Certain things can trigger psoriatic arthritis, including an infection that sets off your immune system (like strep throat). You should also remember things like an injury to your skin, stress, not taking your medicine, and not sleeping well can also cause your PsA to flare up.
If your PsA becomes more serious, you might have other health issues, including:
Living with psoriatic arthritis has its challenges beyond pain, stiffness, and fatigue.
There can be an emotional side to the disease, too. It's not unusual to get frustrated by your symptoms and find it harder to do simple tasks. You may worry about the cost of your treatment or how it affects other people.
You can deal with these emotions in a positive way. While you may not be able to cure your condition, you do have a say in how you handle it.
Psoriatic arthritis can happen if you have psoriasis, a condition that causes your skin to get red patches and silvery scales. Sometimes people get psoriasis first and then have psoriatic arthritis later, but others get the arthritis symptoms first. Up to 30% of people with psoriasis get psoriatic arthritis. Psoriatic arthritis happens when your immune system attacks your healthy cells and tissues. This causes your joints to get inflamed and your skin to make too many cells.
Doctors aren’t sure what causes psoriatic arthritis, but these things may play a role:
Enthesitis occurs in about 10% to 20% of children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis, which can affect one or more joints and lasts at least 6 weeks. These children are described as having enthesitis-related arthritis (ERA). Kids with ERA often have a family history of inflammatory conditions, like ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis, or inflammatory bowel disease. They also commonly have eye redness and pain, along with other arthritis symptoms.
It’s known that many people with psoriatic arthritis don’t get the best care. But the reasons why hadn’t been clear. Then a 2021 study used U.S. insurance claims data to look at those differences. It found the biggest disparities were related to health insurance.
Discrimination based on the type of health insurance you have (and whether or not you have health insurance) can affect your chances of getting timely diagnosis and care for your psoriatic arthritis.
Those with private insurance or Medicare were more likely to get a correct diagnosis, see a specialist, and have targeted treatments. The study didn’t include people without health insurance.
Certain things can trigger PsA, including:
An accurate and early diagnosis of psoriatic arthritis will help you avoid the damage and deformity it can cause. Your doctor will make a decision based on:
No single thing will diagnose psoriatic arthritis, but blood tests, imaging, and other tests can help your doctor. They may want to give you certain tests that check for rheumatoid arthritis, because it can look a lot like psoriatic arthritis.
Medications can often help manage PsA. They include:
You may need to try several different medications. You might use more than one drug, and your doctor could frequently adjust your doses.
If your psoriatic arthritis is more serious, your doctor will probably prescribe one or more disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs). These drugs work on your immune system to reduce inflammation.
They may start with conventional DMARDs. These can reduce pain, swelling, and skin symptoms. They have not been proven to help prevent joint damage, though.
If you have severe psoriatic arthritis, or you don’t get results from conventional DMARDs, your doctor may prescribe another type of DMARD called a biologic. You might get one along with a conventional DMARD. Because they can slow joint damage, some doctors recommend them as the first treatment for people who already have serious symptoms.
Biologic drugs work by targeting very specific parts of your immune system.
Physical therapy helps you keep or increase strength and flexibility. An occupational therapist can teach you how to put less strain on your joints during daily activities.
If your PsA has badly damaged your joints, your doctor might recommend surgery. An operation could help ease pain, restore movement, and improve your quality of life. But it doesn’t treat the inflammation your condition causes. For that, you’ll still need to take medication.
An occupational therapist and/or physical therapist can show you exercises to keep range of movement in your joints and keep your muscles strong. If your muscles are stronger, it can take pressure off your joints.
Herbs, supplements, and skin treatments that people commonly use for psoriatic arthritis and related psoriasis include:
No medical studies prove that these will ease your symptoms, though. The Food and Drug Administration doesn't control these products, and they may not contain the ingredients listed on the package. Be careful, and talk to your doctor before taking any supplements.
Psoriatic arthritis can affect both the inside and outside of your body. If you’ve been diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis, you may have symptoms like stiff, aching joints and scaly, itchy skin patches. The main goal of treatment is to control the inflammation that causes your joints to swell and ache. That will ease your pain and help prevent further damage.
This can mean different things for different people.
If you're a college professor and your treatment gets rid of all your symptoms except two swollen finger joints, you might be OK with that. But if you're a concert violinist who relies on those joints for a living, those same symptoms could be a show-stopper.
Living with psoriatic arthritis has its challenges beyond pain, stiffness, and fatigue. There can be an emotional side to the disease, too. It's not unusual to get frustrated by your symptoms and find it harder to do simple tasks. You may worry about the cost of your treatment or how it affects other people. You can deal with these emotions in a positive way. While you may not be able to cure your condition, you do have a say in how you handle it.
Tell your doctor what you need to keep up with your day-to-day activities.
Other psychiatric conditions linked to psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis include:
Chronic conditions also have a powerful influence on your emotional and mental health. That’s not just because of physical effects on your brain. Many of these disorders, like chronic pain, can lead to depression, anxiety, sleep problems, and other issues because they’re hard to live with. They can cause stress due to health care costs and lost productivity at work. Psoriasis also has visible physical symptoms that may embarrass you and harm your self-esteem.
High heels may look pretty, but the way they affect your feet isn't. A 1-inch heel is reasonable. And it puts seven times less stress on your feet than one that's 3 inches.