Identifying The Signs and Symptoms of Psoriasis
Identifying the symptoms of psoriasis involves checking characteristic skin changes which generally have a preference for certain areas of the body. The usual symptoms of the condition include thickness of the epidermis, scaling, and redness. The condition doesn’t only affect the skin but also the nails, scalp, and joints in addition. Each type of psoriasis has their own symptoms.
Psoriasis vulgaris, or plaque-type psoriasis is considered the most common type of the condition. These common symptoms of this condition include thickening, redness, and scales in the skin. The thickening of the skin usually ranges from barely perceptible to about several millimeters thick. Its color may range from being faint pink to deep beefy red. For people with darker skin, there may be reduced redness and greater darkening. Skin scales can vary greatly from being non-existent to having the presence of thick oyster-shell like plates called ostraceous scales. When these scales are scraped or removed, a common condition known as Auspitz’s sign can take place. The targeted areas may include the top of the tiny capillaries which can result to vertical undulation all around the thickened skin.
Another common sign of the condition is called the Koebner Phenomenon takes place when there is a new section of the condition developing in the injured skin. After undergoing surgery, the condition can develop around the scars as a result of surgery. The Koebner Phenomenon also provides an explanation why the condition takes place on areas where the trauma is consistently of low intensity, such as in the elbows and knees. Aside from that, the Koebner Phenomenon can happen after non-traumatic skin injuries, for example sunburn or an allergies resulting from a medication. If the patient is suffering from dandruff o seborrheic dermatitis of the face or scalp, the condition has got the tendency to superimpose itself as a result of irritation and scratching. It can also result in the development of combination dermatitis called “sebopsoriasis.” However, the Koebner Phenomenon isn’t specific to psoriasis.
Guttate, Pustular, Erythrodermic psoriasis, the less frequent types of the condition, is considerably different from plaque psoriasis. The common characteristic of guttate psoriasis includes tiny papules, which are lesions that can be felt and has a diameter of less than a centimeter and seems to be sprinkled everywhere over the skin. The pustular type occurs in smaller areas of the skin or in major parts of the body where innumerable tiny white pustules can be seen. The eythrodermic type involves reddening and presence of scales in the entire body. If this happens, skin biopsy may be required to separate the condition from other diseases involving reddening and scaling of the skin.
Plaque-type psoriasis often takes place in certain parts of the body such as scalp, knees, elbows, belly button, genitals, and buttocks. Inside the armpits as well as other damp areas of the body, such as the breasts or groin, the scales become wet and pasty. The lesions become moist and establish a red and raw appearance. On the scalp, a severe form of dandruff-like flaking and scaling is evident.
Identifying the signs and symptoms of psoriasis plays an important role in determining diagnosis and treatment. People that suspect that they are being affected by psoriasis should immediately consult their doctor so proper treatment can be administered. Likewise, the symptoms can vary from person to another.
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