Psoriatic Arthritis
Psoriatic arthritis affects some people with psoriasis. It is a form of arthritis that features red patches of skin covered with silvery scales.
Many people usually experience psoriasis before it gets developed into psoriatic arthritis.
The major symptoms of this condition include swelling, joint pain, and stiffness in any part of the body. The symptoms usually range from mild to severe forms of psoriasis.
The symptoms of psoriatic arthritis can be controlled, but there’s no permanent cure for it.
About ⅓ of people with psoriasis have psoriatic arthritis, and most people experience the condition between 30-50 years. However, you can get psoriasis at any age.
Psoriatic arthritis sometimes has similar symptoms with rheumatoid arthritis. So, your doctor may not be able to tell the differences unless he carries out some tests to confirm.
Signs and Symptoms
Swollen Fingers, Toes, and Joints
When you have psoriatic arthritis, you may begin to notice these symptoms on your hands, feet, and knees.
With time, they will become puffy, painful, hot, and red. These symptoms often occur on both sides of your knees, ankles, fingers, and hips.
Stiff Joints
You may notice stiff joints throughout the day, but they’re usually worse when you wake up in the morning.
Shoulder and Back Pain
Inflammation in your hip bones and spine joints could result in lower and upper back pain and stiffness in your neck.
Nail Pitting
If you see tiny dents (putting) and ridges in your nails, it may be a sign of psoriatic psoriasis.
Nail Separation
Nail separation occurs when your whole nail gets separated from the nail bed. This separated part may be opaque with a green, white or yellow tint.
This condition is often referred to as onycholysis by doctors.
Chest and Rib Pain
You may experience chest and rib pain once in a while when you have psoriatic arthritis. This often occurs when there is inflammation of the cartilage and chest wall that connects your ribs to your breastbone.
It may be a rare condition, but it may affect your aorta or lungs.
Complications
You may likely develop other conditions over time when you have psoriatic arthritis. Some notable complications include:
- Nonmelanoma skin cancer and lymphoma
- Cardiovascular diseases like stroke and heart attack
- Inflammatory bowel diseases like ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease
- Mood disorders and depression
- Type 2 diabetes
- Vision problems and eye inflammation
- Gout
- Joint damage
- Metabolic syndromes like obesity,
- High blood pressure, and heart disease
Causes
Psoriatic arthritis occurs when your body’s immune system is attacking your tissue and healthy cells. This abnormal immune response causes overproduction of your skin cells and joint inflammation.
Risk factors
Factors that may increase your risk of psoriatic arthritis include:
- Having siblings or parent who have psoriasis.
- If you have psoriasis, you may be at risk of having psoriatic arthritis.
- Your age may increase your risk of developing the condition, especially when you’re between 30 and 50. Although, psoriatic arthritis can affect anyone.
When to see a doctor
Psoriatic arthritis can be damaging to your joints when left untreated. Seeing your doctor as soon as you observe any of the symptoms will help to prevent further damage.