Psoriatic arthritis is a chronic disease wherein the skin and joints suffer acute inflammation
due to combination of psoriasis and inflammatory arthritis.
It can be mild with occasional flare-ups but not uniform0 in every person as some people can
have a prolonged case of this disease leading to joint damage if left untreated.
As this condition develops, the skin starts showing red and raised patchy areas followed by
acute inflammation with scaling. The condition extends to the elbows, knees, areas behind the
ears, scalp and the naval.
Signs can also be seen in genital areas. Although there is no definite aetiology known about
its occurrence, the autoimmune response of the body is identified as one of the causes.
Hereditary factors like genetics can make the disease inherited by children.
In the United States alone, there is 2% of the Caucasian population affected by psoriatic
arthritis.
Psoriatic arthritis tends to develop in those who already suffer from psoriasis.
Psoriatic arthritis
influences the large joints. Joints of the lower extremities get more pain whereas joints of
finger and toes, the back, and sacroiliac joints of the pelvis get relatively less pain.
To relieve pain and protect the joints, it is crucial that people maintain regular joint
movement, do some lightweight exercises, jogging or walking.
There is no certain way to know who will get Psoriatic arthritis but it is found that
approximately 15%-25% of patients who have psoriasis also develop inflammation of their joints.
When combined, this condition becomes very painful and long lasting.
Although the onset of Psoriatic arthritis mainly progresses in the 40s to 50s, men and women
are equally affected. There is high likelihood (80%) that arthritis will proceed psoriasis.
However, arthritis can also precede psoriasis in about 15% of the patients.
Patients with Psoriatic arthritis have trouble identifying the correct disease onset in case
they already suffer from arthritis. Psoriasis can recur later in life even after a gap of twenty
years. Thus, this condition's trajectory cannot be predicted.
Psoriatic arthritis inhibits free movement of the joints and causes sharp inflammation in
body tissues away from the joints other than the skin. Not only joints, but it also affects the
eyes, heart, lungs, and kidneys.
There are varying degrees of psoriatic arthritis and the types can be combined with several
other arthritic conditions such as ankylosing spondylitis and arthritis with Crohn's disease and
ulcerative colitis. There is no telling which organ may be effected.
