Psoriasis Arthritis

Psoriasis arthritis involves a serious skin condition or psoriasis. Many people sick with this disease first get sick with psoriasis then they get this disease. In some people, the arthritis is manifested first then the skin disorder follows. The symptoms of this disease include pain, stiffness and swelling in the joints. They can be mild or severe and can affect any part of the body such as the fingertips and spine. There is no known cure discovered for psoriasis arthritis. The attention is focused on controlling its symptoms and preventing the damage it would inflict on the joints. If there is no medication or therapy given, including regular exercise, it may disable the patient suffering from psoriatic arthritis.

It is still unknown of what mainly caused psoriasis arthritis. Culprits leading to this disease are factors such as genetic, injuries sustained by the patient and infections that affected the patient. Also, some research point to the cause as the immune system’s response to the penetration of bacteria through skin lesions. Those who suffer from psoriatic arthritis suffer from skin rash or psoriasis. Some may only have a few areas of rash while others have a large portion of their body covered with rash. The skin looks reddish and scaly and feels itchy. It can appear in any part of the body such as the elbows, knees, scalp, ears, abdomen and the nails may have pits or ridges or discolored.

In treating psoriasis arthritis, both the skin lesions and the joint pain should be addressed to. There are many creams and lotions being applied to the skin to cure the psoriasis. Most doctors prescribe a drug called methotrexate which can also cure the arthritis.

Sometimes this disease is treated with a combination of drugs and cortisone injections into the swollen joints to help reduce the pain. In rare cases, surgery may be necessary if the pain becomes unmanageable or there is a loss of function in the joint. Psoriasis arthritis may not be cured totally but there are many treatments available and together with the doctor, the patient will be able to find the right medication for his illness.