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It has been estimated that 30% of people diagnosed with psoriasis also end up with psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Psoriasis is basically an autoimmune condition which is characterized by a rapid turnover of your skin cells. The symptoms of this condition are known as flare-ups, which are the excess skin cells creating scaly lesions on your skin. When your body attacks your healthy joints, causing inflammation, it is the occurrence of the autoimmune condition- PsA or psoriatic arthritis. If left untreated, this condition can result in permanent joint damage. People, who develop psoriasis symptoms, are usually the ones to develop PsA. While this may not always be the case, here are the symptoms of PsA:
Swelling
All types of arthritis cause joint swelling, but a unique type of swelling in the toes and fingers are caused by PSA. You will notice a sausage-like swelling around the joints in your fingers and toes before noticing other symptoms in your joints. If you let it remain without treatment it can be extremely painful and can even end up causing permanent deformities in your fingers and toes.
Feet Pain
PsA commonly attacks the tendons too, unlike most other forms of arthritis which only causes joint pain. While the tendons are responsible for attaching the muscles to the bones, tendon pain can be excruciating. The tendon pain in your feet is a common symptom of PsA. There are two conditions of PsA that usually occur- Achilles tendinitis, and plantar fasciitis.
Achilles tendinitis
Achilles tendinitis causes the tendon connecting the lower calf muscles to the heel bone to get inflamed. This makes people experience pain within their heels. Plantar fasciitis causes the tendon connecting the heel to the toes to get inflamed. It is the most common symptom of PsA and is responsible for the pain you feel at the bottom of your feet.
Back Pain
PsA can also cause spondylitis which is a condition wherein joint inflammation occurs in two main areas: between your spine’s vertebral bodies and in between the pelvis and spine (sacroiliac region). Lower-back pain is its most common symptom. It is estimated that about 20% people who have psoriatic arthritis in time also develop psoriatic spondylitis.
Morning Stiffness
If you have PsA, then you will surely experience inflexibility and stiffness in the morning, which can make moving your joints on either or both sides of your body quite difficult. After sitting for too long in one spot and then standing up can make you experience a similar kind of stiffness. Once you begin to move around you will feel the stiffness gradually fade, but this kind of stiffness lasts for as long as 45 minutes or maybe even longer.
Nail Problems
PsA is also responsible for many changes and problems in your nails, just like psoriasis. When you notice the formation of depressions in your fingernails or toenails (pitting), or the separation of the nail from the nail bed, it is definitely a symptom of PsA. These nail dysfunctions can be very similar to fungal infections. So, the appearance of indentations or the discoloration of the nails on either or both of your hands and feet means that you have psoriatic arthritis. If you let it advance into the later stages, your nails could very soon be damaged to the extent that they began to crumble.
Red Skin Patches
The skin problems associated with psoriasis are experienced by roughly 85% of the people diagnosed with PsA. These symptoms occur even before anyone notices any issues with their joints. People with PsA often notice a red scaly rash appearing on their body before anything else.
Fatigue
This autoimmune disorder makes people feel tired frequently because of the pain and inflammation caused by it. Certain medications for arthritis also cause people to experience some general fatigue. Therefore, people with Psa suffer a lot from being fatigued all the time, as it seems impossible for them to keep fit and active and makes conducting their daily activities exponentially harder. This can only result in further problems like mood swings and obesity.
Reduced Movement
Due to the swelling and tenderness in tendons and the stiffness and pain in joints, which are caused by PSA, your motion can be reduced. Also, your range of motion will depend on the number of joints that are affected and how severe the other symptoms are. Try to exercise on a regular basis as it helps in loosening up the joints, especially if you pick exercises that need to be performed with your range of motion.
Eye Pain
Research conducted on PsA and its symptoms states that 30% of the people are prone to eye inflammation/swelling and pain, lid swelling, vision, changes, and dry eye. Not treating a symptom such as dry eye can lead to the eye being permanently damaged and even interference with the effectiveness of glaucoma treatment. According to studies on this subject, it has been suggested that around 40-50% of patients with glaucoma also have dry eye syndrome.
Anemia
Anemia is yet another symptom cause by psoriatic arthritis. When you do not have enough of properly functioning red blood cells, the condition is known as anemia. Anemia, in turn, can have several health implications such as paleness, headaches, fatigue, and shortness of breath. However, the anemia which is brought about by PSA is rarely severe. When you experience symptoms of psoriatic arthritis your doctor will also perform a blood test to check for anemia.
Consult your doctor if you do have Psoriatic Arthritis or PsA
Since arthritis has many forms which are rather similar to each other, it would be best to consult your doctor if you think you might be having arthritis. A diagnosis can be made once you go through a full medical examination and discuss the details of your medical history and if you are witnessing any symptoms with your doctor.
A blood test may also be performed for detecting any telltale signs of psoriatic arthritis like anemia and high levels of inflammation. With the proper diagnosis and treatment you can be relieved of the pain caused by psoriatic arthritis and even prevent your joints from being permanently damaged.
Swelling
All types of arthritis cause joint swelling, but a unique type of swelling in the toes and fingers are caused by PSA. You will notice a sausage-like swelling around the joints in your fingers and toes before noticing other symptoms in your joints. If you let it remain without treatment it can be extremely painful and can even end up causing permanent deformities in your fingers and toes.
Feet Pain
PsA commonly attacks the tendons too, unlike most other forms of arthritis which only causes joint pain. While the tendons are responsible for attaching the muscles to the bones, tendon pain can be excruciating. The tendon pain in your feet is a common symptom of PsA. There are two conditions of PsA that usually occur- Achilles tendinitis, and plantar fasciitis.
Achilles tendinitis
Achilles tendinitis causes the tendon connecting the lower calf muscles to the heel bone to get inflamed. This makes people experience pain within their heels. Plantar fasciitis causes the tendon connecting the heel to the toes to get inflamed. It is the most common symptom of PsA and is responsible for the pain you feel at the bottom of your feet.
Back Pain
PsA can also cause spondylitis which is a condition wherein joint inflammation occurs in two main areas: between your spine’s vertebral bodies and in between the pelvis and spine (sacroiliac region). Lower-back pain is its most common symptom. It is estimated that about 20% people who have psoriatic arthritis in time also develop psoriatic spondylitis.
Morning Stiffness
If you have PsA, then you will surely experience inflexibility and stiffness in the morning, which can make moving your joints on either or both sides of your body quite difficult. After sitting for too long in one spot and then standing up can make you experience a similar kind of stiffness. Once you begin to move around you will feel the stiffness gradually fade, but this kind of stiffness lasts for as long as 45 minutes or maybe even longer.
Nail Problems
PsA is also responsible for many changes and problems in your nails, just like psoriasis. When you notice the formation of depressions in your fingernails or toenails (pitting), or the separation of the nail from the nail bed, it is definitely a symptom of PsA. These nail dysfunctions can be very similar to fungal infections. So, the appearance of indentations or the discoloration of the nails on either or both of your hands and feet means that you have psoriatic arthritis. If you let it advance into the later stages, your nails could very soon be damaged to the extent that they began to crumble.
Red Skin Patches
The skin problems associated with psoriasis are experienced by roughly 85% of the people diagnosed with PsA. These symptoms occur even before anyone notices any issues with their joints. People with PsA often notice a red scaly rash appearing on their body before anything else.
Fatigue
This autoimmune disorder makes people feel tired frequently because of the pain and inflammation caused by it. Certain medications for arthritis also cause people to experience some general fatigue. Therefore, people with Psa suffer a lot from being fatigued all the time, as it seems impossible for them to keep fit and active and makes conducting their daily activities exponentially harder. This can only result in further problems like mood swings and obesity.
Reduced Movement
Due to the swelling and tenderness in tendons and the stiffness and pain in joints, which are caused by PSA, your motion can be reduced. Also, your range of motion will depend on the number of joints that are affected and how severe the other symptoms are. Try to exercise on a regular basis as it helps in loosening up the joints, especially if you pick exercises that need to be performed with your range of motion.
Eye Pain
Research conducted on PsA and its symptoms states that 30% of the people are prone to eye inflammation/swelling and pain, lid swelling, vision, changes, and dry eye. Not treating a symptom such as dry eye can lead to the eye being permanently damaged and even interference with the effectiveness of glaucoma treatment. According to studies on this subject, it has been suggested that around 40-50% of patients with glaucoma also have dry eye syndrome.
Anemia
Anemia is yet another symptom cause by psoriatic arthritis. When you do not have enough of properly functioning red blood cells, the condition is known as anemia. Anemia, in turn, can have several health implications such as paleness, headaches, fatigue, and shortness of breath. However, the anemia which is brought about by PSA is rarely severe. When you experience symptoms of psoriatic arthritis your doctor will also perform a blood test to check for anemia.
Consult your doctor if you do have Psoriatic Arthritis or PsA
Since arthritis has many forms which are rather similar to each other, it would be best to consult your doctor if you think you might be having arthritis. A diagnosis can be made once you go through a full medical examination and discuss the details of your medical history and if you are witnessing any symptoms with your doctor.
A blood test may also be performed for detecting any telltale signs of psoriatic arthritis like anemia and high levels of inflammation. With the proper diagnosis and treatment you can be relieved of the pain caused by psoriatic arthritis and even prevent your joints from being permanently damaged.
