Skin diseases are accompanied by the appearance of unpleasant symptoms and psychological discomfort. One of the common diseases that requires urgent treatment of the skin is psoriasis on the elbows, and the choice of medication is not limited to the use of topical preparations. If you do not perform the therapy on time, then the small inflammation will soon turn from a cosmetic problem into a medical one.
What is psoriasis on the elbows
The disease, characterized by the appearance of several spots on the folds of the limbs, is characterized by unpredictability and cyclicity. Elbow psoriasis is a chronic skin disease that begins with the appearance of papules and develops into plaques (large diffuse lesions) with scales of white, silvery, reddish hues. Slightly raised damaged areas occur due to the accumulation of dry dead cells. If the inflammation is not treated, the disease will progress with alternating periods of exacerbation and remission.
Symptoms
When crusts form on the elbows, you can immediately notice the damaged areas of the skin. The signs of the disease are clearly visible immediately, and it is rarely possible to completely cure psoriasis in the flexion area of the arms. Those patients who see a doctor on time have a chance for a successful recovery. The reason for concern should be disorders of the skin on the elbows, which are similar to the following symptoms of psoriasis:
- Red plaques or scaly patches that at first look like papules with a white film, and as the disease worsens and develops, they grow, merge with each other, and become covered with white scales.
- Itchy skin, which causes even greater skin damage. Like other mechanical damage to the skin, such as scratches, cuts, so inflammation on the elbows of the comb, injures the skin, and this leads to the appearance of new spots.
- Severe redness, inflamed areas of the skin begin to bleed.
Plaques on elbows
Psoriasis can occur in the groin, trunk, limbs or head, but wherever the disease is localized, plaques are a sure sign. Elbow wounds in the form of red spots with white scales are more common due to the openness of this area of the skin, because it is easily damaged. The altered area of the epidermis becomes inflamed, red scaly spots gradually increase and can cover the entire elbow. In the neglected form, plaques can bleed, and when you try to scrape, the phenomenon of "stearin stain" occurs, as after a drop of hardened wax.
Causes
Scientific research that is still ongoing has not yet been able to determine with complete certainty the source of the disease, and among the medical versions of the causes of psoriasis in the elbow area are the following:
- Genetic predisposition is an important statistical factor. If one of the parents has chronic skin inflammation, then there is a high probability that the child will also get psoriasis.
- Entry of specific substances that penetrate the injured areas of the skin. The affected areas of the epidermis begin to thicken, the body begins to fight against abnormal symptoms and rejects cells, which externally manifests itself as a fungus on the elbows.
- Violation of the work of T-lymphocytes, which are faced with the task of creating a barrier in front of the pathogen.
- Lack of silicon in the body.
- Endocrine diseases.
- Serious limb injuries.
- Severe mechanical damage, non-healing wounds.
- Emotional, mental stress.
- Long-term medications.
- Weak immunity.
phase
A chronic inflammatory process on the elbows that, under the influence of a number of reasons, intensifies or decreases, and progresses without proper treatment. The course of therapy should be prescribed by a dermatologist, but in order to determine the effectiveness of the method, the choice of drugs, procedures, the doctor should assess the course of the disease. Further tactics will depend on the clinical picture, while it is common to distinguish the following stages of skin lesions on the elbows with psoriasis:
- Initial. The surface of the skin on the outside of the elbows is covered with a rash. Reddish spots of rounded shape with a white film grow, are covered with scales, and after 2-3 weeks plaques form. With timely treatment, the signs of psoriasis may disappear for a while, and then reappear, or the lesion may appear on another part of the body.
- Progressive. This stage of the disease can be characterized by the presence of psoriatic elements with many scales. The appearance of such signs indicates the beginning of the exacerbation of psoriasis, and this is easily noticed by the presence of a hyperemic edge (redness) along the edge of the scaly plaque.
- Stationary. It is characterized by a reduction in the inflammatory process, which indicates the effectiveness of the applied treatment. New plaques on the elbows stop appearing, there is no red border around the psoriatic elements, their diameter decreases, while the shell completely covers the inflamed area.
- Regressive. Indicates partial recovery, while peeling is almost imperceptible or disappears, and pigmented parts of the skin appear at the site of plaques. A further set of measures will be aimed at preventing the exacerbation of psoriasis.
Forms
The wavy course of the disease, when the spontaneous period alternates with improvement, is not the only component of the insidiousness of psoriasis. The severity of the course of the inflammatory process depends on the nature of the rash, another important factor is the shape. With the localization of the rash on the elbows is often a simple (vulgar) type of disease, characterized by redness, peeling, itching. The neglected form of the disease threatens complications and the appearance of pustular, erythrodermic, seborrheic psoriasis - with them the area of the lesion will expand.
How to treat psoriasis on the elbows
There are effective methods of therapy, but they will not be able to completely clean the skin on the elbows, because psoriasis belongs to the group of incurable diseases. The whole system of complex treatment will be aimed at the maximum removal of external signs. The duration of remission depends on many factors, and in order to eliminate the manifestation of psoriasis, it is recommended to build a treatment regimen using basic methods such as:
- topical therapy (ointment, cream, lotion);
- physiotherapy procedures;
- phototherapy;
- special diet;
- taking vitamin-mineral complexes.
Remedy for psoriasis on the elbows
Drugs are actively used in the treatment of multifactorial disease, but their effectiveness is visible only in combination with other means. External medications are commonly used to treat psoriasis, and if they are ineffective, the following medications may be prescribed:
- cytostatics;
- antihistamines;
- enterosorbents.
Mast
A quick way to get rid of the unpleasant symptoms of psoriasis is local treatment. Fats with vitamin D, zinc, tar are called to help remove dead cells, moisturize the skin on the elbows, and hormonal agents help to cope with more severe forms of the disease. Corticosteroids are relatively safe if used as directed by a physician who has examined psoriatic plaques on the elbows, assessed the condition of the upper layers, and the extent of the lesion. Only a dermatologist can introduce hormonal fats into the treatment regimen, self-medication is strictly forbidden!
Alternative treatment
Compresses, lotions, decoctions, baths can rightly be considered no less useful methods of treating psoriasis. If the plaques on the elbows are covered with a white film, then at home itching, redness can be easily removed by immersing the affected areas for 7-10 minutes in a cold herbal solution. The composition should be chosen individually, boiled in boiling water, but warm baths should be avoided. Among the herbs used to treat psoriasis are:
- celandine;
- chicory root;
- valerian root.
Prevention
There is no reason to assume that psoriasis will go away on its own, but self-medication is not worth it either, because there is a risk of worsening the course of the chronic disease. Removing the inflammatory process is the first step towards recovery, because for long-term remission you will need to follow some doctor's recommendations. To avoid worsening psoriasis, the following preventive measures should be followed:
- adhere to a proper diet;
- exclude the use of alcoholic beverages, alcohol, sweets, spicy foods;
- get enough sleep, and the duration of sleep should be at least 8 hours a day;
- avoid mechanical damage to the skin, injuries;
- monitors the internal state of the organism;
- develop stress management skills;
- support the functioning of the immune system, avoiding infectious diseases;
- minimize contact with household chemicals.
Photo of psoriasis on the elbow
