Psoriasis is an inflammatory skin disease that causes chronic flaking. The causes of psoriasis can be different. According to statistics, four percent of the world's population suffers from this disease.
Signs of illness
For the first time, psoriasis manifests itself at any age. A child at 4 months and an old man can get sick. Most often, the disease first appears on the body between the ages of 21 and 45. The disease, which appeared at an early age, is more difficult, with long relapses.
Regardless of the cause of psoriasis, small scales appear on the body. Initially, their size is a few millimeters. This is the first sign of the disease. Gradually, the scales grow, from the size reaches 5-8 centimeters. If the disease is not stopped, the spots coalesce, covering large areas of the body.
Psoriasis has typical features that distinguish it from other types of rashes:
- shape of scales is round;
- clear edge;
- different in color from skin;
- flakes are light.
More oftenIn general, the disease manifests itself at the site of wounds, burns, scratches, frostbite. Where persistent skin irritation occurs, psoriasis is most common.
Disease forms
Psoriasis is a skin disease, the causes of which do not depend on the part of the body on which the rash is located, but determine the form of the disease:
- common, plaque psoriasis attacks the skin of the hands, elbows;
- reverse is formed in the knee bends;
- teardrop-shaped appears in the form of drops on the sides and lower back, on the head, often a sore throat is a provocateur;
- pustular is considered the most severe form with large blistering plaques, occurs in the lower leg;
- psoriatic onychodystrophy infects the nails on the hands and feet, small inclusions appear, leads to loss of the nail;
- psoriatic arthritis progresses in the joints, preventing a person from living a full life, sometimes bedridden.
Regardless of the cause of psoriasis, the disease goes through three stages of development:
- The initial stage is reminiscent of an allergic reaction. Small pink spots. Scales are almost invisible. At this stage, patients rarely see a doctor.
- Progressive differs from the first stage in the growth of the number of plaques. The spots are getting bigger. Pronounced white scales appear.
- Stationary stops the spread of plaques. Skin thickening appears in their place.
- The regressing stage is manifested by the attenuation of the disease, the reduction of spots. Createdthe appearance that the disease has receded.
Children's psoriasis is similar in appearance to a rash or sweating. In adults, the spots are rough and bright red or pink.
Disease symptoms
Itching on the skin, red spots, pain when touched are the first symptoms of psoriasis. The causes of the appearance do not affect the development of the disease. When treated at the initial stage, the patient recovers faster.
The main distinguishing features of psoriasis are the symptoms characteristic only for this disease:
- Stearin stain. The scales covering the red spots are easily peeled off. If you remove the flaky skin, then under it there will be a red papule, resembling a drop of wax.
- Psoriatic film. The film is also called terminal. It can be seen when the skin is completely cleansed of scales. It is transparent, moist and covers the completely inflamed area.
- Auspitz phenomenon. When removing the terminal film, small bruises in the form of droplets will appear at the site of damage.
Strong symptoms allow you to quickly diagnose the disease. It is almost impossible to confuse with other rashes on the body.
When psoriasis appears on the hands, papules are visible on the elbows or between the fingers. With a head disease, the first scales are visible on the back of the head, near the forehead, at the parting site. If the disease spreads on the body, then the papules will be visible on the back, neck, thighs, abdomen. On the legs, the rash appears on the knees. The palms and feet are affected by psoriasis at the same time. The disease is rarely activated on the face,affects the eye and ear area.
In children, psoriasis appears in the folds of the skin, is formed in places atypical for an adult body. Children's psoriasis is accompanied by severe itching.
Psoriasis of the joints is externally manifested by papules on the surface of the skin of the hands. Pain occurs with or before redness. Tissue edema occurs, mobility decreases.
Diagnosis of psoriasis
When diagnosing, a dermatologist is based on a visual examination of the patient. The disease has pronounced symptoms sufficient for a diagnosis. The doctor sends the patient for a complete blood count. As a rule, with the disease there are changes in the results of the tests. This allows you to confirm or exclude a severe form of the disease.
The causes of psoriasis affect the inflammatory process in the body. With an increase in rheumatoid titers, proteins, leukocytes or ESR, the presence of autoimmune or rheumatic processes is determined. Endocrine disorders that provoked diseases, and biochemical changes in the blood are also detected.
One way to identify psoriasis is a biopsy. Rarely used, intended to exclude other skin diseases. Diagnostics shows the presence of Rete bodies, an increase in the content of T-lymphocytes, macrophages. The appearance of new blood vessels in the tissue under the plaques is also detected. For this reason, petechial hemorrhages appear in places of skin lesions, and vascular fragility increases.
Psoriasis in women
The causes of the appearance are not known for certainpsoriasis on the body. The disease remains one of the most mysterious. There are several theories for the development of psoriasis, but none of them has become the only one. It is possible that a combination of several factors causes the disease to manifest.
Women are more emotional than men. Stressful situations, mental imbalance are provoking factors in the development of the disease. Improper nutrition, genetics and infectious diseases are the causes of psoriasis in women.
In women, the disease can develop on the labia. It does not appear immediately, it may not cause inconvenience. The vulgar form of the disease is easily treatable and does not cause trouble. Another form of female psoriasis is called pustular, its distinctive features:
- large amount of bubbles in the lower abdomen or groin;
- constant itching;
- weakness;
- temperature increase;
- vomit.
If this form of psoriasis developed during pregnancy, then the question arises of interruption. The disease is not contagious, but affects the development of the baby.
The causes of psoriasis in women on the legs are not known, this form is more common in men. In women, psoriasis on the legs is divided into several types:
- pustular psoriasis on the feet causes pain when walking, develops in the form of bubbles;
- plantar is similar to dry corns, but spreads over the entire surface of the foot, the patient experiences severe itching;
- patella psoriasis covers the legs with scales that fall off easily,capillary bleeding appears.
These types of diseases are difficult to treat with ointments alone, it is necessary to approach the issue in a comprehensive manner under the supervision of a doctor.
Provoking causes of psoriasis in women on the body are:
- damage to the skin, mechanical friction, burns;
- stress, depression, anxiety;
- working with chemicals, skin irritation;
- inflammatory or infectious diseases.
Psoriasis in men
Men suffer from psoriasis less than women. The causes of psoriasis in men are not exactly known. There are factors that increase the risk of developing the disease:
- insufficient skin moisture;
- infections;
- prolonged stress, psychological stress;
- smoking and alcohol;
- decreased immunity;
- poor environmental situation;
- metabolic disorder.
Psoriasis is a chronic disease, as a result of which the death of the upper layers of the skin occurs much faster than normal.
One of the causes of psoriasis is a genetic predisposition. It has been proven that if both parents suffer from this disease, then the child will inherit psoriasis in 70% of cases. If only one parent is sick, then in half the cases, psoriasis will be inherited.
Another cause of psoriasis in men on the body is an infection. The disease occurs as a result of the presence of bacteria and fungi on the body. Scrapings did not confirm this, but clinical observations indicate that psoriasis is more common in infectious diseases. Scientists suggest that an allergic reaction to the vital activity of bacteria occurs on the skin.
It has been established that severe forms of the disease manifest themselves with a stable stress state of the body, neuroses. Constant itching aggravates the condition. This is joined by the poor environmental situation in large cities. The body gets rid of toxic products through the skin, which leads to the appearance of plaques.
The presence of chronic infections in the oral cavity, frequent tonsillitis, pharyngitis, otitis media provoke the appearance and exacerbation of psoriasis. Diabetes mellitus also provokes the onset of the disease.
Children's
Children's psoriasis is less common than in adults. Of the total number of cases, only 10% first encountered this disease under the age of 15. The remaining 90% sought help at an older age.
It has been recorded that half of the sick children have problems with being overweight. This fact confirms the theory that one of the causes of psoriasis in children is a metabolic disorder. Childhood psoriasis affects the following parts of the body:
- elbows;
- head;
- knees;
- lower back;
- ears;
- palms.
For children, the disease brings a lot of trouble: pain from friction and avoidance of peers. Psoriasis on visible parts of the body repels children and adults.
In infants, plaques form on the face, head and buttocks. ATAt this age, the spots do not merge with each other. There is no scientific explanation for the fact. Skin manifestations do not have clear contours, scales are larger. Self-medication and diagnosis without a doctor at this age is unacceptable.
Features of the course of childhood psoriasis:
- small rash, initially confused with diaper rash;
- large scales on plaques;
- itch;
- bleeding may occur.
Depending on the degree of skin lesions, the following degrees of psoriasis are distinguished:
- light - defeat no more than 3%;
- moderate 3-10%;
- heavy - over 10%.
Risk factors
The causes of psoriasis are not known for certain. Doctors drew attention to the factors that contribute to the onset of the disease:
- injuries of the skin of various nature;
- human hypothermia;
- prolonged exposure to direct sunlight, burns;
- alcohol abuse;
- long-term use of high doses of antibiotics;
- hormonal changes during pregnancy and breastfeeding;
- teenage period;
- menopause in women.
Medication increases psoriasis and relapses. Medications that aggravate the course of the disease:
- beta blockers;
- B vitamins in injections;
- non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (indomethacin, butadione, etc.);
- antibiotics (penicillin, tetracycline, ampicillin, etc.).
In people who are addicted to alcohol, the disease is severe, the period between relapses is reduced.
Reviews of patients about the disease
People suffering from psoriasis note that the quality of life during exacerbations is significantly reduced. Most of the trouble brings the disease on the scalp and face. The causes of psoriasis on the head are still unknown. It is not clear to a person what is required for repeated rashes to disappear. Patients experience physical or psychological discomfort. In particularly complex and severe cases, disability may be assigned.
Patients say that with skin itching and pain, it is difficult to do the simplest things. Sleep becomes restless. Clothing rubs damaged areas during movement. However, there is no opportunity to physically work or play sports.
Psychological discomfort patients experience from ignorance of the causes of psoriasis. Treatment provides temporary relief. It is noticed that patients suffer from low self-esteem, they are afraid of being rejected by society. This leads to depression, social phobia. In 71% of patients, the disease significantly affected their lifestyle. 58% feel shame and embarrassment from the manifestation of the disease.
Treatment
Psoriasis is a chronic disease. At the initial stage, sparing methods of treatment are used. If the effect is not achieved, then more intensive means are used.
An individual approach is applied to each patient, the symptoms and causes of psoriasis are determined. Treatment consists in studying the medical history, determiningfactors influencing the exacerbation of the disease.
To select medicines, the doctor collects the following information:
- frequency and degree of development of the disease;
- state of the digestive system;
- overweight and metabolic disorders;
- chronic diseases;
- state of the nervous and endocrine systems;
- age of patient;
- genetics.
Treatment begins with the application of ointments to reduce pain and itching. The basis of the ointment is fat, which prevents skin dryness and enhances the absorption of active ingredients. Most often, ointments based on lard and salicylic acid are used for treatment, which does not cause discomfort and relieves itching and inflammation.
Hormonal drugs are prescribed in case of deterioration of the patient's condition. The treatment is short-term, long-term use causes a number of side effects.
With psoriasis, the balance of nutrients in the body is disturbed. To replenish them, vitamin complexes are prescribed. They help to raise overall immunity, participate in protein metabolism. Reduce the number of relapses in the autumn-winter period.
In violation of the endocrine glands, drugs that improve metabolism are used. In some situations, the doctor prescribes antihistamines.
Folk treatments involve the use of herbal decoctions. Before using them, you must consult your doctor to avoid allergic reactions.
