What is Psoriatic Arthritis: Symptoms, Treatment & Causes

Introduction

Psoriatic arthritis is a type of arthritis that affects individuals with , the disease that causes red patches on your skin that are usually topped with silvery scales. Psoriasis can occur years before you may get diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis, but in rare cases, the joint pain can start before the development of the skin patches or even at the same time.

Joint pain, swelling and stiffness are the main psoriatic arthritis symptoms but you can learn more about the symptoms, causes and treatment options below.

What is Psoriatic Arthritis?

This is a form of inflammatory arthritis that is characterised by swelling, joint pain and stiffness in the morning. It can vary from mild to severe and present in three different ways.

• Oligoarticular, which affects four or fewer joints in the body
• Polyarticular, affecting over four joints
• Spondylitis, this type, is less common but can affect the spine, hips, and shoulders.

Symptoms of Psoriatic Arthritis

Psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis are chronic diseases that can worsen over time. However, there can be several instances where the symptoms can improve and temporarily disappear.

Since psoriatic arthritis affects the joints on either or both sides of the body, the symptoms are usually similar to rheumatoid arthritis. Both of these diseases cause your joints to swell, become painful, and cause the skin to feel warm to the touch.

However, there are a few additional psoriatic arthritis symptoms in the case of psoriatic arthritis, such as

• Swollen fingers and toes: Psoriatic arthritis causes sausage-like swelling in your fingers and toes, which can become pretty painful.
• Foot pain: Psoriatic arthritis could be the reason behind pain in various areas where your ligaments and tendons meet the bones. Achilles tendinitis occurs at the heel's back and plantar fasciitis on the sole of your foot.
• Lower back pain: Many people who have psoriatic arthritis can also develop a condition known as spondylitis. This is caused due to inflammation of the joints between the vertebrae of the spine and the joints between the pelvis and spine.
• Changes in nails: Your nails may show tiny dents, crumble or even separate from the nail beds.
• Eye inflammation: Psoriatic arthritis is one of the main reasons behind uveitis, which can cause pain, blurry vision and eye redness. It can also lead to loss of vision if left untreated.
• Fatigue: A study in 2021 found that fatigue is another primary symptom associated with psoriatic arthritis.
• Skin: Similar to psoriasis, individuals with psoriatic arthritis will observe raised patches of itchy skin covered with silvery scales.

Causes of Psoriatic Arthritis

Psoriatic arthritis is an autoimmune disorder that recognises healthy tissue as a foreign object and launches an attack against it. In many cases, the error of the immune system can create inflammation, damage to joints and cause chronic pain.

• Genetics: Most medical experts are still unsure about what causes an immune system disorder. Still, one sure thing is that autoimmune diseases tend to run in the family, which points to genetics being a main factor for the conditions.
• Environmental triggers: Psoriatic arthritis also has environmental triggers like throat infections and physical trauma. It is believed that individuals with psoriasis who experience physical trauma are more likely to develop psoriatic arthritis than those whit psoriasis that do not experience trauma.
• Other factors: Psoriatic arthritis can also be triggered by stress, alcohol, smoking, inflammatory foods or a sudden withdrawal of corticosteroids or other medication.

diagnosis of Psoriatic Arthritis

To diagnose psoriatic arthritis, a doctor, usually a rheumatologist specialising in arthritis and other inflammatory diseases, will conduct a physical examination after asking the patient about their symptoms. They will also examine skin for signs of psoriasis and look for swollen joints or other joint deformities. Some of the tests they may recommend are imaging tests to view damage in joints, blood tests to evaluate the levels of inflammation, and skin biopsy to confirm if the skin lesions are signs of psoriasis.

treatment of Psoriatic Arthritis

Although there is no known cure for psoriatic arthritis at this time, a rheumatologist will recommend several different Psoriatic arthritis treatment options that include medication and lifestyle changes depending on the severity of the disease.

Medication

Most of the medications prescribed to individuals with psoriatic arthritis are aimed at reducing inflammation. These include

• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
• Steroids
• Skin creams
• Biologics

Lifestyle changes

A healthy lifestyle is perfect for most people, but it is perfect for anyone diagnosed with a chronic or debilitating disease. Here are the following lifestyle changes that the Arthritis Foundation suggests

• Eat healthy: It is essential to eat food that is good for your joints and heart and steer clear of inflammatory foods like dairy, alcohol, meats and processed food.
• Maintain a healthy weight: Excess amounts of body fat can increase the amount of inflammation in the body.
• Exercise: Low-impact physical activities like swimming, walking, biking, etc., are helpful for joint pain. Such movement helps reduce stiffness and maintain the muscles that support your joints.

In conclusion

Living a happy, healthy life is possible even with psoriatic arthritis. All you need to do is monitor your symptoms, follow your treatment plan, recognise and avoid things that cause flares, and seek mental health treatment if you struggle with triggers like depression, trauma, stress and anxiety. Regular blood tests can also help you keep track of your health and inflammation levels allowing you to mend your plan of action accordingly. Metropolis Labs offers a wide range of diagnostic tests that will enable you to keep regular tabs on your health and you can do this all from the comfort of your home, with a home collection of blood samples and the promise of quick and accurate test results.