Inverse psoriasis: symptoms, causes and remedies, etc.

Definition

What is inverse psoriasis?

Inverse psoriasis is a non-communicable skin disease that causes lesions to appear red-purple, brown, or darker than the surrounding skin. Inverse psoriasis lesions appear in the area of ​​the skin folds.

Unlike other types of psoriasis, which make the skin dry and scaly, the lesions (broken skin tissue) in inverse psoriasis are smooth and slippery. Most patients with this type of psoriasis also experience other types of psoriasis at the same time.

This form of psoriasis can be triggered by a variety of things and conditions. Inverse psoriasis triggers are almost the same as psoriasis vulgaris. The difference is, infections caused by fungi and bacteria are also thought to have played a major role in the appearance of these psoriasis symptoms.

How common is this skin disease?

Based on WHO statistics, out of 125 million people in the world, 2-3% of them are psoriasis sufferers. Based on the timing of the appearance of psoriasis signs and symptoms, most of these diseases are first detected at the age of 15-25 years.

This form of psoriasis is not common, but it can affect anyone at any age. One group that is often identified as showing symptoms of inverse psoriasis are toddlers. In infants, symptoms are found in the groin or the area where the irritation of the diaper rash is common.

Even so, in published reports Clinical, Cosmetic And Investigational Dermatology, known disease prevalence covers about 3-36% of various cases of skin disease in the world.

The report also suspects that the sudden appearance of inverse psoriasis symptoms may indicate a complication in the form of a rash on the skin of people with HIV.

Signs and symptoms

What are the signs and symptoms of inverse psoriasis?

This type of psoriasis causes symptoms in the form of skin lesions that are purple, brown, or darker in color than your skin. In Caucasians, the coloration of the lesions tends to be redder. The lesion is wide with rounded sides.

As already mentioned, the texture of inverse psoriasis lesions is different from other types of psoriasis. Psoriasis does not cause symptoms in the form of a silvery crust, because the symptoms appear in skin folds which are very moist areas.

Symptoms are most often found in:

• armpit,
• groin,
• at the bottom of the breast,
• vulva,
• cleavage, and
• around the anus.

Even so, plaque can also appear on dry, crusted skin such as the penis.

The appearance of symptoms in the form of a red skin rash is usually local, meaning that it is only found on one part of the body. But not infrequently, the symptoms of psoriasis inversa can also appear together with psoriasis vulgaris.

Do I have complications that this disease can cause?

In the skin folds that are exposed to plaque, the skin becomes so sensitive that it can peel, break, and form fissures. These sores on the skin can cause pain or even bleed.

In addition, this psoriasis can cause more serious skin problems, including the following.

• Skin irritation due to scratching and sweating.
• Mite, fungal, and bacterial skin infections, more often than not, are fungal infections Candida albicans (sprue).
• Lichenification, a type of eczema, can occur when you get used to rubbing and scratching an itchy area.
• Intercourse with disruption due to uncomfortable symptoms.
• Thinning of the skin due to prolonged use of strong topical steroid creams.

When should I see a doctor?

If you experience the symptoms and signs of skin lesions as mentioned above, especially when the symptoms do not go away for a long time, immediately see a dermatologist.

Some other conditions that require you to get medical treatment as soon as possible are as follows.

• It is persistent and makes you uncomfortable or even sick.
• Symptoms of plaque make you worry about your appearance.
• Difficulty going through your daily routine.
• The appearance of pain, swelling, and stiffness in the joints.

Medical examination is also highly recommended if you have previously tried self-medication or natural remedies, but your symptoms are getting worse. This indicates that you need a different medication or combination of psoriasis treatments.

Cause

What causes inverse psoriasis?

Actually, the causes of psoriasis are not really known. However, the skin inflammation process associated with psoriasis refers to an autoimmune condition, where the immune system, which is tasked with fighting germs, attacks healthy skin cells.

Autoimmune conditions that are thought to be involved are caused by interactions between cells in the blood, namely T lymphocytes, dendritic cells, keratinocytes, neutrophils, and proinflammatory cytokines that activate parts of the immune system to cause inflammation.

This inflammation causes keratinocytes, which are new skin cells, to develop very quickly. When new skin cells grow, they compress the protective layer of the epidermis and cause a thickening of the skin known as psoriasis.

However, the mechanism that causes the appearance of red plaques in inverse psoriasis is not yet known with certainty. Various environmental factors and health conditions are known to trigger psoriasis inverse symptoms.

Risk factors

What increases my risk for inverse psoriasis?

Although the cause is not clear, several things and conditions can be a trigger factor that causes a person to experience symptoms of inverse psoriasis.

The trigger factors for each person can be different and even change from time to time. The factors that trigger this disease include:

• stress,
• cigarette,
• alcohol,
• certain drugs, such as beta blockers and lithium ,
• infections, especially those affecting the respiratory tract,
• skin sores, such as sunburn, irritation, skin cuts, and skin abrasions,
• obesity, as well
• vitamin D deficiency.

Diagnosis

How do doctors diagnose inverse psoriasis?

To diagnose this disease, the doctor will perform a physical examination to identify symptoms. The doctor will then investigate whether you have a condition that is a risk factor.

Doctors usually will also carry out several more in-depth examination procedures to obtain an evaluation of the initial diagnosis. Procedures such as skin biopsy and laboratory tests aim to differentiate inverse psoriasis from diseases with similar symptoms.

Treatment

What are my treatment options for inverse psoriasis?

Treatment of psoriasis is quite difficult due to the location of the symptoms that appear in the skin folds. The folds generally have thinner and sensitive skin.

Often times, the doctor will prescribe a corticosteroid cream or ointment, a milder corticosteroid ointment can relieve symptoms, but usually symptoms will recur some time after stopping treatment. Therefore, sometimes a stronger corticosteroid ointment is needed.

However, the use of strong corticosteroid ointments should be done with extreme caution because these drugs have side effects that can make the skin thin.

Just apply a thin layer of the ointment on the affected area and should only be used for a short period of time until the symptoms have cleared up. This treatment should be carried out under a doctor's supervision.

In addition, there are also several other drugs that are often used to treat symptoms of inverse psoriasis. These drugs can be combined with steroid ointments or used separately, namely:

• creams or ointments containing vitamin D analogues,
• topical calcineurin inhibitors, such as tacrolimus and pimecrolimus,
• topical drugs containing calcipotriene, coal tar, anthralin,
• non-cosmetic skin emollients or moisturizers, as well
• biologic injection drugs such as adalimumab and infliximab.

Home remedies

What are some lifestyle changes or home remedies for treating inverse psoriasis?

Simple home remedies that help control symptoms can be done by avoiding the various trigger factors of inverse psoriasis.

The link between this disease and obesity, consumption, alcohol, cigarettes, and certain drugs leads people with inverse psoriasis to adopt a healthier lifestyle.

To help speed up the healing process of psoriasis, you also need to do the following.

• Do not wear clothes made from harsh materials that trigger skin irritation.
• Avoid wearing tight clothing that covers the affected part of the skin.
• Always protect the affected skin by cleaning it with unscented soap and cold water. Consult your doctor what type of soap should be used.
• Apply non-cosmetic skin moisturizers regularly, especially before applying topical medications.
• Keep the air around the room cool.