A chronic illness lasts a long time, sometimes for years - the almost complete disappearance of the signs of pathology can be replaced by a period of relapse, and then the body is again covered by a rash. These are the characteristic symptoms of skin psoriasis. It is necessary to know everything about the disease, including how psoriasis is in the initial phase, as it depends on the rapid detection and treatment of the disease.
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 to get infected by close contact with sick people. Another thing is when a disease that causes unpleasant, painful and itchy sensations is accompanied by itching. Through microscopic wounds and damage to the epidermis, any infection quickly enters the bloodstream and the person is infected.
In medicine, many causes that can lead to the disease are known:
- Pathologies of Organs endocrine organs, causing hormonal changes;
- Regular stresses, strong experiences and shocks lead to the same disorders;
- Inadequate food, lack of nutrients, minerals and vitamins can cause psoriasis;
- Low immunity, weakened by bad habits, deficiency of vitamin D3 and silicon, nervous shocks, frequent colds and hypothermia;
- Unfavorable living conditions and climate;
- Disturbance of metabolic processes, in particular, in layers of skin, because of what exactly takes the stroke of the disease in the form of an itchy rash.
The medications taken can also cause anomalies, if they have a long course and strong effect, the body's immune reaction to allergens can be an aggravating factor. And, of course, the onset of psoriasis is often associated with previous infections that have not been completely cured or have had serious complications.
The defeat of the disease is of a local and general 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 have different evolution and symptoms.
Types of illnesses by the nature of the course
The disease develops cyclically - this is a gradual change and an increase in typical symptoms.
There are three main phases:
- Progressive psoriasisThere are two main steps. During the first, a characteristic rash develops actively, which causes the patient an unpleasant burning sensation, pain, intense itching. As a result, normal appetite, sleep are disrupted, a person at this point is subject to irritability, depression, neurosis. The second stage is remission, restoration of normal appearance and condition of the epidermis, spots of pigmentation remain in place of psoriatic wounds, slightly darker than normal skin color. The progressive stage is a typical clinical picture of a chronic disease. When there is no treatment, the rehabilitation periods are short and very soon a further exacerbation of the pathology can be expected;
- Stationary stage of psoriasis- this is a stable condition of the patient, when the symptoms do not disappear, but neither do new papules appear. At the same time, the growth of existing stains, which begin to detach actively, stops temporarily. The patient cherishes the hope that, after the peeling, the red plaques raised above the skin will heal and disappear, but this does not happen - after one stratum corneum appears another and so on, until the infinite. At least during the stationary stage of psoriasis, the patient does not experience unbearable itching, causing itching and insomnia;
- The last step- the regression period. Over time, there is a gradual decrease in the plaque-shaped crust, the wounds 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 frequently in winter and autumn, in others, the sun's rays affect the deterioration of the condition, however, there is a variant of exacerbations out of season, 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 do exist. The impetus can be a cold, stress at work, mild food poisoning or an allergic reaction.
Many are interested in knowing how psoriasis manifests itself, because at first a person may mistake small reddish lumps spread on different parts of the body for an allergic rash. And if it is a pustular appearance, small pus blisters appear on the epidermis, which can easily be mistaken for hives. In addition, in some cases, the initial stage is accompanied by itching. Therefore, the question of whether psoriasis itch in 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 protruding, pink or red nodule; this inflammation has a superficial layer on which small plates of dry scales and corneas are located. A detailed examination shows that, at first, the stratum corneum is 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 - there are the internal and external folds of the knee, elbow joints, the entire surface of the lower and upper extremities, hands, palms and soles, groin, buttocks, back, chest. Elements of the rash tend to appear in 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 spread throughout the body become covered with a gray crust in just two or three days. In medicine, this is called the punctual form of the disease.
Thereafter, the growth of new wounds continues, after which they can join and merge into solid areas. A characteristic of the pathology is that papules can also occur at the site of bruises, other lesions, if the disease starts to progress.
If the onset of the first inflammation is usually not accompanied by an itchy, progressive course, it becomes painful and the patient needs to be treated with local hormonal medications.
Initiated psoriasis can lead the patient to a severe physical and mental state.
The growth of the plaque interferes with walking, sitting and performing simple human actions. In addition, patients with this disease are prone to serious nervous and mental illnesses.
Some forms cause the destruction of blood vessels, nerve endings, joints, psoriatic lesions can even destroy bone tissue. Without treatment, a person can become disabled, so you need to go to the doctor in case of early manifestations of the disease.
Diagnosis and treatment
Before performing laboratory and instrumental exams, 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 the 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 injury, 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 infection at the focus of inflammation;
- Clinical blood test for leukocyte concentration;
- Immunological test for allergic predisposition;
- X-ray, ultrasound, determination of the state of internal organs, joint cavities, bones;
- The differential diagnosis helps to exclude diseases such as syphilis, seborrheic eczema, lichen rose, rheumatism and other disorders with similar symptoms.
In most cases, it is impossible to get rid of the pathology permanently, but early treatment can help to reduce the number and quality of relapses, even long periods of regression.
The complex treatment offers:
- Conservative therapy with steroids and non-steroids, 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 to 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 that help to increase the body's defenses;
- Ointments and creams applied topically to relieve 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 inadequate nutrition and perform water supply procedures every day to avoid complications from the disease. And, of course, for a successful rehabilitation, you need to see a doctor as soon as possible.