Chronic disease lasts for 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 again covered 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 stage, since the timely 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 from close contact with sick people. Another thing is when a disease that causes unpleasant and painful sensations and itching is accompanied by scratching. Due to microscopic wounds and damage to the epidermis, any infection quickly enters the bloodstream and a person becomes infected.
In medicine, there are many known causes that can lead to diseases:
- Pathologies of endocrine organs, leading to hormonal changes;
- Regular stresses, strong experiences and shocks lead to the same disturbances;
- A poor diet, a lack of nutrients, minerals and vitamins can cause 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, because of what exactly he takes the hit of the disease in the form of an itchy rash.
The drugs taken can also lead to abnormalities, if they have a long duration and a strong effect, the immunological 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 weren't 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 wounds. In this regard, it is worth considering the stages of psoriasis, since they differ in their course and symptoms.
Types of diseases according to 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 psoriasisAre 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 disturbed, a person at this time is prone to irritability, depression, neurosis. The second stage is remission, the restoration of the normal appearance and condition of the epidermis, pigment spots remain in place of psoriatic wounds, which are slightly darker than the normal color of the skin. The progressive stage is a typical clinical picture of chronic disease. When there is no treatment, the rehabilitation periods are short and very quickly 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 begin to actively peel off, temporarily stops. The patient has the hope that after peeling the raised red patches on top of the skin will heal and disappear, but this does not happen - after one stratum corneum another appears and so on endlessly. At least during the stationary phase of psoriasis, the patient does not experience unbearable itching, resulting in scratching and insomnia;
- The last step- the period of regression. Over time, a gradual decrease in the scab in the form of a plaque occurs, the wounds heal, clean areas of the epidermis appear between them, until the rash disappears completely, leaving only the residual pigmentationpainful areas.
Psoriasis has a long course. In some patients, complications most often occur in winter and autumn, in others, the sun's rays affect the deterioration of the condition, however, there is a variant of out-of-season exacerbations, when a relapse canoccur at any time of the disease. year. Usually 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 impulse 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 confuse small reddish nodules scattered in different parts of the body with an allergic rash. And if it is a pustular appearance, small bubbles of pus appear on the epidermis, which can be easily mistaken for hives. In addition, 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 component of the rash is a flat, slightly raised nodule that is pink or red in color; this inflammation has a superficial layer on which there are small patches of dry, horny scales. A detailed examination shows that at first the stratum corneum is located in the very center of the inflammatory focus, 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, groin, the gluteal region, back, chest. Elements of the rash tend to appear on the atria 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.
The elements of the rash scattered over the body become overgrown with a gray scab in just two or three days. In medicine, this is called a point form of the disease.
Subsequently, the growth of new wounds continues, after which they can join together and merge into solid areas. A feature of the pathology is that papules can also occur at the site of bruises, other injuries, if the disease begins to progress.
If the appearance of the first inflammation is usually not accompanied by itching, with a gradual course it becomes painful, and the patient should be treated with local hormonal drugs.
Onset psoriasis can bring the patient to severe physical and mental condition.
Plaque growths interfere with walking, sitting, and performing simple human actions. In addition, patients with this disease are prone to serious nervous and mental diseases.
Some forms cause the destruction of blood vessels, nerve endings, joints, psoriatic lesions can even destroy bone tissue. Without treatment, a person can be disabled, so you need to go to the doctor in case of early manifestations of the disease.
Diagnosis and treatment
Before carrying out laboratory and instrumental examinations, the doctor is faced with the task of obtaining a full 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, an accurate diagnosis can already be made.
In the future, procedures such as:
- Biopsy of samples of 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-ray, ultrasound, determination of the condition of internal organs, joint cavities, bones;
- Differential diagnosis allows to exclude such diseases 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.
The complex treatment offers:
- Conservative therapy with steroids 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 drugs are prescribed to suppress inflammation and relieve pain in severe forms;
- Without fail, the patient must take vitamin products which help to increase the body's defenses;
- Ointments and creams for topical application to relieve the patient's well-being based on herbal remedies and sometimes hormones.
People with chronic skin diseases should lead a healthy lifestyle, give up improper diet and perform water procedures every day to avoid complications of the disease. And of course, for a successful rehabilitation, you need to see a doctor as soon as possible.