Psoriatic arthritis is the form of arthritis that people with psoriasis can get and it is estimated that one in ten psoriasis sufferers are affected. Psoriasis is an autoimmune skin disease where the body’s immune system turns on itself and this shows up in the skin where red, scaly patches that could be itchy show up in the outer bend of the elbows and knees, the feet and ankles, the hairline on the forehead and on the hands and the back. Not all people who have psoriasis suffer from psoriatic arthritis but in some, the condition does progress to this painful inflammation of some of the joints in the body.
Psoriasis is a rather common condition and it affects two in every ten white people in the USA. Both men and women are affected equally and it usually makes its appearance between the ages of forty and fifty. Psoriatic arthritis does not affect people without psoriasis and it might take twenty years for people with psoriasis to get it. However, in some cases, people who already have arthritis can get psoriasis later and this makes diagnosis rather difficult.
Psoriatic arthritis causes inflammation in the joints, even in the spine but it can also cause inflammation in organs like the kidneys, lungs, heart and even the eyes. There is no known cure for the condition and it is treated symptomatically, depending on which area has been affected and how much pain and discomfort the person goes through. It cannot be prevented either and while there is a genetic element in it, with people who have a family history of allergies and skin diseases getting it, it is believed that there could be external triggers as well that precipitate the occurrence of the condition. People who have psoriasis running in the family are three times more likely to be affected by this condition. However, certain triggers have been identified in studies as either being the cause of or aggravating this condition.
Infections could cause psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, especially strep infections, Bacterial infections are suspected to be one of the causes of a form of psoriasis called plaque psoriasis. People who are HIV positive can also be affected by psoriasis and if they already suffer from it, it could get aggravated. While sunlight is good for this condition, too much sun, especially if it results in sunburn can be bad. There are certain drugs too that trigger this condition and among them are drugs that are beta-blockers, antimalarials, non-steroidal anti-inflammatories and mental disorder drugs. Other causes could be stress, hormonal changes like menopause, alcohol and tobacco addictions.
Psoriatic arthritis has been classified into five types. First comes symmetric psoriatic arthritis where the arthritis affects matching joints – both knees or both elbows or other joints. One in two psoriatic arthritis patients suffer from this type. The second type is asymmetric psoriatic arthritis where matching joints are not affected and it could affect any joint on either side of the body. Third comes DIP or distal interphalangeal predominant psoriatic arthritis which attacks the toes and the fingers, especially the joints which are close to the nail area. The fourth type is spondylitis which attacks the spine and this causes pain in the back, the neck, the lower back and the pelvis. The fifth type, which is very rare is called arthritis mutilans which also affects the small joints of the fingers and the toes and causes deformity, making movement painful. It sometimes affects the neck and the lower back as well.