Plaque psoriasis of the elbows is characterized by the development of inflammatory lesions of various sizes and with a tendency to growth. At the initial stage, small spots appear on the skin, and then, if the treatment of the disease has not been shown, large painful scaly plaques appear. Gray flakes form on the surface of the inflammation. In the later stages, large inflamed areas do not undergo significant changes for a long time. Psoriasis at this stage is very difficult to treat.
Causes
The reasons that provoke the occurrence of psoriasis on the elbows include irritants that are guilty of the death of the upper layer of the skin. First of all, the hereditary factor plays a role, according to scientists. In this case, the immune system fails, aggressively affecting skin tissue, resulting in lesions appearing at a young age.
In another case, the disease begins to manifest after 40 years of age, and genetics does not play any role. But joints, body tissues are affected. It is noted that mainly the disease manifests itself in the elbow area in the following patients:
- with very dry and thin skin;
- in connection with their professional activities, if the work is related to chemicals, alcohol solutions and cosmetics;
- addicts, lovers of alcohol or smoking due to poor blood supply;
- with an improperly planned diet, in which there are a lot of salty and sour, fried dishes, sweet products. Violation of carbohydrate or protein metabolism - dangerous signs;
- with frequent allergic reactions;
- forcedly taking medications, especially those belonging to the group of antibiotics;
- prone to stress and depression;
- injured skin.
In addition to irritating hazards, infections - fungal or bacterial - should be added.
Symptoms
Sometimes complications such as arthritis (psoriasis with arthropathy) occur, which is characterized by severe swelling, joint diseases and nail injuries. In most patients with psoriasis on the elbow or knee, the general condition does not worsen and the disease goes relatively easy with its treatment: after 1.5-2 months, the rash disappears and the patients begin a remission phase.
In the acute phase of the disease, inflammation quickly spreads to the skin and appears in new places. A rash on the elbows is accompanied by:
- pain around the plaques;
- excessive dryness of the skin;
- combining inflamed skin with plaques in a large group.
Diagnostics
In general, it is quite simple to detect the presence of a disease on the nails, since it has its own characteristic features. For carrying out diagnostic measures, it is not necessary to use any special methods for conducting research and passing tests. If the disease is at a very serious stage and has given serious exacerbations, or it has simply not been treated and started on time, then some changes can be noticed when taking blood for analysis. In this case, according to the results of the analyzes, the development of the inflammatory process in the body can be clearly observed, rheumatoid titers are most increased, and, of course, there are general signs that are characteristic of inflammation, for example, leukocytosis.
If there is a suspicion of psoriasis on the elbows, methods of instrumental diagnosis are rarely used. In some cases, a biopsy procedure is prescribed, using it it becomes possible to see if there are any other dermatological abnormalities, or is this done to confirm the disease at a histological level. In addition, it is possible to identify those areas where immunocompetent cell structures and keratinocytes are overestimated.
Methods of external therapy
Thanks to the use of local preparations, the inflammatory process is reduced, exfoliation stops and skin infiltration decreases. Such preparations include ointments, and the composition of which includes the following substances:
- sulfur;
- urea;
- salicylic acid.
You can also use various lotions, but they give the least result. At various stages of the disease, anti-inflammatory hormones or salicylic ointment can be prescribed to treat psoriasis on the elbows, a photo of which you can see in the article. Initially, treatment begins with the weakest drugs, such as Hydrocortisone. If the disease began to intensify again, then it is necessary to proceed to treatment with the most powerful drugs, including Vipsogal and Sinalar. These funds are quite effective, and in most cases, after just two weeks, they can completely neutralize the disease. Often, glucocorticoids are used in treatment. These drugs form the basis of treatment, especially in the elderly and children.
The most visible result is shown by creams and ointments, in the composition of which there is dithranol - “Tsignoderm”, “Psorax”. You need to apply them, each time increasing the dose. A negative feature of such drugs is that they can provoke side effects, such as swelling or itching.
The most popular drug at the present time is considered to be Psorkutan. It directly affects the pathogenetic factors that contribute to the development of the disease. After two months of treatment with this drug, human skin will become much better, various rashes will become much smaller, or they will disappear altogether. The drug does not have any side effects for the skin, the achieved result remains for a long time. A stronger effect from Psorkutan can be obtained by combining it with physiotherapeutic radiation. In order not to decrease the effectiveness of treatment as a result of the use of a particular drug due to addiction, it is necessary to replace it with another one in time.
Systemic treatments
The basis of this type of treatment is the use of aromatic retinoids, they show fairly good results: normalize keratinization processes, regulate the growth and division of epidermal cells, and have immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory effects. The drugs do not cause side effects, and if they were detected, they will be eliminated very quickly. The most common drugs in this group are Etretinate and Acitretin.
Alternative treatment
The initial stage of psoriasis on the elbows reviews of the treatment is positive. If he went into a persistent chronic form, then it is very difficult to treat. Using drug therapy, in this case, only temporary relief from unpleasant symptoms can be achieved. Therefore, people suffering from psoriasis are looking for alternative folk methods and methods that will help them get rid of this ailment. It is fair to say that in most cases, folk remedies used simultaneously with medications are quite effective, in addition, some pharmacological preparations are based on extracts from medicinal herbs.
The following are the most frequently and successfully used recipes for treating psoriasis on the elbows at home and methods to alleviate the course of psoriasis on the elbows.
Egg ointment
Superiority in popularity belongs to ointments for the treatment of psoriasis on home-made elbows based on eggs. The recipe for this ointment is quite simple: one raw egg in the shell is placed in a two hundred gram jar and filled to the brim with acetic acid, the jar is tightly closed with a lid and placed in a cool dark place for one day for insisting. After that, the egg is taken and crushed together with the shell, a small amount of animal fat is added to the resulting mass to give an appropriate consistency. The ointment is applied to the elbow once a day, according to patients, in the treatment of psoriasis on the elbows with this tool, relief comes in a very short period, and the disease becomes stable remission.
Tar
At the initial stage of psoriasis, birch tar is considered an effective tool (in the absence of allergy to it). Tar is applied once a day for several minutes to the affected elbow, after which it is washed off with tar soap. Gradually, the time on which the product is applied increases. It is recommended to apply until the disappearance of plaques on the elbow.
Soda
A good therapeutic effect is provided by ordinary baths with the addition of baking soda. In addition to soda, you can add sea salt, infusions of pharmacy chamomile and a string to the bath composition. It is necessary to take such a procedure for at least half an hour, and after the end, do not rinse or wipe the localization sites of psoriasis.
Also popular are the baths with the addition of an infusion of walnut shells.
With skin diseases, including psoriasis on the elbows, celandine juice is widely used. But with this tool you need to be extremely careful, since this juice is quite toxic.