The most common symptom of psoriasis is the formation of psoriatic plaques, which arise from inflamed parts of the skin. However, the disease can manifest not only on the skin. We understand how psoriasis begins, how it develops and what the signs of psoriasis are.
Most often, the first symptoms of psoriasis appear at a young age, but psoriasis can affect a person even in old age. The first symptoms of psoriasis can be subtle: the disease can start with lesions on small parts of the skin, often on the folds of the limbs or scalp. Therefore, many patients may not notice the first manifestations. Does psoriasis skin itch? Indeed, one of the signs of psoriasis is itching. Moreover, at first the person may feel only itching and tightness, and only then red spots begin to appear on the skin.
The course of psoriasis greatly affects the quality of human life. Many patients experience not only physical but also mental discomfort. However, modern medicine can effectively curb the manifestations of the disease. New drugs for psoriasis, developed in the 21st century, especially genetically modified biological drugs (GIBP), allow you to completely get rid of the manifestations of the disease and lead a productive life.
What is psoriatic plaque?
Psoriatic plaques are the most common symptom of psoriasis. Plaques are enlarged, inflamed areas of red skin that protrude above the surface of healthy skin and are covered with a layer of whitish scales. Plaque can be painful, itchy, cracked and bleed.
Psoriasis. Signs
Manifestations of psoriasis on the skin and nails
Leather
- Inflamed plaques with redness.
- Plaques are often covered with whitish scales.
- Plaques can be painful and itchy.
- Sometimes they shoot and bleed.
- Scattered plaques may appear on the scalp.
- Plaques can grow and coalesce with each other, covering a large area of skin. In severe cases, the whole skin is one big plaque. This condition is called erythroderma.
Nails
- Nails change color or indentations, spots or streaks appear on the nail plates.
- Over time, the nail thickens and changes color to grayish, yellow or brown. It can collapse and bleed.
- The nail can be peeled and peeled. The skin under such a torn nail is thickened due to the formation of psoriatic plaque here.
The most common symptoms of psoriasis
Itching and bleeding with psoriasis
Itching and tingling of the skin are common symptoms of psoriasis that affect 90% of patients. Itching caused by psoriasis is different from itching caused by other skin diseases. Itching in psoriasis can be very intense, even on those parts of the skin where there are no visible plaques. Itching of the skin caused by itching in psoriasis can cause the appearance of new rashes as a result of mechanical trauma to the skin.
Skin cracking and bleeding in psoriasis
Psoriatic plaques can appear anywhere on the skin. Sometimes they crack because the skin on the plaque dries out a lot. As the plaque increases, the cracks spread. As they increase, they can go deeper into the dermis - the layer of skin where the capillaries are located. Then the capillaries are damaged and burst, and the plaques begin to bleed.
The first symptoms of psoriasis can appear anywhere, but more often than not, the skin starts to crack and bleed. Event location:
- elbows;
- knees;
- brushes;
- palms and soles.
Pustules with psoriasis
Pustules with white or yellowish fluid inside, which appear on psoriatic plaques, are the main symptom of pustular psoriasis. This is a rare form of psoriasis, and only 2% of patients develop pustules. Pustular psoriasis is a very dangerous condition. It can cause serious complications, so it requires urgent complex treatment and referral to a specialist.
How do pustules form? How does pustular psoriasis begin?
- First, in pustular psoriasis, plaques form, formed by dry, reddened skin that is painful to the touch.
- Then pustules filled with pus form on the plaques.
- Pustules quickly merge with each other, creating large blisters.
- They are then dried and peeled off, leaving dry skin underneath which may soon reappear.
Tear plaques for psoriasis
Small reddish or pink scaly nodules - spots on the skin that look like drops - are a symptom that distinguishes psoriasis in the form of tears. The patient may experience several to hundreds of tear-shaped elements. Nodules anywhere on the skin, but most commonly occur at:
- shoulders;
- stomach;
- back;
- hands;
- legs;
- scalp;
- ears;
- face.
The symptoms of gouty psoriasis develop quite quickly, within a few days. Sometimes tear-shaped plaques cause itching in psoriasis. Usually such elements are small, no more than 10 mm wide.
Tear-shaped psoriasis often flares up after an infection, mainly of the respiratory tract.
Pain in psoriasis
Pain in the projection of the rash occurs when the skin is damaged and cracked as a result of excessive thickening caused by inflammation and abundant growth of keratinocytes. As a result, the nerve endings in the dermis become irritated and send a pain signal to the brain.
But pain doesn’t just occur because of mechanical damage to the skin: inflammation that occurs in the body with psoriasis affects how the brain perceives pain. Moreover, each person has an individual threshold of sensitivity to pain, so pain in patients with the same picture of the disease can cause a different reaction.
42% of patients complain of pain in the projection of lesions caused by psoriasis. To a greater extent, this symptom is common among:
- women;
- old people;
- patients with severe psoriasis;
- patients who have psoriasis for a long time;
- patients with concomitant psoriasis.
Exfoliation (dandruff) in psoriasis
Scalp psoriasis plaques are hidden and may not be visible. However, as in other parts of the body, psoriatic plaques peel off, forming dandruff-like scales. Don’t confuse flaking psoriasis with dandruff because dandruff is caused by a fungal infection and psoriasis is caused by inflammation. Therefore, these symptoms need to be treated in different ways.
Like other symptoms of psoriasis, peeling occurs during exacerbation and disappears during remission. Worsening of scalp psoriasis occurs for various reasons:
- cold weather;
- dry air;
- stress.
Comment on what to do when peeling and inflammation appear in psoriasis
Nail changes in psoriasis
- Half of patients with psoriasis develop nail psoriasis, and in patients with psoriatic arthritis this symptom occurs in 80% of cases. As a rule, the defeat of nail plates precedes the development of psoriatic arthritis.
- Typically, nail psoriasis accompanies other types of skin psoriasis. Only 5-10% of patients with nail psoriasis do not have skin lesions.
- Nail psoriasis occurs in different patients, regardless of their age, gender or duration of the disease.
- The changes can affect all or part of the nail plate. They appear on one or several nail plates, and more often on the hands.
- Nail psoriasis usually accompanies common (vulgar) psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis.
- Psoriasis affects the condition of the nails in different ways. They can grow faster or get fatter. The nail plate often turns white, yellow or brown.
- Depressions and streaks of the thimble type appear on the nail.
- With the progression of the psoriasis process, the nail begins to decay and is eventually rejected, losing touch with the nail.
- Nail damage causes unpleasant and painful sensations that significantly reduce the quality of life.