Arthritis and Psoriasis

It might be surprising to hear that psoriasis isn’t just a chronic skin condition. Yes, it may cause redness on the skin, raised patches and severe itchiness, but it can also trigger the onset of arthritis, which can be painful. Arthritis and psoriasis indeed have a connection, and many studies have confirmed that. Although psoriasis is not generally considered a life-threatening condition, nobody wants further complications. There are in fact some cases where psoriasis can become so bad and cover the entire body that the person suffering from it will need hospitalization.

Psoriasis is a fairly common skin condition that affects millions of people in the United States alone. However, a number of those who have psoriasis also have a debilitating type of arthritis. As stated by the National Psoriasis Foundation, 10 to 30 percent of Americans who have psoriasis also have psoriatic arthritis. This evidently shows the connection between arthritis and psoriasis. In 85 percent of these cases, arthritis follows the onset of psoriasis. The concern today is that many individuals with psoriases do not suspect any association between their skin and joint problems. One possible cause of psoriasis is an abnormality in an immune system process, which mainly causes inflammation. And because arthritis is also a form of inflammation, a connection between arthritis and psoriasis has been implicated.

Psoriatic arthritis often targets individuals ranging from ages 30 to 50. This is the time when many individuals suffer from joint aches. Many mistake their symptoms as signs of osteoarthritis when in fact they are signs of psoriatic arthritis. It is essential to know the difference because psoriatic arthritis can cause irreversible damage to a joint if not treated in due time.

So how can one identify the association with their arthritis and psoriasis? The common symptoms linked to psoriatic arthritis are lower back pain / pain in the buttocks, pain and inflammation in one or more joints (commonly knees, wrists, ankles, toes and finger joints), swelling of toes and fingers, pitting of nails, grayish or silvery scaly areas usually on the elbows, knees, scalp and lower back, morning stiffness, fatigue, conjunctivitis and tendonitis.

Arthritis and psoriasis both can range from mild to severe. The sooner the treatment, the better. A doctor will often make a proper diagnosis first. There are 5 types of psoriatic arthritis, which are asymmetric psoriatic arthritis, symmetric psoriatic arthritis, distal interphalangeal predominant psoriatic arthritis, arthritis mutilans, and psoriatic spondulitis or axial arthritis. These 5 types or patterns of psoriatic arthritis may advance from one to another. Arthritis and psoriasis could go hand in hand as patients may develop arthritis either after or before psoriasis.