How psoriasis starts: symptoms, photos, treatment

Psoriasis is one of the most common skin pathologies. It can occur in patients of any age. The etiology of the disease has not yet been fully established, so it is impossible to completely cure psoriasis. That is why it is so important to recognize it at an early stage of development. In this article, we will analyze what psoriasis is, how it manifests itself and how to treat it.

What is psoriasis

Psoriasis is a polyethiological skin disease that manifests as a monomorphic rash.The pathology is chronic. Psoriasis flows in waves, periods of relapse and remission are possible.

A relapse can be triggered by lack of proper treatment, alcohol abuse, stress, etc. The rash in adults and children spreads gradually, increasingly involving new areas of the skin. Psoriasis is characterized by the formation of high, reddish, dry patches with a scaly silvery-white surface. This rash is called psoriatic plaques.

Most of the time, psoriasis is seen in the region of the folds of the elbow and knee, on the buttocks, that is, in the places of greatest pressure and friction. In some cases, the rash occurs on the scalp, palms, feet and vulva. Psoriatic plaques on the face are very rare.

Causes of occurrence

Many people wonder whether psoriasis is contagious to others or not. The pathology is not contagious, that is, it is not transmitted to other people. Among the reasons for the appearance of psoriasis are:

1. Hereditary predisposition.
2. Endocrine diseases (diabetes mellitus, thyroid dysfunction).
3. Stress, neuropsychiatric stress.
4. Parasitic invasions (giardiasis, ascariasis, swine or bovine tapeworm).
5. Metabolic pathologies (a particular danger is silicon deficiency).
6. Predisposition of allergy.
7. Infectious diseases of a viral nature.
8. Weak immune system.
9. Long-term medication intake.

In most cases, psoriasis is felt between the ages of 15 and 30, with one or more causes.According to medical statistics, more than 60% of patients with psoriasis have relatives who suffer from this disease.

The first symptoms of psoriasis

To recognize how psoriasis begins, you must become familiar with the main signs of the disease. You should be alerted:

• the formation of brightly colored skin rashes with clearly protruding edges (most often they appear at the site of the lesions - burns, cuts, cold ulcerations);
• the appearance of flaking in the central part of the plate;
• itching of psoriatic formations (it manifests only in half of the cases due to weakened immunity);
• swelling and inflammation in the area where the rash appears.

At first, the rash is very small, about the size of a pinhead. They have a hemispherical shape and a smooth, shiny surface. After a few days, the rash increases in size and is covered with clear scales, which are easily separated. When the plaque is scraped, droplets of blood appear on its surface, which indicates bleeding from small dots.

Sometimes, psoriasis can be complicated by exudative phenomena (serous fluid). The scales absorb this exudate and form a rough crust. If you remove it, crying areas will remain under it. These phenomena are dangerous due to the addition of a secondary bacterial infection.

Typically, initial psoriasis lasts 2 to 3 weeks.If left untreated, the plaques grow to 5-7 cm, fuse and form entire clusters, covering large areas of the skin.

What does psoriasis look like in the early stage?

Now let's take a look at what psoriasis looks like at the beginning of its development in different locations. For added convenience of perception, we present the corresponding photos.

1. Legs. . . The disease begins with a single, small rash, located mainly on the knees and feet, but can also be seen on any surface of the legs.

2. Elbows. . . In most cases, a type of psoriasis plaque appears in this location, which is characterized by small skin rashes with very strong flaking. On the elbows, the skin becomes rough.

3. Arms. . . At this point, psoriasis occurs suddenly in the form of a small rash, which many people mistake for an allergy. Only after the appearance of dry scales do people go to the doctor. Often, the rash is located between the fingers.

4. Head. . . Psoriasis usually affects the scalp, ears and the nape of the neck. The rash in this area is characterized by moist, almost always itchy scales.

5. Guy. . . The rash affects the nasolabial folds, eyelids, eyebrows and eyes. This form of psoriasis is considered to be atypical.

6. Nails. . . Nail psoriasis is more like a fungal disease. First, longitudinal stripes or dots appear on the edge of the nails and then spread to the roots. In this case, the nail plate itself becomes opaque and thick.

Psoriasis treatment

Therapy should begin with a visit to a dermatologist.In no case should self-medication be practiced. The treatment of psoriasis in the initial phase must be comprehensive. Nowadays, new treatment methods have been developed that help to completely eliminate scaly skin rashes, although they do not completely cure the disease itself. During therapy, it is necessary to exclude all factors that cause the worsening of the pathology, change the diet and adhere to a special diet.

Drug therapy

Tactics for treating psoriasis at an early stage are gradually changing. If previous hormonal drugs of general action were prescribed, local agents are now widely used.

The following ointments are well relieved from the manifestations of psoriasis:

1. Keratolytic and moisturizing.
2. Vegetable.
3. Glucocorticoid.
4. Cytostatic.
5. Based on solid oil.
6. Oil based.

In addition, the doctor may prescribe sedatives, antihistamines for severe itching, immunomodulators and vitamin and mineral complexes. Treatment should also include physical therapy. The following methods are widely used:

• paraffin baths;
• PUVA therapy;
• UV irradiation;
• sulfide and radon baths.

Electro-sleep and magnetic laser therapy has a beneficial effect. Cryotherapy (cold treatment) and hirudotherapy (leech therapy) are gaining popularity.

When treating psoriasis on the scalp, do not scratch the skin. The head should be washed daily with therapeutic shampoos with zinc, tar, selenium sulfide.

Home treatment

Before using any prescription, you must consult a doctor so that it does not cause complications to develop.Treatment with traditional medicine is mainly aimed at strengthening the immune system and relieving the inflammatory process. Therefore, it is necessary to drink vitamin teas - decoctions of wild rose, lemon, viburnum, raspberry, chamomile, etc. It is recommended to add honey to herbal teas.

The most effective home remedies include:

1. Celandine. . . Relieves inflammation and soothes the skin. The plates must be lubricated daily with the juice of this plant.
2. Hydrogen peroxide. . . First, dilute the peroxide with water in a 1: 3 ratio and use a solution to lubricate the psoriatic rash to disinfect. Use before applying ointments or lotions.
3. Linseed oil. . . Perfectly relieves inflammation and heals the skin. Apply to the affected area twice a day.
4. Sodium bicarbonate. . . Neutralizes the acidity of the skin, which increases with psoriasis.
5. Solidol. . . Excellent at the beginning of the disease. It is necessary to lubricate the affected areas before sleeping.

Prevention and recommendations

Prevention is essential to reduce the risk of psoriasis. Follow these guidelines:

• moisturize your skin regularly with creams;
• avoid damage to the skin in the form of burns, scratches, bites, etc. ;
• strengthen immunity, play sports and walk more outdoors;
• giving up bad habits (smoking, drinking alcohol);
• only take medicines prescribed by your doctor.

It is important to note separately about a special diet for psoriasis.It helps to achieve remission more quickly and reduces the duration of disease recurrences. The table below shows a list of permitted, prohibited and restricted foods.

Products	Allowed	Limited use	Prohibited
Fish and meat	turkey, chicken, rabbit, lean river fish	lean meat and lamb	pig, sea fish
Cereals and flour products	oats, buckwheat, millet, barley, corn, wheat flakes	rice	semolina, pastries, baked wheat flour, bread
Dairy products	low fat cottage cheese, skimmed milk	kefir, fermented boiled milk, sour cream	cheese
Vegetables	carrot, broccoli, cucumber, asparagus, lettuce, green beans	corn, pumpkin	peppers, tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant
Fruits and berries	kiwi, pineapple, mango, grape, nectarine, cherry	plum, blueberry, currant, cranberry, avocado	strawberry, citrus, red apple
Nuts	almond	pine nuts	other
Candy	dried apricots, raisins, dates	honey	chocolate, sweets and other confectionery
Spices	dill, parsley, chives	horseradish, garlic, onion	pepper, cloves, nutmeg
Oils	sunflower, olive, cottonseed, corn	butter	spread, margarine
The drinks	herbal teas, juices, jams	Green tea	black tea, coffee, soft drinks, alcohol

Don't forget your drinking regime. You need to drink 1, 5-2 liters of drinking water a day.

Psoriasis is a very unpleasant skin disease that causes many inconveniences. It cannot be completely eliminated, however, with a competent approach to treatment, a stable remission can be achieved. To do this, you need to see a dermatologist. In the early stage, psoriasis responds well to drug therapy. Do not self-medicate, as this can only worsen the course of the disease.