All You Need To Know About Psoriatic Arthritis
What is psoriatic arthritis?
Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is a health problem that combines sore joints and swollen arthritis with psoriasis. This health condition generally results in certain parts of the body to be itchy and having the appearance of scaly red patches. It commonly appears on the skin and lap. Most Americans are found to have this sickness with about 7.5 million which is about 3 percent of the country's population. PsA can sometimes be severe, while it may be mild sometimes as it may get one or many-body joints involved.
Types of Psoriatic Arthritis
Psoriatic Arthritis is of five different types which includes
Psoriatic arthritis mutilans
Anyone that differs from this type of PsA will have the hands and the feet severely affected as it can lead to certain parts of the body being deformed. This specific type of PsA happens to about 5 percent of those that suffer from PsA.
Asymmetric PsA
This type of PsA is quite different from the symmetric PsA. This is because it only affects one joint or joints on a single side of the body. Joints may sometimes appear red and be sore. Generally, asymmetric PsA is mild and it happens to about 35 percent of those who suffer from it.
Symmetric
This is a type of Psoriatic Arthritis that troubles joints that are similar on both sides of the body.For instance, if it affects the right knee, it will also affect the left knee. Before this type of Psoriatic Arthritis can be noticed, its symptoms can be likened to those suffering from rheumatoid arthritis (RA). People with symmetric Psoriatic Arthritis can have less deformity of joints than rheumatoid arthritis as PsA can sometimes milder. Nevertheless, there can be a disability for those who have symmetric PsA. About half of those who suffer from PsA have this type of PsA.
Distal interphalangeal predominant PsA
The Distal interphalangeal predominant of a PsA type affects the joints closest tothe nails. It is also being referred to as distal joints. About 10 percent of people who suffer from PsA suffer from this specific type of PsA.
Spondylitis PsA
This is a PsA types that affectthe spine. It can affect the whole spine from the neck down to the lower back and it can result in a painful movement of these affected parts. It may also affect other body parts such as the legs, hips, hands, including the feet.
What are the symptoms of psoriatic arthritis?
To each person that has Psoriatic Arthritis, there may be differences in the symptoms you will notice. It can be severe in some people while others may find it mild. There are times you wi have your condition go into remission, which results in your feeling better and relieved for some time while the symptoms may grow wild attimes. Whatever symptoms you have, it depends majorly on the type of Psoriatic Arthritis you are suffering from. However, there are general symptoms of PsA. They include
- Stiffness in the morning
- The joints on both sides of your body can be swollen
- Pitting of nails
- Fatigue
- Flaky scalp
- Toes and fingers may be swollen
- Tendons and muscles can be painful at times
- Scaly skin patches and this may grow worse when the pain in the joints increases
- Pain in the eye
- Redness of the eyes
- The nails may be separated from itsbed
Spondylitis PsA, in particular, can also cause the following symptoms:
- Pain and stiffness in the spinal
- Pain, weakness, and swelling in the hips, hands, elbow, knees, ankles. It may also affect the wrists, swollen toes and fingers, and other joints
More than five joints on both sides of the body can be affected by the Symmetric PsA while less thanfive joints of the body can be affected by the asymmetric, though it can be on opposite sides. Joints can be deformed by Psoriatic Arthritis mutilants. The toes and fingers that are affected can be shortened while the Distal PsA can inflict pain, including making the end of fingers and toes joints swell.
What causes psoriatic arthritis?
The body's immune system is attacker.m of the joints and skin in PsA. What causes these attacks are not known by doctors but they think it could be a result of environmental factors and genes combined. However, PsA runs in some families as there has been about 40 percent of those who have PsA that also has one or more relative that suffers from the same condition. Certain environmental factors such as injury, excess stress, or virus could be a trigger to these diseases for those that have the tendencies of developing PsA.
Treatment of Psoriatic Arthritis
The treatment for PsA aims to:
- Relieve the symptoms
- Improve life quality
- Slows the progression of the condition
This is based on attempting medications of different types in which psoriasis can be treated. A medication may treat both Psoriatic Arthritis and Psoriasis. The major medications for PsA are disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs), biological therapies, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).