiate the disease. There are no special methods of additional examination in medicine today, since the disease is of non-infectious origin and has not been fully studied.

The treatment of foot psoriasis is carried out in a complex way, that is, the drug approach is combined with a complex of physiotherapy procedures, which can significantly alleviate the patient's condition. The use of specific drugs - cytostatics - occurs already with a significant progression of the disease. At the initial stages of the development of the disease, drugs are used in the form of gels or ointments topically (sulphuric, salicylic), corticosteroids are prescribed. This is done in order to reduce the negative effect of pharmacological preparations on the patient's body. In addition, vitamin, immunomodulator and antihistamine therapy is prescribed. Photos of psoriasis on the feet are widely available on the Internet.

Signs of illness

The initial stage of psoriasis on the legs in most cases is taken by doctors for the manifestation of an allergic reaction to an external irritant. Especially if the patient visits a doctor in the summer, when there is an abundance of various allergens in the environment.

The signs of psoriasis on the legs in the initial stage are as follows:

1. The first small pink rashes or red spots appear where the skin most often rubs against the inside surface of clothing. It can be the knees, groin or ankle.
2. Neoplasms on the skin always in the early stages have the correct shape with clearly traceable boundaries. After 3-5 days, they enlarge and form a single oval or rounded reddish-pink plaque.
3. The spots are gradually covered with a white coating, which forms keratinized skin cells. These are several scales that easily separate when they touch the damaged surface of the skin.
4. At all stages of the initial stage of the disease, a person feels severe itching of the skin of the legs. When you try to scratch an itchy area of the body, severe pain is felt.
5. Taking antihistamines only temporarily relieves the itching sensation, but is not able to stop the rash and red spots from spreading. This is a key factor indicating that the dermatological problem is not associated with the manifestation of an allergic skin reaction to external stimuli.

The initial stage of psoriasis on the legs

The first signs of scaly lichen on the legs are associated with increased sensitivity to pain, as well as itching.

According to the manifestations, you can see what stage of the disease we are talking about.

The initial stage of this disease manifests itself in the form of a rash of bright red or pink color.

Initially, the rashes are small and occupy minimal skin.

Over time, the rash of individual parts turns into a large spot, which is distinguished by a red tint.

Due to this combination, psoriatic plaques are formed, which rise slightly above the surface of the skin. Inflamed areas are accompanied by severe itching, which greatly torments patients.

After that, the peeling of the affected tissues begins.

Disease symptoms

Most often, the knees, thighs, feet and the area near the ankle fall under the influence of scaly lichen on the legs. These areas show symptoms such as:

• severe persistent itching;
• swelling in the affected areas;
• the appearance of psoriatic papules;
• psoriatic arthritis;
• violation of the structure of the nail plates on the legs.

Characteristics

Reddish areas appear on the skin, rising slightly above the skin. Such rashes immediately become noticeable, as their bright color, characterized by an inflammatory process, stands out against the background of clean areas.

Later, they form a large affected area. Psoriatic plaques that appear after this will start to peel off, but if removed, they will bleed a little or just leave a smooth, red surface.

What is psoriasis on the legs

This skin disease is not considered contagious, but it causes physical and psychological suffering to a person. Psoriasis, which appeared once after treatment, can not be remembered for a long time. Often, the disease suddenly reappears for unknown reasons. With psoriasis, there is a violation in the formation of skin cells, their accelerated development. With the onset of the inflammatory process that appears on the legs, a superficial lesion is observed:

• Stop;
• feet
• fingers;
• hips;
• areas around the joints;
• nails.

A characteristic of psoriasis is that its origin is not fully understood, which makes treatment difficult. Inflammation of the skin of the legs is exacerbated by problems with human motor activity. Unfortunately, it is not possible to radically solve the problem of complete elimination of psoriasis. The patient is helped:

• relieve painful symptoms;
• slow down the growth of rashes on the legs;
• relieve the condition;
• restore working capacity;
• find a fulfilling life.

The appearance of psoriasis can be characterized by the formation of a rash - pink papules on the surface of the skin of the legs. As the disease progresses:

• joint swelling;
• development of psoriatic arthritis;
• redness;
• dense scaly patches;
• skin cracking;
• intolerable itching;
• bleeding;
• combining individual elements into a common lesion.

Manifestations of psoriasis differ depending on the site of violation of the skin of the legs. The following features are typical:

• on the hips - large areas with rashes, peeling;
• nails - thicken, exfoliate, change the color and shape of the nail plate;
• leg joints - become inflamed, their mobility is limited;
• psoriasis of the feet - the soles of the feet are covered with a thick layer of keratinized cells, cracks, severe redness are observed, sensitivity increases.

Although the disease is common, doctors cannot tell the exact reason why it occurs. There are provoking factors that cause this skin pathology of the legs and other parts of the body. Psoriasis can start as a result of:

• hereditary predisposition;
• hormonal failure in the body;
• skin injury;
• excessive hygiene;
• Infectious diseases;
• stressful situations.

Medical science believes that the cause of psoriasis lies in the failure of the immune system, disorders of the functioning of epithelial cells. Adverse factors can cause skin disease of the legs, including:

• psycho-emotional stress;
• exposure to chemicals;
• violations of metabolic processes;
• dry and thin skin;
• alcohol poisoning;
• climate change;
• varicose veins in the legs;
• pathologies of lipid metabolism.

In order to help a sick baby in a timely manner, a correct diagnosis is necessary. In childhood, psoriasis can be confused with other skin diseases of the legs. Prompt treatment of a sick child will help save him from serious symptoms and complications. The appearance of psoriasis in a baby is a consequence of:

• allergies;
• helminthic invasions;
• lack of vitamins;
• hereditary factors;
• immune system failures.

Symptoms of the disease in a child are different:

• psoriasis on the feet can take the form of continuous redness of the surface, which cannot be touched due to pain;
• with damage to the nails, points similar to needlesticks are observed;
• in the skin folds of the legs, rashes are noted, flaking, itching and not allowing sleep;
• large areas of redness with cracks and bleeding form on the hips.

The condition and symptoms of the patient depend on the stage of development of psoriasis. Pathologies appearing on the surface of the legs are constantly changing over a long period of time. There are several stages in the development of psoriasis:

• initial - the first rashes, redness, swelling appear - a favorable situation for treatment;
• progressive - new plaques are actively forming, exist, increase in size, everything is accompanied by intense itching, peeling.

At the following stages of psoriasis, changes in the course of the disease are observed:

• acute - the progression of the growth of rashes stops, scales appear;
• stationary - new papules do not appear on the legs, old ones form a layer that gradually peels off, leaves spots;
• in regression - the disease stops, the plaques disappear without a trace, all unpleasant symptoms disappear, the patient is healthy.