Psoriasis — causes, symptoms and treatment photo

Psoriasis is known skin disease of a chronic nature, accompanied by the appearance of red patches that have silvery-white scales. According to statistics, the disease affects about 3 percent people of the total population of the planet.

The main symptoms of psoriasis characterized by the appearance of the skin rash nodules are bright pink, covered with silvery scales. Elements of the rash may merge in various configuration resembling a geographic map. Accompanied by moderate itching.

Typically, the disease affects areas of the skin on the head, elbow and knee joints in the lower back. Also known psoriasis of the nails, external genital organs and joints, however, these forms are much rarer compared to the skin lesions.

The disease can develop at any age, but most often psoriasis affects people of young age. In this article we will tell you all about psoriasis — symptoms, treatment, diet and folk remedies that will help to treat the disease at home.

Causes of psoriasis

The cause of psoriasis is unknown, but the disease can provoke immunological changes in the body (autoimmune aggression), neurological disorders, disorders metabolic. Contribute to the emergence of psoriasis heredity, impaired immune system after illness, stress.

One of the main theories of the origin of psoriasis is the hypothesis of so-called genetic factor. Generally psoriasis in children up to 10 years, is the hereditary form of the disease is in the family, the baby is almost always possible to find a relative suffering from the same disease. But if the psoriasis manifests itself in adulthood, doctors suggest that the disease has a different nature of origin is bacterial or viral.

Factors that contribute to the development of psoriasis:

• genetic predisposition;
• thin dry skin;
• external irritants;
• excessive hygiene;
• bad habits;
• taking certain medications can trigger the disease (beta-blockers, antidepressants, anticonvulsants (fungi and Staphylococcus aureus);
• stress.

The international day of psoriasis (World Psoriasis Day) is celebrated every year on 29 October under the patronage of the International Federation of psoriasis associations (IFPA). For the first time this day was celebrated in 2004. Contagious psoriasis?

Numerous studies have confirmed that psoriasis is not contagious. The presence of several family members of patients with psoriasis due to possible inherited (genetic) disease transmission.

Stage of development

There are three stages of psoriasis:

1. Progressive — new rash, the patient was worried about the intense itching.
2. Stationary — the appearance of new lesions stops already beginning to heal.
3. Regressiruyushayf — psevdoatroficheskie are formed around the centers of the rims, in the center of large plaques in visible areas of healthy skin; however, the disease resembles hyperpigmentation on the affected areas the place the skin is more dark than the healthy colour.

Also psoriasis usually klassificeret by severity into light (lose less than 3 % of the surface of the skin), moderate severity (with lesions from 3 to 10 per cent of the surface of the skin) and severe (involving more than 10 per cent of the surface of the skin). Joint damage is regarded as a severe form of psoriasis, regardless of the area affected of the skin.

The first signs

It is recommended to consult a doctor if the following signs:

• Red convex spots (plaques) covered with dry white or silvery scales.
• Spots often appear on the elbows and knees, however the rash can be anywhere on the body: scalp, hands, nails and face.
• Deformed nails;
• Strong exfoliation of dead skin cells (like dandruff);
• Blisters on the palms and soles, painful cracks in the skin.

The symptoms of psoriasis

Psoriasis is a systemic disease that affects not only the skin and nails. It affects the joints, tendons, and spine, immune, nervous and endocrine systems. Often affects the kidneys, liver, thyroid. The patient feels fatigued, suffers from chronic fatigue and depression. Such a complex effect on the body, the disease in recent years is called psoriaticheskoy disease.

Psoriasis and its symptoms are characterized by homogeneous rash in the form of plaques with a diameter of 1-3 mm to 2-3 cm, pink-red color, covered sitting silvery-white scales. The result of the regional growth elements may coalesce into plaques of various sizes and shapes, sometimes occupying extensive areas of the skin. Plaques usually located on the skin razgibatelnoy surfaces of the extremities, especially the elbow and knee joints, torso and scalp.

1. Blyashkovidnyi psoriasis, or plain psoriasis, psoriasis vulgaris, simple psoriasis (psoriasis vulgaris) (L40.0) is the most common form of psoriasis. It is observed in 80 % — 90 % of all patients with psoriasis. Blyashkovidnyi psoriasis vulgaris most often manifests in the form of a typical over the surface of healthy skin sites inflamed, red, hot skin, covered with gray or silvery white, scaly, dry and thickened skin. Red skin under the easily removable gray or silver layer is easily damaged and bleeds, as it contains a large number of small vessels. These sites are typical psoriatic lesions are called plaques psoriaticheskimi.Psoriaticheskie plaques tend to increase in size and merge with neighboring plaques, forming the whole plate plaques ("paraffin lakes").
2. Psoriasis sgibatelnyh surfaces (flexural psoriasis), or "inverse psoriasis" (inverse psoriasis) (L40.83-4) usually appears as a smooth or with minimal peeling, not especially protruding above the surface of the skin red inflamed spots, which are located exclusively in the skin folds, with no or minimal lesions in other areas of the skin. Most often, this form of psoriasis affects the folds in the vulva, groin, inner thighs, underarms, under folds increased when overweight stomach (pannus psoriatic), and in the skin folds under the Breasts in women. This form of psoriasis is particularly vulnerable to deterioration under the influence of friction injury to the skin and sweat, and is often accompanied or complicated by secondary fungal infection or streptokokkovoy piodermiey.
3. Guttate psoriasis (guttate psoriasis) (L40.4) is characterized by the presence of a large number of small, dry, red or purple (up to purple), similar in shape to the drops, tear or small dots, circles elements of destruction. Psoriaticheskie these items are normally usipayut a large surface of skin, most commonly the thighs, but can also occur on the forearms, shoulders, scalp, back, neck. Guttate psoriasis is often first develops or is exacerbated after streptokokkovoy of infection in typical cases — after streptokokkovoy sore throat or streptokokkovogo faringita.
4. Pustulyozniy psoriasis (L40.1-3, L40.82) or exudative psoriasis is the most severe of skin forms of psoriasis looks like raised above the surface of the healthy skin vesicles or blisters filled with clear akssudatom inflammatory (pustules). The skin under and above the surface and around the pustules is red, hot, inflamed and thickened, it peels off easily. There may be a secondary infection of the pustules, in this case, the exudate becomes purulent. Pustulyozniy psoriasis can be limited, localized, with the most frequent localization are the ends of the limbs (arms and legs), that is, lower leg and forearm, it is called palmoplantarniy pustulyoz (palmoplantar pustulosis). In other more severe cases Pustulyozniy psoriasis can be disturbing, with widespread pustules across the surface of the body and the tendency to merge them into larger pustules.
5. Nail psoriasis or psoriaticheskaya onihodisrtofiya (L40.86) leads to different changes in the appearance of the nails on the fingers or toes. These changes may include any combination of color change of the nails and nail bed , the appearance of the nails and under the nails dots, spots, thickening of the skin under the nails and around the nail bed, separation and thickening of the nail, complete loss of nails (oniholizis) or the development of increased brittle nails.
6. Psoriatic arthritis (L40.5), or psoriaticheskaya artropatiya, artropatichskyi psoriasis is accompanied by inflammation of the joints and connective tissue. Psoriatic arthritis can affect any joints, but most often the small joints of distal phalanges of fingers and/or toes. It is typically causes swelling of the fingers and toes known as psoriatic daktilit. Psoriatic arthritis can also affect the tazobedrenye, knee joints,plechelopatyi the joint, the joints of the spine (psoriatic spondylitis). Sometimes psoriatic arthritis knee or hip joints and especially psoriatic spondylitis is more pronounced, which leads to severe disability of the patient, inability to move without special tools. Mortality in these most severe forms of psoriatic arthritis is increased, since the immobilization of the patient in the bed contributes to pressure sores and pneumonia. Approximately 10 to 15 percent of patients with psoriasis also suffer from psoriatic arthritis.
7. psoriaticheskaya aritrodermiya (L40.85), or aritrodermicheskyi psoriasis appears widespread, often disturbing inflammation and desquamation, otsloykoy skin on the whole or a large part of the surface of the skin. Psoriaticheskaya aritrodermiya may be accompanied by intense itching, edema of the skin and subcutaneous tissue,skin soreness.psoriaticheskaya aritrodermiya is often the result of exacerbation of psoriasis vulgaris in its unstable course, especially when a sudden abrupt cancellation of systemic therapy or local glucocorticoids. Can also occur as a result of provocation alcohol, neuro-mental stress, interkurrentnymi infections (such as colds). This form of psoriasis can be fatal because the extreme inflammation and peeling or exfoliation of the skin break the body's ability to regulate body temperature and barrier function of the skin, which may be complicated by generalized piodermiey or sepsis. However, a limited, localized psoriaticheskaya aritrodermiya may even be the first symptom of psoriasis, after transforming into a vulgar blyashkovidnyi psoriasis.

The symptoms of psoriasis vary depending on the particular season and stage. Many patients experienced "winter" variety of the disease, where periods of exacerbation there in the late fall or winter. The disease

Psoriasis is a chronic disease, usually characterized by an undulating course, with periods of spontaneous or caused by these or other health effects remissiy or improvements and periods of spontaneous or provoked by adverse external influences (alcohol, interkurrentnye infections, stress) recurrences or exacerbations.

The severity of the disease may vary in different patients and even in one and the same patient during the periods of remission and exacerbation in a very wide range, from small local lesions to fully cover the whole body psoriaticheskimi plaques.

Often there is a tendency to progression of the disease over time (especially if untreated), to the weighting and increased frequency of exacerbations, increase the area affected, and involvement of new areas of the skin. In some patients there is a continuous course of the disease without spontaneous remissiy , or even a continuous progression. Often also affects the nails on the hands and/or feet (psoriaticheskaya onihodisrtofiya). Nail involvement may be isolated and observed in the absence of cutaneous lesions.

Psoriasis can also cause inflammation of the joints, the so-called psoriaticheskuyu artropatiyu or psoriatic arthritis. From 10 to 15% of patients with psoriasis also suffer from psoriatic arthritis.