Psoriasis is a common skin disease of neurogenic etiology. The disease is not contagious and does not spread from person to person. Most often, psoriasis becomes chronic due to its latent course. Usually, the disease develops in people under 30 years of age, but it can also occur in old age.
External symptoms may be absent, the clinical picture of the disease depends on its type and stage. Most often, psoriasis begins with the appearance of bright red spots, which are covered with dry scales, so the disease has a second name - squamous lichen.
Skin spots can be of different sizes, some can combine into one affected area of the skin and protrude significantly above the surface.
Psoriasis causes physical and moral discomfort to the patient, the disease periodically worsens, in between, a period of remission occurs and the symptoms subside.
Skin spots are called psoriatic plaques or papules, most often they affect the elbows and knees, spread to the head and in the lumbar region. Plaques can affect other parts of the body, depending on the type of disease. Treatment can last for more than one year.
Causes of the onset of the disease
Psoriasis causes several causes associated with various factors, both external and internal:
- a common cause is genetic inheritance;
- the disease can develop due to constant stress, anxiety, shock, depression and mental disorders;
- various autoimmune diseases and a malfunction of the immune system create ideal conditions on the surface of the skin for the onset of disease;
- chronic psoriasis can also cause metabolic disorders, as well as malfunction of the endocrine system.
The type of psoriasis and its course depend on the etiology of the disease.
Classification of psoriasis
The disease has various forms, on which the external manifestation and symptoms depend:
- The most common form of the disease is scaly psoriasis. The surface of the skin is covered with red or pink patches covered with scales. They are in stark contrast to healthy skin, denser and raised above the underlying surface. The scaly layer is easily removed and, if disturbed, begins to bleed, which causes severe itching and burning. When the disease worsens, the spots can grow and merge with each other, forming large lesions.
- Guttate psoriasis looks different, the spots can be pink or purple, during the period of exacerbation they become brighter. The scales can be larger and resemble droplets in appearance, they can also merge into large areas.
- Another form of psoriasis, which affects only the places of folds and skin folds - elbows, armpits, areas under the fat folds of the abdomen or chest, in the groin. The spots are smooth, even, do not cause itching and do not have scales. If there is friction with clothing in the affected areas, the surface of the stains is easily injured.
- The chronic form of nail psoriasis is also common, mainly the nail plate on the fingers or toes is affected. Nails lose their shape, deform and change color. The nails begin to thicken and exfoliate, the disease can provoke the loss of the nail plate. In the initial stage, nail psoriasis is easily confused with a fungal infection, so you need to see a doctor for diagnosis and proper treatment.
- The most severe form of the disease is pustular, characterized by the appearance of blisters filled with a light-colored liquid, which can easily be broken by rubbing clothes. When pustules are destroyed, pus forms in them and secondary infection of the skin occurs. This form of psoriasis is dangerous because it can cover almost the entire body, which aggravates its course.
- Rheumatoid psoriasis affects not only the surface of the skin, but also joints and periarticular soft tissues. This mainly concerns the knees, shoulder and hip joints. Lesions are manifested not only by external symptoms, but also by pain inside the joint, which brings additional suffering to the patient. If the hands or feet are affected, there is swelling of the fingers, their sensitivity decreases and deformation begins. In the most severe and neglected form, the patient can lose the sensitivity of the limbs and become disabled.
All these forms can progress alone, or they can appear together, it all depends on the severity of the disease.
Stages of psoriasis
The chronic form of the disease has different stages, each of them has its own symptoms and characteristics:
- with a progressive stage, spots covered with scales rapidly appear and increase in size. They are usually red in color, but can change their shades depending on the form of the disease. The skin in these places is very itchy, burning and painful;
- in a stable stage, the disease does not cause painful sensations, it flows measuredly, the scales grow gradually, they can periodically merge;
- with a regressing stage, papules can resolve themselves, they do not cause any concern other than external signs.
Psoriasis is a chronic disease that alternates between exacerbation and remission.
Reasons for exacerbation
An exacerbation of the disease can be caused by many reasons, both external and internal:
- prolonged exposure to cold with frostbite of the skin;
- violation of the hormonal background of the body during puberty, pregnancy or menopause;
- long-term therapy with certain drugs (antibiotics), self-medication, violation of the dosage when taking complex vitamins and herbal supplements;
- the disease can be exacerbated by climate change or exposure to sunlight;
- alcohol abuse can not only provoke an exacerbation of the disease, but also complicate its course;
- trauma, burns, frostbite and other mechanical damage to the skin always cause exacerbation of psoriasis;
- infection with viruses and bacteria can cause an outbreak, and sometimes a common respiratory illness causes an exacerbation of skin diseases.
The rheumatoid form of psoriasis has a seasonal exacerbation:
- in summer - in case of being in the sun;
- in winter - due to hypothermia.
The ultraviolet ray helps the papules heal, but the infrared rays from the sun irritate the skin.
Psoriasis is diagnosed without much difficulty, the disease has vivid symptoms, additional studies in the form of a blood test and a biopsy of the skin are carried out in order to exclude other diseases.
Treatment
Today's medicine has made great strides in the treatment of skin diseases, including psoriasis, there are several methods that can be used to treat an advanced form of the disease. The doctor determines the method of treatment on a purely individual basis, based on the form, stage, causes and symptoms. Treatment is always carried out in a comprehensive manner, combining drug therapy and physical therapy.
Drug treatment includes the use of both internal and external drugs:
- to eliminate skin pathologies, ointments based on salicylic acid, sulfur, dithranol and urea are used;
- glucocorticoid ointments;
- lotions for the treatment of the scalp.
In the exacerbation stage, hormonal ointments are used to eliminate the inflammatory process, treatment is always started with less strong ones. If the disease starts to progress again, use strong fluoridated agents. They are used for two weeks to achieve the result.
For the elderly and children, ointments with the least side effect are used.
With an increase in dosage, dithranol-based ointments are prescribed to eliminate the inflammatory process, itching and swelling.
Preparation with kalcipotriolhas a direct medicinal effect on pathogenetic provoking factors. It has anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects. Usually, a course of treatment in two months has a noticeable positive result, the rash on the skin may disappear altogether. This remedy has no side effect in the form of skin atrophy and has a persistent effect. The medicine is used in the treatment of a teardrop-shaped form of psoriasis, which is difficult to treat.
All medications must be alternated, otherwise addiction may occur and the body will stop responding to them.
Treatment with aromatic retinoids is also considered effective.
In addition to drug therapy, a number of requirements must be met for successful treatment:
- follow a dietary diet;
- take the necessary vitamins under the supervision of a doctor;
- avoid stressful situations, in case of a depressive state, you must consult a doctor to prescribe the necessary funds;
- protect the affected areas from contact with chemicals as much as possible, especially hands and nails;
- wear only cotton clothes so as not to cause additional skin irritation;
- do not consume alcoholic beverages and confectionery, and contact with allergens should also be avoided.
If all the recommendations and treatment rules are followed, it is possible to achieve remission of the disease, and in some cases - a complete cure.