Psoriatic arthritis often affects people who have psoriasis, which is a condition that causes red patches on the skin with silvery scales. Usually, people will develop psoriasis first, and later be diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis. However, just because you have psoriasis does not mean that you will also have psoriatic arthritis.
This arthritis is categorized by swelling and stiffness as the main symptoms. It can affect any part of your body, and if you think that you might have this type of arthritis you should talk to your doctor. Check out the arthritisCARE if you are in the area, or simply search for a local doctor instead.
People with psoriasis can develop psoriatic arthritis
While there is no cure when it comes to psoriatic arthritis, there are a lot of growing treatments that could help stop the progression of the disease, lessen your pain, preserve the range of motion and protect your joints. Keep in mind that without proper treatment, psoriatic arthritis could potentially cause long-term damage, and lead to disabling.
Symptoms of Psoriatic Arthritis
Both psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis are chronic diseases that will get worse with time. There are times when the symptoms could improve or disappear altogether, but there are times when the symptoms will get much worse. Psoriatic arthritis can affect the joints on one side or both sides of the body. Symptoms of psoriatic arthritis are often quite similar to rheumatoid arthritis, and they can cause:
- Swollen toes and fingers – psoriatic arthritis will cause painful swelling of the toes and fingers. You could also develop deformities and swelling in your feet and hands, before having other significant symptoms.
- Pain in feet – psoriatic arthritis can cause pain at the points where ligaments and tendons attach to your bones.
- Pain in your lower back – as a result of psoriatic arthritis, sometimes people develop a condition that is called spondylitis.
Causes of Psoriatic Arthritis
When the body’s immune system starts to attack itself, the abnormal immune response will cause inflammation in the joints, and will also overproduce skin cells. However, it is not completely clear why the immune system will start to attack the healthy tissues, but many believe that it is both genetic and due to environmental factors.
Complications
There are a small percentage of people who have psoriasis arthritis, and also develop arthritis mutilans, which is a painful, severe and disabling form of this disease. As time goes by, arthritis mutilans could destroy the small bones in your hands, which will lead to permanent disability and deformity. If you are concerned, you can check out psoriatic arthritis medication in Brisbane at arthritisCARE or search locally.
Talk to your doctor about psoriatic arthritis
Final word
If you have psoriasis, and you feel pain in your joints, you should tell your doctor. Having an open discussion about psoriasis and other pain and discomfort you may feel, is important for you to get the right diagnosis and an appropriate treatment.
