Psoriasis arthritis is a type of psoriasis which affects the joints of hands and feet of the affected individual and is a chronic condition featuring skin inflammation with patchy, raised and red scaly areas. Being a systemic rheumatic disease, this condition shares its characteristics with other arthritic conditions as well and is usually observed to occur among men and women who belong to the forties and fifties age groups.
Since knowledge is the best defense against any disease, the following 10 facts listed here serve as important guidelines for psoriasis arthritis which every individual should be aware of:
- Like its parent disease psoriasis, psoriasis arthritis is also chronic nature and the intensity of symptoms may vary from one individual to another. Therefore, while the symptoms may come and go in case of patients who suffer from the mild form of this disease, they may be more persistent and painful in case of patients who experience it more severe form.
- Psoriasis arthritis is known to manifest itself in form of five clinical patterns and these are generally known to evolve from one another rather than existing exclusively. Some of the typical areas of the body which are affected from psoriasis arthritis are the large joints of the lower limbs, distal joints of fingers and toes and back and sacroiliac joints.
- Since the exact cause of psoriasis is unknown, so also the exact cause of psoriasis arthritis is also yet to be determined. Although there is strong evidence to prove that genetic factors may be the main cause of this disease, the possible role of environmental factors and bacterial infections cannot be ruled out.
- Although it is a form of psoriasis, only 15% of patients develop arthritis prior to psoriasis while in case of the majority 85% the symptoms of psoriasis manifest themselves much before the symptoms of arthritis.
- The symptoms of psoriasis arthritis like painful and swollen joints are similar to medical conditions like gout and rheumatoid arthritis as well due to which the probability of misdiagnosis is very high. In such a situation, skin biopsies and observation of skin and nail changes are used to confirm the occurrence of psoriasis arthritis.
- Patients who suffer from a mild form of psoriasis arthritis may experience periodic appearance and disappearance of symptoms and are therefore recommended to take medications only when the symptoms appear and refrain when they disappear.
- The symptoms of psoriasis arthritis are liable to aggravate if the patient has a strong family history of psoriasis, suffers from the disease from a very young age, is already afflicted with other forms of arthritis and has extensive skin involvement.
- Research has established that psoriasis arthritis usually occurs between 30-55 years of age and equally affects men as well as women. Likewise, while 95% of the patients of psoriasis arthritis suffer from swelling in joints, 80% are known to suffer from nail lesions.
- The hereditary nature of psoriatic arthritis is further emphasized from the findings that the chances of it spreading between identical twins is as high as 70% while the chances of the disease being passed on to the next generation is higher with fathers than mothers.
- Psoriasis arthritis does not co-exist with rheumatoid arthritis unless in extremely rare cases in which the latter is usually dominant.
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