What are the symptoms of Psoriasis and treatments?

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If you're experiencing symptoms of Psoriasis, then you should see a doctor. Sometimes similar symptoms may be seen in other skin conitions also. It is always better to get diagnosed psoriasis in early stage and start your treatment. There are many treatments available for Psoriasis, and most people respond well to them. If you have any questions or concerns about your symptoms, don't hesitate to contact a doctor. In this article, we'll discuss the different symptoms of Psoriasis and what you can do to treat them.

Psoriasis is a dry, scaly skin disorder. It is a common, chronic, autoimmune inflammatory disease that affects more than 6 million people in the United States. Psoriasis affects 3% of the global population and appears to be on the rise. It affects both men and women and people with cardiovascular disorders and metabolic syndrome are more likely to get it. Research has shown that it is definitely a genetic disorder and it tends to run in families.

Unpredictable and irritating, P soriasis is one of the most baffling and persistent disorders. It’s characterized by skin cells that multiply up to 10 times faster than normal. As underlying cells reach the skin’s surface and die, their sheer volume causes raised, red plaques covered with white scales.

Psoriasis typically occurs on elbows, knees, and scalp, but it can also affect the torso, palms, and soles of the feet.

To fully understand psoriasis, you need to see what’s happening underneath the skin.

Patients develop psoriasis when their immune system sends faulty signals that tell skin cells to grow too quickly, normal all skin cells.

While symptoms may appear on the surface of the skin, what you can see is only part of the story.
With normal skin, your body takes about 28 to 30 days to produce new skin cells and shed the old ones.
When your body has psoriasis, your immune system is overactive, triggering skin inflammation and causing skin cells to be produced faster than normal. New skin cells are pushed to the skin’s surface in 3 to 4 days instead of the usual 28 to 30.
But your body can’t shed the new skin cells at that fast of a rate. So while new skin cells are being produced, the old, dead skin cells pile up on top of each other.
As more and more new skin cells are produced rapidly, the old skin cells are pushed to the surface, forming the thick, red, itchy, flaky patches known as plaques.

The exact cause of psoriasis is unknown

Symptoms of Psoriasis

The most common symptoms of psoriasis are:

Red, raised inflamed patches of skin.
Silver-white scales or plaques on the red patches.
Dry skin may crack and bleed.
Soreness around patches.
Itching and burning sensations around patches.
Thick, pitted nails.
Painful, swollen joints.

Other forms of psoriasis include:

Plaque Psoriasis

An individual suffering from plaque psoriasis shows typical reasons that are reddish and raised in appearance. Silvery-scaled, plaques appear on the skin. They look glossy and shiny, plaques will be itchy, irritating, sore, and painful. The knees, elbows, buttocks, and scalp are the most often affected regions in the body. Rarely does the skin prone to this disease develop cracks and start bleeding, the skin at the joints can show this.

Psoriatic Arthritis:

Though the name indicates mere arthritis psoriatic arthritis comes along with psoriasis. In some cases, arthritis may develop prior to the appearance of the lesions. The joints become swollen, stiffened, painful inflamed, and sore. It becomes painful to walk more depending on the joint affected. Redness and swelling are noticeable in the area surrounding the affected joints. Psoriatic arthritis in turn brings along major problems to the body. Spondylitis, dactylitis, enthesitis, distal interphalangeal predominant psoriatic arthritis, symmetric psoriatic arthritis, asymmetric psoriatic arthritis, and psoriatic arthritis mutilans, are the forms of psoriatic arthritis.

Spondylitis is pain from the neck to the lower back. The spinal column to the tailbone gets affected. The pelvic area, sacroiliac areas, discs, and the ligaments associated with them will be damaged.

Enthesitis is a pain in the points of articulation of the tendons and ligaments to bones and joints. The inflammation present at the points of the insertion is responsible for it. The tendons in the foot like the Achilles tendon, ligaments of the pelvis, and the tendons, and ligaments in the ribs and spine at their insertion points develop inflammation and become painful.

In distal interphalangeal predominant psoriatic arthritis the distal joints of the fingers, which means the joints nearer to the nails of the fingers develop inflammation. They become red, sore, and painful. They cause discomfort in holding things, gripping, and grabbing. Enthesitis causes tissue calcification and tissue fibrosis.

Dactylitis is a psoriatic arthritis condition in which the fingers develop a sausage-like appearance due to the inflammation developed. Both the fingers of the hand and legs show this condition. They become sore and in most cases become deformed. The nails get removed from the nail bed, pita and ridges can be noticed on the nails.

Asymmetric psoriatic arthritis is a kind of psoriatic arthritis in which the joints of hands and legs on one side get affected, while in symmetric psoriatic arthritis, the same joints on both sides get detected by psoriatic arthritis and the inflammation makes them painful and sore, this, the dactylitis is the rarest. This inflammation comes along with the psoriasis infection. Gout and rheumatoid arthritis differ from psoriatic arthritis by the psoriasis of the skin and other parts of the body.

Psoriasis of the mouth and tongue:

Alike the skin, psoriasis can affect the skin and mouth alone. For tongue psoriasis, the condition is called geographic tongue. It is characterized by smooth skin patches on the tongue. The texture of the tongue is altered with swelling and redness. White silvery and yellow borders are seen around the red patches/cracks and fissures that develop on the surface.

All the people who are living with a geographic tongue need not have oral psoriasis. Food intake and drinking can become difficult in such cases. Psoriasis affecting the mouth is the rarest condition to happen. However, when it does, the symptoms can be noticeable. The skin around the mouth peels off, and sores or pustules develop instead. Gums shed skin and bleeds, a burning sensation occurs when taking the food, and cheeks can also be observed with sores.

Uveitis This indicates the inflammation, the inflammation of the uvea and iris, the inflammation of the iris is observed in psoriasis, especially in psoriatic arthritis. Inflammation of the tendons and vertebrae is common in psoriatic arthritis.

Erythrodermic psoriasis

Erythrodermic psoriasis happens rarely in an individual. It is fatal if not tried to counteract the symptoms. The whole body becomes reddish all over the scare. Itchy, irritating, and painful feeling occurs. Dehydration, discharge of fluids, and proteins, and in complexities heart failure happens. Body temperature fluctuates. Cold, fever, chills, arrhythmia weakness in the body, and feeling unwell are seen.

In acropustulosis pustules are seen over the fingers of hands and toes. Nail psoriasis/ symptoms are observed along with this. The pustules become scales after bursting, and bright redness is seen. Von zumbuseh psoriasis has non-infected pus in the pustules. These pustules spread across the wide area of the body. The cyclic process of muscular appearance and disappearance occurs with the pustules leaving off within a couple of days. Fever with chills and weight loss are its characteristics.

Palmoplantar pustular psoriasis

Complete cure of Palmoplantar psoriasis by Ayurvedic Treatment

Palmoplantar pustular psoriasis affects the fingers of hands and feet. It can happen together with enthesitis or alone. Soles, feet, and palms show pustules. These dry off leaving brown spots and smooth skin Discomfort and uneasiness while walking and nothing will happen.

Scalp Psoriasis

Scalp psoriasis covers a wide area of the scalp with red patches. They may be silvery and glazed. Scales spread all around the patches. Mostly covers the head corners and back of the head. Hair loss, itching, and irritation occur along with the licking of the sores. Salicylic acid and coal tar shampoos are used.

Guttate psoriasis

Guttate psoriasis, small pustules develop from the smallest sizes to the big on the palms soles or anywhere exclusively chest, call, and legs. Children and teenagers are affected, and guttate psoriasis can develop into pustular psoriasis.

Inverse psoriasis

Inverse psoriasis makes the skin red, inflamed, and smooth without scales. They are itchy, sore, and painful. It develops in people with obesity because they develop skin folds, which soak up with sweat. Rubbing and sweating in the folds exaggerates psoriasis. folded areas like armpits, groin, buttocks, lower skin of the breasts, and folds in the thighs and belly are affected.

Nail psoriasis

In nail psoriasis, the nails develop discoloration into yellowish colour. Pitted and ridges develop on the nails. The nail bed thickens, develops inflammation, and gradually the nail displaces from the nail bed. Black lines and half-moon are seen on the nails.

Taking Epsom salt baths, moisturizing the body often, taking time for sun exposure, foot care and self-care, etc…. pacifies the flare-ups. Psoriasis recurs until it is completely reduced by medication or treatments.

Three main treatment options include systemic therapy, topical therapy, and phototherapy.

Systemic therapies work through the body system. Some affect the whole system, and they are used for people with moderate to severe psoriasis. They are taken by mouth or by injection and include acitretin, cyclosporine, and methotrexate. One type of systemic therapy is biologic drugs. A biologic is a protein-based drug that is made from living cells grown in a laboratory. Biologics target the specific T cells that are associated with psoriasis.
Topical treatment is applied directly to the skin. It is usually the first line of treatment, and the aim is to slow down the growth of skin cells and reduce inflammation. These treatments are available over the counter (OTC) or on prescription and include non-steroids and steroids.
Phototherapy is light therapy. The skin is exposed regularly to ultraviolet light, either in the doctor’s office or at home. This is done under medical supervision. Tanning beds are not recommended as a substitute.

Conclusion

If you’re experiencing symptoms of Psoriasis or have a doubt about your skin condition, then you should see a doctor. There are many treatments available for Psoriasis, and the sooner you get treatment, the better your chances of success. There are some common symptoms of Psoriasis that look similar to other skin diseases, and a doctor can differentiate between them to confirm the disease.

Learn more about Ayurvedic Treatment for Psoriasis.

FAQ on symptoms of Psoriasis

What are the common symptoms of Psoriasis?
- Psoriasis symptoms typically include red patches of skin covered with silvery scales, itching, and dryness. Other symptoms may include cracked skin, swollen and stiff joints, and nail changes.
How do I identify Psoriasis symptoms?
- Look out for red, inflamed patches of skin with silver scales, especially on elbows, knees, scalp, and lower back. Persistent itching, dryness, and nail abnormalities can also indicate Psoriasis.
Are there different types of Psoriasis with unique symptoms?
- Yes, Psoriasis can manifest in various forms, such as plaque psoriasis (most common), guttate psoriasis, inverse psoriasis, pustular psoriasis, and erythrodermic psoriasis. Each type may have distinct symptoms and affected areas.
Can Psoriasis symptoms worsen over time?
- Psoriasis symptoms can fluctuate, with periods of flare-ups and remission. Without proper management, symptoms may worsen over time, leading to increased discomfort and potential complications.
When should I seek medical help for Psoriasis symptoms?
- It’s important to consult a healthcare professional if you experience severe itching, pain, joint stiffness, or if Psoriasis affects your daily life significantly. Early diagnosis and treatment can help manage symptoms effectively.

NOTE:
“This article does not provide medical advice. It is intended for informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Never ignore professional medical advice in seeking treatment because of something you have read on this website. If you think you may have a medical emergency, immediately call or visit your doctor.”
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What are the symptoms of Psoriasis and treatments?