What are the symptoms of psoriasis?

Psoriasis, commonly known as scaly skin disease, is a chronic, recurrent autoimmune disease that primarily affects the skin and joints. Its typical symptoms include:

1. Erythema and scaling: Red patches appear on the skin with clear boundaries, varying in shape and size. They may present as punctate, plaque-like, or map-like lesions. The surface of these red patches is covered with multiple layers of silvery-white or gray-white scales. The scales can be easily scraped off, revealing a delicate, translucent, pale red film underneath, known as the film phenomenon.

2. Itching and pain: The affected skin may feel itchy or painful, especially after removal of the scales when the underlying fresh skin is exposed.

3. Punctate bleeding: Lightly scraping the skin beneath the scales may result in small bleeding spots, caused by the rupture of capillaries beneath the skin surface.

4. Systemic symptoms: In severe or special types of psoriasis, such as erythrodermic psoriasis, patients may develop widespread redness, swelling, and peeling of the skin, accompanied by systemic manifestations such as fever and superficial lymphadenopathy.

5. Joint symptoms: Some patients with psoriasis may experience joint swelling, pain, and stiffness, commonly seen in psoriatic arthritis, which can affect joint function.

If you have any concerns or experience these symptoms, please seek medical attention promptly and follow the advice of a qualified physician.