What is Psoriatic Arthritis?
Just like the symptoms of psoriasis, the pain and swelling of psoriatic arthritis are caused by an overactive immune system, which enflames the tissues around the joint. Typically, symptoms will flare-up and recede periodically. There are five different kinds of psoriatic arthritis. • Asymmetric arthritis makes up about 70% of all cases of psoriatic arthritis. It often involves one or a few joints, like the knee, hip, or fingers. Although it’s frequently mild, it can sometimes be debilitating. The inflamed joints may be red and hands and feet may be swollen. • Symmetric arthritis is the second most common form of psoriatic arthritis. It often causes symptoms in the same joints on both sides of the body. Symptoms are similar to rheumatoid arthritis, and symmetric arthritis can cause permanent damage. • Distal interphalangeal predominant (DIP), a less common form of psoriatic arthritis, affects the joints close to the fingernails and toenails. The nails are often affected too. • Spondyli
Psoriatic arthritis is a painful, inflammatory condition of the joints that usually (but not always) occurs in association with psoriasis of the skin. Up to 40% of people with skin psoriasis have some signs of psoriatic arthritis. Symptoms of psoriatic arthritis come and go but it is a lifelong condition. It may result in severe damage to the joints and can be as severe as rheumatoid arthritis. Joint deformity and changes on X-rays may be found in approximately 40% of people with psoriatic arthritis. People with severe psoriatic arthritis have been reported to have a shorter lifespan than average. This correlates with the severity of the joint disease. Psoriatic arthritis belongs to a group of arthritic conditions called the spondyloarthropathies.
Psoriasis is a disease in which scaly red and white patches develop on the skin. Those with psoriasis can also develop psoriatic arthritis when the body’s immune system goes into overdrive to attack the skin disease, causing inflammation. Like psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis symptoms flare and subside, varying from person to person, and even changing locations in the same person over time. Psoriatic arthritis can affect any joint within the body, either in a single joint or in the same joint on both sides of the body, e.g., one or both knees. Affected fingers and toes can resemble swollen sausages, a condition often referred to as dactylitis. Psoriatic arthritis in the spine, called spondylitis, causes pain in the back or neck, and difficulty bending. It can also cause tender spots at sites in the body where tendons and ligaments join onto bones. This condition, called enthesopathy, can result in pain at the back of the heel, the sole of the foot, or other areas. Recent research suggest
