Various forms of arthritis are now affecting both men and women, and thus affective measures for their management is required. Arthritis can damage your knees and cause a permanent health problem and hence it is required to get the right treatment for the same. One of the most common and chronic forms of arthritis is Psoriatic arthritis, which is characterized by inflammation of the skin or psoriasis along with the joints. Basically psoriasis is a common skin condition and this affects about 2% of the Caucasian population in the U.S.
Some of the common symptoms of these forms of arthritis include patchy joints, raised, red areas of skin inflammation and a lot of scaling. Psoriasis affects the joints more commonly and these include tips of the elbows and knees. Along with this, some of the other areas, where this disease can cause itchiness and redness, include the scalp, the navel and around the genital areas or anus. It has been seen that at least 10% of patients who have psoriasis, which is an associated inflammation of their joints.
The patients who have inflammatory arthritis and psoriasis are known to be suffering from psoriatic arthritis. Studies have shown that the onset of psoriatic arthritis begins in the fourth and fifth decades of life. Hence both males and females are affected equally affected by the disease. In this case, the skin disease or psoriasis and arthritis, often appear separately. In most of the cases, this skin disease precedes the arthritis in most of the patients. However there are chances that arthritis may precede the psoriasis in some patients.
There are many patients where diagnosis of psoriatic arthritis can be difficult and this happens because the arthritis precedes psoriasis by many years. There are a lot of patients who have had arthritis for over 20 years, even prior to getting psoriasis. The psoriatic arthritis has been defined as a systemic rheumatic disease. This disease can also cause inflammation in body tissues, which are away from the joints. These include the areas around the eyes, heart, lungs, and kidneys.
Psoriatic arthritis has many common features with several other arthritic conditions. These conditions include ankylosing spondylitis, reactive arthritis and also the arthritis associated with Crohn's disease. There are cases where these diseases lead to ulcerative colitis and these conditions can cause inflammation in the spine. Apart from this they also get inflammation in joints, eyes, skin, mouth, and various organs. The conditions that affect the spine area and lead to inflammation are collectively referred to as "spondyloarthropathies."
The treatment of psoriatic arthritis involves a combination of anti-inflammatory medications along with regular exercise. In cases where progressive inflammation and joint destruction take place, despite using these medicines, then potent medications like methotrexate, corticosteroids, and anti-malarial medications are suggested. There are various exercise programs that can be done at home and these help in providing relief to these kinds of symptoms. Often cold packs are suggested in these areas for providing relief from the inflammation and helping out the pain, which has been caused due to these forms of arthritis.
