Psoriatic Arthritis Symptoms
Psoriatic arthritis symptoms is a chronic skin condition which can attacks patients with arthritis. This kind of condition usually occurs to patients with psoriasis. The condition resembles rheumatoid arthritis, but majority of patients with this kind of condition only sufferer from the mild form. Common psoriatic arthritis symptoms are skin disorder as well as some joint condition. The sad thing about the condition is that it does not have direct cure, but there are lots of treatment patients can use to alleviate all its symptoms. If the condition is left untreated, it can cause a more serious health problem. This is a chronic condition that requires constant maintenance and treatment.
The common form of psoriatic arthritis can affect the tips of your finger and toes. This is one of the most common forms of symptoms you will encounter if you have this kind of condition. However, there are rare cases where patients are affected in their spine area. There are different form of this psoriatic arthritis and the common for is the “psoriatic arthritis mutilans”. The condition can target your joints and can cause some severe destruction.
The symptoms may appear on your knees, scalp, and elbow. You may develop scaly and rough rashes. You will have red and silvery gray color scaly patches on your skin. The condition may affect 5 to 10 percent of every 30 million Americans have psoriasis. Both men and women can be affected by this rare condition and it likely appears between the ages of 30 to 50 years of age.
Five Types of Psoriatic Arthritis symptoms
If you have psoriatic arthritis, it is important to know the exact type of condition you have.
- Distal Interphalangeal Predominant- it can affect the last joint located on your finger tips and toes. This condition is quiet similar to osteoarthritis. The general symptoms of this condition are limited into this area of joint.
- Asymmetrical Arthritis- the asymmetrical arthritis only affects two to three joints. You may feel individual pain rather than having it by pairs. It affects any joint within your body, but it is also primarily common to your fingers and toes. Some doctors refer it as “sausage digits” because it looks like sausage when it swells. It is mild than other type of condition and it do not progress unlike other forms of psoriatic arthritis. The condition is responsive with the treatment using NSAID drugs.
- Symmetrical Polyarthritis- it can be easily identified because the joints may swell in pairs. For example, your right elbow is affected by swelling, you have to expect both of your elbow will be affected by the condition. On patients with psoriatic arthritis, this is considered as the second most common from which affects majority of patients. According to the statistics almost 25 to 17 % of patients are affecting with this form of psoriatic arthritis symptoms. This form can develop into a severe condition which can cause joint deformity. A symptom on the skin is severe compared to other types.
- Psoriatic Spondyloarthritis- the condition refers to as the inflammation of the spine and joints. This is a serious form of psoriatic arthritis and it can develop some deformity of the bone and as a result may change your posture. Patients with this form often experience symptoms on the legs and arm area. The most noticeable symptoms of this type may include stiffness, inflammation, and tenderness of the joints on the neck and back area. It affects all the ligaments on affected area.
- Arthritis Mutilans- this is a very severe type of psoriatic arthritis and it is also very rare. Only 5% of all the patients with this condition develop this type of psoriatic arthritis. It is severe dues to the fact that the condition can destroy cartilage and bones in the joints. It can actually deform all the joints at the hands and feet area.
All patents may actually develop one or more types of psoriatic arthritis. The identification of one single type is not possible. Patients may also suffer from one to more combination of psoriatic arthritis symptoms coming from different types. There are other three types may occur to patients with psoriasis and these are:
Reiter’s syndrome- this is the diseases which can cause inflammation on the urethra, in the eye area, and also arthritis. This is not a venereal disease but it can actually cause lesions within the genital area, palms, soles of your feet, and within the mouth.
Gout- this is another form of arthritis which can cause inflammation as well as sudden attacks containing severe pains often feel within the bod toe. Excessive uric acid on the blood can cause this condition. There are crystals formed within the affected joints.
These psoriatic arthritis symptoms can only be treated with the use of drugs. Actually the main cause of this disease is unknown. The majority of patients develop the condition have relatives with either psoriasis or arthritis.