All the information on the psoriasis: causes, symptoms, types.

Psoriasis, or scaly ringworm is a chronic disease, affecting the skin and its appendages: nails and hair. Characterized by periods of worsening condition (relapses) and temporal well-being when the manifestation of the disease is less. This disease is not contagious and the patient is not dangerous to others. Because the development of psoriasis is not related to micro-organisms.

Psoriasis occurs most often at the age of 15 to 45 years. Him more vulnerable to the skin clear. In the developed countries, the number of patients with psoriasis reached 2% to 4% of the population. It suffers every 25th inhabitant of the country on all the continents.

This problem deals with the huge number of health facilities. Therefore, psoriasis has been recognized to be most to the study of the disease. But all the same, the disease is not the end studied. Officially, it is considered incurable and raises a lot of questions.

Psoriasis is called the specific immune cells of the body. They rise from the lower layers of the skin in the upper, causing inflammation, proliferation of cells of the epidermis and the education of small capillaries.

The manifestations of psoriasis on the skin are quite diverse. Most often the disease causes the appearance of red spots – psoriatic plaques. They are dry to the touch, rise above the surface of the skin and covered with white bloom.

psoriasis

Types of psoriasis

The disease is divided into two major groups: pustular and non-pustulous psoriasis.

Non-pustulous psoriasis

  • ordinary (vulgar) or a simple psoriasis (plaque-like psoriasis is chronic stable psoriasis)
  • psoriatic erythroderma or erythrodermal psoriasis

Are the pustular psoriasis

  • are the pustular psoriasis background Tsumbush or general pustular psoriasis
  • palmoplantary psoriasis are pustular psoriasis members, chronic persistent palmoplantary pustules)
  • annulary are pustular psoriasis
  • palmo-plantar psoriasis
  • herpetiform psoriatic impetigo

Advanced release of these types of psoriasis

  • seborrheic psoriasis
  • psoriasis flexural surfaces and folds cutans
  • psoriasis Napkin
  • psoriasis is caused by medication

Depending on the degree of severity of the emerging forms of psoriasis

  • Easy – hit of less than 3 % of the skin.
  • Severity medium 3-10% of the skin is covered with plates.
  • Heavy – there is joint damage, or involved more than 10% of the skin.

The causes of psoriasis

To this day, no clear answer to the question: "why is psoriasis?". The scientists put forward several theories.

Psoriasis – an autoimmune disease. In its function of a failure of the immunity. The immune cells T-killers and T-helpers, whose function is to protect the body against viruses, bacteria and tumor cells, for any reason, penetrate the upper layers of the skin. Here, they produce mediators of inflammation substances that "launch" an inflammatory reaction. Its result is reinforced by the division of the skin cells and their reproduction (proliferation).

Psoriasis is a disease that is caused by a disruption of the growth, division and maturation of skin cells - the keratinocytes. The result of these changes in the skin from the attack of the immune cells T lymphocytes and macrophages on the cells of the skin.

treatment

The factors that contribute to the development of psoriasis

The doctors pointed to a number of factors that can cause the onset of the disease. Of course, the more often the psoriasis occurs when the body is at the time of many of these conditions.

  1. A hereditary predisposition. There is a version that genes, which are responsible for the functioning of the immune system and the function of T lymphocytes, are carriers of the disease. Therefore, parents who suffer from manifestations of psoriasis, the likelihood of giving birth to children that develop the same symptoms.
  2. Thin, dry skin. It has been noted that people with such traits of the skin are more often sick than those who have oily skin and well hydrated. This is probably due to security features of oil and particularits the structure of the skin.
  3. External factors irritants. A high percentage of patients among these people that are constantly in contact with solutions of alcohol, solvents, household products, cosmetics (lotions, cream for the hands).
  4. The excessive hygiene – the excessive love of purity is also undermines the protective properties of the skin. Soaps, shower gels, and the wool is washed to the protective barrier of the and leave behind a microscopic injury.
  5. Bad habits – addiction to alcohol, tobacco, and drugs bad effect on the condition of the skin. Worsens its nutrition and blood circulation.
  6. HIV or Aids patients are more vulnerable to the onset of psoriasis. Scientists can not explain this phenomenon. The fact that psoriasis is known to increase the activity of lymphocytes, and hiv / Aids, their number decreases.
  7. Medications – certain medications can cause a disease. Among them: beta-blockers, antidepressants, anticonvulsants, and medications, lithium carbonate.
  8. Infection (fungal and staph). Very often, there have been cases where psoriasis is appeared immediately after fungal infections or diseases caused by streptococcus.
  9. Transfers – the climate change or even the time of year, the degradation of the environment can become a trigger for this disease.
  10. The stress – strong emotional or physical stress (prolonged periods of cold, overheating, an accident) prior to the onset of the first symptoms of psoriasis.
  11. An injury permanent effects on the skin: pressure, friction, combing. Such regular injury can cause the appearance to this place first of the psoriatic plaques.
  12. Allergic of the state – of allergic skin rashes and the processes that occur in it, in all layers of the skin, also increase the risk of the disease.

What are the signs and symptoms of psoriasis?

Psoriasis is a systemic disease that affects not only the skin and nails. Him suffer from joint, tendon and spine, immune, nervous and endocrine system. Often affects the kidneys, the liver, the thyroid. The patient feels a strong weakness, suffering from chronic fatigue and depression. In the framework of this comprehensive action on the body, the disease in recent years, it is agreed to call the disease psoriatic.

But all the same the main symptoms of the disease occur on the pidermes. The name of "flakes ringworm" quite accurately passes the symptoms of psoriasis. The first manifestations often become papules, pink or bright red properly rounded, covered with scales – psoriatic of the plate. They are located symmetrically, mainly on the sides of the extension, the lower back and the scalp. But may affect the areas of skin and genital mucosal. Their size is of a few millimeters, at the beginning, to ten inches and more.

Depending on the characteristics of acne, share these forms of psoriasis:

  • Spot psoriasis – the size of the elements less than the head of a pin.
  • Guttate psoriasis – the papules are in the form of tears and reach the size of a grain.
  • Nummular psoriasis – platelets have increased to 3-5 mm and have a rounded edge.

Also make the distinction between the forms of the eruption, when its elements have a view of the rings, arches, and garlands, maps with jagged edges.

The papules are covered with flowers, which will come off easily. It consists of removing the dead cells of the epidermis. Psoriatic platelets are beginning to be covered with scales, and then the plate extends to the outside. Loose and a shiny appearance is explained by the fact that the dead cells of the skin which is riddled space filled with air. Around the elements that can form pink ring is a site of inflammation, a growth area of the plate. The skin around the elements of the eruption has not been changed.

Under the patina is detected smooth shiny bright red on the surface. It is the blood capillaries thin-walled, covered with a thin film. They become visible because of thinning of the upper layers of the skin. Normal structure of the skin is disrupted due to the fact that cells keratinocytes do not mature and do not have the normal time to make the difference.

Scalp psoriasis is a psoriatic plaque, which significantly rise above the skin. They are densely covered with scales, which are reminiscent of dandruff. By doing this, the hair is not dazzled. Skin rashes can be not only in the hair but smoothen the skin on the neck and behind the ears. These changes are explained in the assets of the division of the keratinocytes on the infested areas

Psoriasis of the feet and the palms of the hands is a thickening of the horny layer of the skin on these areas of the body. The skin becomes thick, rough. Often, it is permeated from the crack. This is due to intense division of cells that multiply to 8 times faster than usual, but does not remove the time on the surface of the skin.

Psoriasis of the nails is characterized by a variety of symptoms. But the most important are the two main types of lesions of the plates:

  1. On the type of "thimble". On the nail plate formed with small holes, similar to traces of bites.
  2. Depending on the type of onychomycosis. The lesions look like fungi on the nails. The nails to thicken, change color, exfoliate. Through the plate of the nail is visible psoriatic papule, surrounded by a red border. It has a view of oil stains, translucent through the nail.
the eruption

The signs and symptoms of psoriasis depend on the stage of the disease, which follow one another cyclically in the course of the year. Thus, in most patients, there are "winter" type of the disease, when the aggravation is the autumn-winter period. The improvement is due to the fact that the ultraviolet light from the sun has a healing effect. But some patients suffer "summer", a type.

Secrete a stage common to psoriasis:

  • progressive – the emergence of new elements, the growth plates, which rose from the growing area around them, the peeling and itching.
  • fixed – stop of the growth of the papules, the absence of a new rash, a little folding of the upper layer of the skin around the psoriatic plaques.
  • regressing– the absence of the peeling, the disappearance of the platelets and their appearance on the square patches of pigmentation, reflect the amortization process.

What are the skin rash of psoriasis?

Every body is different and reacts differently to the disease. Therefore, the nature of the rash may be very varied. It is this that explains the diversity of forms and types of psoriasis.

However, most people, the symptoms of psoriasis are similar. It is patches of red – colored psoriatic plaques, from 1 to 3 mm above the level of the healthy skin. Their appearance is due to the fact that the cells of the superficial layer of the skin – keratinocytes, divide very actively, without having the time to mature and become cells of the skin. In following this direction of pathological growth of certain areas of the skin thicken. This occurs under the action of the immune cells release chemicals that cause inflammation of the skin is reactivated.

The spots are red in color. And if you remove upper glitter, psa pad, its surface begins to cover the blood dew. This is due to the fact that, under the influence of T lymphocytes and immune function of dendritic cells occurs enhanced the formation of new blood vessels under the plaque. They have enough of the thin wall. This and causes bleeding in psoriatic arthritis blister at the slightest damage.

Sometimes, through the walls of these vessels infiltrates the lymph and inflammatory exudate. When this crust on the plate is thick, yellowish. Its surface is damp to the touch.

Above the plates may be covered with a silvery-gray or yellowish patina, which has the appearance of the paraffin. Therefore, they have a name – "the paraffin of the lake". It dead skin cells of the epithelium, the discharge that is disturbed and they accumulate on the surface of the affected area of the skin.

Stains, flaking, warmer than the rest of the skin, can grow to large sizes. Often, the patient feels itching in this place. This is due to the fact that in this context the inflammatory process occurs, a cascade of neuro-reflex reactions and an allergic reaction.

Another type of elements – the papules. These are small elements of the rash-like bumps. The size is approximately 1 mm In the middle is not a cavity filled with content. Often, they are located on the knees and elbow joints. They remain, even in periods where the disease is on the decline.

The first plates occur in places where the skin is more dry, and get in contact with household chemicals and detergents – in the open spaces, the arms, the neck. They can be installed on all areas of the body: on the scalp, the face, the body, the genitals, the buttocks, the legs. Unlike fungal diseases, skin rashes psoriatic do not occur in the armpits and the natural folds of each, where the skin is more moist and oily. In some forms of the disease appears as multiple plaques, which did not increase in size. In the palmo-plantar form of lesions are found only on these sites.

During the aggravations of the elements of the eruption gradually increasing in width and merge with the neighboring platelets. In the periods of improvement (remission) spots begin to lighten with the environment. They gradually acquire the sight of the ring and may be correct way. After plates on the body there is a trace – pigmentation. It can be much lighter or darker surrounding skin sites. After that the man get a tan, the skin color is usually aligned.