Skin diseases are accompanied by the appearance of unpleasant symptoms, psychological discomfort. One of the common diseases that requires immediate skin treatment is psoriasis on the elbows, and the selection of remedies is not limited to the use of topical preparations. If you don't treat it in time, then a small inflammation will soon develop from a cosmetic problem into a pathology.
What is Elbow Psoriasis?
The disease is characterized by the appearance of several spots at the bends of the limbs, which are unpredictable and cyclical in nature. Elbow psoriasis is a chronic skin disease that begins as papules and develops in patches (large diffuse lesions) with white, silvery, reddish scales. Slightly raised lesions are formed by the accumulation of dry dead cells. If the inflammation is left untreated, the disease progresses with alternating exacerbations and remissions.
Symptom
When scabs form on the elbow, you can immediately notice the damaged skin. The signs of the disease are immediately apparent, and rarely can psoriasis of the arms be completely cured. The chances of a successful recovery are those patients who consulted a doctor in a timely manner. A cause for concern is a violation of the skin condition on the elbow, similar to the following symptoms of psoriasis:
- The red or scaly patches look like white webbed papules at first glance, but as the disease worsens and develops, they become larger, interconnected, and covered with white scales.
- Itchy skin, causing more damage to the skin. Like other mechanical damage to the skin, such as scratches, cuts, elbow bumps that are combed, the skin is injured, and this leads to the appearance of new pimples.
- The inflamed areas of the skin are reddened, and begin to bleed.
Patches on elbows
Psoriasis can occur in the groin area, on the trunk, limbs, or head, but wherever the disease is localized, its sure sign is patches. Elbow sores in the form of red dots with white scales occur more often because this area of skin is open, because it is easily damaged. The affected area of the epidermis will become inflamed, the red scaly nodules gradually increase and may cover the entire elbow. With the missed form, the patches can bleed and when scraping, a "stearin stain" appears, like after a drop of wax solidifies.
Reason
Scientific studies continue to be conducted as yet unable to determine with certainty the origin of the onset of the disease, and among the medical versions of what causes psoriasis in the elbow area, have the following:
- Genetic predisposition is an important statistical factor. If one parent has chronic dermatitis, there is a high chance that their children will also have psoriasis.
- Penetration of specific substances penetrates through injured skin areas. The affected areas of the epidermis begin to thicken, the body begins to fight off abnormal symptoms and refuses cells, which manifests outwardly as a fungus on the elbow.
- Violating the work of T lymphocytes, they are faced with the task of creating a barrier against pathogens.
- Lack of silicon in the body.
- Endocrine diseases.
- Serious injuries to the limbs.
- Severe mechanical damage, non-healing wounds.
- Emotional and mental stress.
- Long-term medication.
- Weak immunity.
stage
A chronic inflammatory process in the elbow, which, under the influence of several etiologies, increases or decreases and progresses without appropriate treatment. The treatment course needs to be prescribed by a dermatologist, but to determine the effectiveness of the method, drug selection, and course of treatment, the doctor needs to evaluate the course of the disease. Other tactics will depend on the clinical picture, while it is common to distinguish the following stages of elbow skin lesions from psoriasis:
- Initial. The skin on the outside of the elbow is red. The red, round spots with a white membrane gradually enlarge, become covered with scales, and after 2-3 weeks form plaques. With prompt treatment, the signs of psoriasis may go away for a while, and then reappear, or lesions may appear in another part of the body.
- Progressive. This stage of the disease can be characterized by the presence of psoriatic elements with multiple scales. The appearance of such signs indicates the beginning of an exacerbation of psoriasis, and this is easily recognized by the presence of a congestive (red) rim along the edge of the scaly patch.
- Freeze. It is characterized by a decrease in the inflammatory process, which indicates the effectiveness of the treatment used. The appearance of new patches on the elbow stops, there is no red rim around the psoriatic elements, their diameter is reduced, while the scale completely covers the inflamed area.
- Depression. It shows partial recovery, while the flaking is barely noticeable or disappears, areas of pigment appear instead of patches. A variety of other measures will be aimed at preventing exacerbations of psoriasis.
Forms
The undulating course of the disease, when an idiopathic episode alternates with improvement, is not the only component of insidious psoriasis. The severity of the inflammatory process depends on the nature of the rash, another important factor is the shape. With localization of the rash on the elbows is often found a simple (vulgar) type of disease, which is characterized by redness, peeling, itching. The neglected form of the disease threatens complications and the appearance of pustular, erythrocytic, seborrheic type of psoriasis - with them the lesion area expands.
How to treat elbow psoriasis?
There are effective treatments, but will not work to completely clean the skin on the elbow, because psoriasis belongs to the group of incurable diseases. The entire complex treatment system will aim to eliminate external signs as much as possible. The time of remission depends on many factors, and to eliminate the manifestations of psoriasis, it is advisable to develop a treatment regimen using basic methods such as:
- topical therapy (ointments, creams, lotions);
- physical therapy procedures;
- lights;
- special diets;
- take vitamin and mineral complexes.
How to cure psoriasis on elbows
Drugs are actively used in the treatment of multifactorial diseases, but their effect is noticeable only in combination with other means. To treat psoriasis, topical medications are often used, and if they are not effective, the following medications may be prescribed:
- cytostatic drugs;
- antihistamines;
- absorbents.
Ointment
A quick way to get rid of the uncomfortable symptoms of psoriasis is with topical treatment. Ointments with vitamin D, zinc, and tar are said to help remove dead cells, moisturize the skin of the elbows, and hormonal agents help cope with more severe forms of the disease. Corticosteroids are relatively safe if used as prescribed by a doctor, who has examined the psoriatic patches on the elbow, assessing the condition of the upper layers, and the extent of the damage. Only a dermatologist can include hormonal ointments in the treatment regimen, self-medication is strictly prohibited!
Alternative treatment
Compresses, lotions, decoctions, baths can indeed be considered equally useful methods of psoriasis treatment. If the patches on the elbow are covered with a white film, then you can easily get rid of the itching, redness at home by soaking the affected area for 7-10 minutes in a cool herbal solution. Ingredients should be selected separately, mixed with boiling water, but avoid hot baths. Among the herbs useful for the treatment of psoriasis are:
- celandine;
- chicory roots;
- valerian roots.
Prevent
There is no reason to assume that psoriasis will go away on its own, but self-medication is also not worth it, since there is a risk of aggravating the chronic disease process. Eliminating the inflammatory process is the first step to recovery, because for a long-term remission of the disease, you will have to follow a number of recommendations from the doctor. To avoid an exacerbation of psoriasis, the following precautions should be followed:
- follow a suitable diet;
- exclude the use of alcoholic beverages, alcohol, sweets, spicy foods;
- get enough sleep, sleep time at least 8 hours a day;
- avoid mechanical damage to the skin, injuries;
- monitor the internal state of the body;
- develop skills to deal with stress;
- supports the functioning of the immune system, avoiding infectious diseases;
- Minimize exposure to household chemicals.
Picture of psoriasis on the elbow
