What is Psoriatic Arthritis? Read On to Find Out

Knowing What is Psoriatic Arthritis is important in order to be able to ensure its proper treatment and management. By definition, this medical condition is chronic and is usually manifested by skin inflammation (psoriasis) as well as the joints (arthritis). The former is one of the most common skin conditions in the United States, affecting almost 2% of its population.

 

What is Psoriatic Arthritis – Symptoms

 

It is characterized by raised, patchy and red areas of skin that are inflamed showing a lot of scales and dryness. This is commonly observed in the tips of the knees, the scalp, the elbows, and the navel and even in the genital areas like the anus and its surrounding skin.

Generally, 10% of the population who has psoriasis develop the associated inflammation of the joints or arthritis. This is usually observed when a person turns 40 or 50. Studies have shown that this disease equally affects both the male and the female wherein the skin disease (psoriasis) and the joint disease (arthritis) often appear separately.

When doctors are asked the question what is psoriatic arthritis, most of them would refer to it as a systemic rheumatic disease that have also been known to cause inflammation (pain and swelling) in body tissues that are not near the joints and are not part of the skin. Examples include the heart, lungs, eyes and even the kidneys. This medical condition shares a lot of features with numerous other arthritic diseases like ankylosing spondylitis, ulcerative colitis and reactive arthritis.

In most cases, the skin disease or psoriasis takes precedence in occurrence as compared to the joint disease or arthritis. This is true in more than 80% of the patients that have been studied by the experts. While there are some rare instances, around 15% wherein the arthritis occurs first then followed by the psoriasis, these are extremely few and not very common even among the older patients. The diagnosis of psoriatic arthritis is challenging if arthritis precedes psoriasis especially if we are talking about several years in interval. That is why knowing What is Psoriatic Arthritis and what causes it is important.

As of writing, there has been no cure discovered for this medical condition. Mainly, the focus of the medical intervention is centered on controlling the symptoms and ensuring that the patient remains active and productive despite the disease. The discomforts associated with psoriatic arthritis include pain in the joints, swelling and stiffness which can occur in such regions of the body as the spine and the fingertips and can range from mild to severe.

What is Psoriatic Arthritis – Conclusions

 

This disease is also characterized by several flare ups of its symptoms with alternate periods of remissions. As much as possible, further damage to the joints and breakage of the skin is prevented in order to avoid complications especially since this disease is prevalent among older people who are more prone to illnesses that are otherwise easily manageable in younger patients.

This disease is not as life threatening as diabetes or cancer however without proper treatment Psoriatic arthritis is disabling. Being well informed about the answers to the question What is Psoriatic Arthritis is vital in order for accurate management and treatment to be given to the patients.

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