Just thought I'd share a concise and easy to understand brief on psoriatic arthritis which I got hold on the web.
What is Psoriatic Arthritis?
A chronic disease characterized by inflammation of the joints (arthritis) accompanied by red patches in the skin (psoriasis). The psoriasis usually precedes the arthritic attack.
What Causes Psoriatic Arthritis?
The cause is unknown, but genes may play a role.
While it is more common among persons 40 years-old and above, some cases are also noted among younger people.
Types of Psoriatic Arthritis by Symptoms
There are five general types of Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA):
- Symmetrical -- affects the same joints, usually in multiple pairs and on both side of the body.
- Asymmetrical -- affects a few joints, usually isolated.
- Distal interphalangeal joints -- characterized by stiffness and inflammation of joints near the tip of the fingers, often with visible changes in the nails.
- Spondylitis -- PsA that includes spine inflammation
- Arthritis mutilans -- which includes damage to the joints, a very rare occurrence in patients affected by PsA. Also called chronic absorptive arthritis.
Common Symptoms
The following symptoms are commonly present among the five types of PsA.
- Skin disease -- skin cells growing too quickly and thick patches on the skin; can be white, red or silvery; occurs most commonly on elbows, knees and the scalp.
- Joint inflammation -- in knees, ankles, and joints of hands and feet; can be recognized by red, swollen, painful and hot areas that are inflamed, usually affecting only a few joints at the time.
- Other recognizable symptoms -- includes joint stiffness, especially early in the morning; spine inflammation; sacrum inflammation; pains in the buttocks, upper back, and neck; can affect fingers, giving them a sausage-like appearance; nail changes and acne are also common.
Treatment
Because of the presence of inflammation, doctors may prescribe nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to reduce pain and swelling of the joints.
However, more severe arthritis must be treated with disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) which are more powerful than NSAIDs. Common examples of DMARDs are Leflunomide, Methotrexate, and Sulfasalazine.
Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inflammatory protein blockers are also fast becoming the treatment of choice for PsA. The most familiar TNF protein blockers include Adalimumab (Humira), Certolizumab (Cimzia), Etanercept (Enbrel), Golimumab (Simponi), and Infliximab (Remicade).
Steroid medications are sometimes injected to painful joints too.
Very rarely do patients need surgery on damaged joints.
A healthy mix of rest and exercise, physical therapy, heat and cold therapy, may also be specified.
Source/s:
http://www.ooknow.com/psoriatic-arthritis-symptoms