Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is an autoimmune diseaseCLOSE Autoimmune disease: a disease that happens when a person’s immune system attacks their own body. that affects different parts of the body. When this happens, you may experience various symptoms, including joint pain, swelling, and skin lesions. Sometimes these symptoms develop at the same time, and sometimes they can happen separately over a period of time. Read on to learn more about PsA.
PsA may affect more than just the joints—causing spine, skin, and nail symptoms. While some people with PsA experience a mild form of the disease with occasional flaresCLOSE Flares: periods of increased disease activity and symptoms., others may experience symptoms continuously. Keep in mind that flares don’t always occur in the same part of the body.
As people with PsA know, the disease is often hard to diagnose, in part because its symptoms can overlap with other inflammatory conditions and because there are no specific blood tests or diagnostic markers for this condition.
You may notice any of the following symptoms:
Most commonly in the fingers, toes, wrists, ankles, and shoulders
Separation of the nail or deep/shallow holes on the nail
Inflammation that can make fingers and toes appear swollen and enlarged
Inflammation where bones attach to tendons or ligaments, usually in the ankle
Spine inflammation that causes stiffness and pain in the neck/lower back
Long-term, irreparable damage to joints caused by inflammation
Reddened skin with flaky silver-white patches in different parts of the body
If you are experiencing any of the symptoms described above, it’s important to talk with your doctor.
The first step in discovering if you could have a chronic inflammatory condition such as psoriatic arthritis (PsA) or rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is to talk to your doctor.
Because you are an important part of your healthcare team, we've created this quick guide to help you understand the difference between PsA and RA, and spark more productive conversations between you and your rheumatologist.
Autoimmune diseaseCLOSE Autoimmune disease: a disease that happens when a person’s immune system attacks their own body. that affects the joints, nails, spine, and skin.
Autoimmune diseaseCLOSE Autoimmune disease: a disease that happens when a person’s immune system attacks their own body. that affects the joints.
Affects men and women equally.
Two to three times more common in women.
May develop in childhood but usually begins between the ages of 30 and 50.
May develop at any age but most often begins in middle age.
Frequently asymmetricalCLOSE Asymmetrical: affecting only one side of the body (e.g., right hand or wrist is affected while the left hand is unaffected.), but can also be symmetricalCLOSE Symmetrical: affecting both sides of the body, such as both hands and/or wrists at the same time..
May cause a symmetrical pattern of inflammationCLOSE Symmetrical pattern of inflammation: If one joint is affected (e.g., finger or knee), it’s likely the same joint on the other side of the body will be similarly affected..
Stress or injury, especially to the joints, may cause psoriatic arthritis symptoms to worsen. Additionally, certain medications and foods may trigger a flare.
Overexertion, poor sleep, stress, or an infection can set off an RA flare.
The cause of PsA is unknown, but it’s believed to develop due to a combination of geneticCLOSE Genetic: relating to genes or heredity, material that is biologically passed down from parents. and environmental factors that trigger an abnormal autoimmune response.
Certain genesCLOSE Genes: genetic material that is passed on to you from your parents that determines your traits. play a role in the immune system—for some people, genetic factors may be involved in determining whether they will develop PsA.
Psoriatic arthritis may be triggered by infections, injuries, extreme stress, or in people who have a genetic tendency for the disease.
When it comes to treating PsA, early diagnosis and treatment are important because this may slow disease progression and possibly reduce joint damage. So, if you think you could have symptoms of PsA, talk to your doctor.
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