The psoriatic form of arthritis

Arthritis affects tens of millions people only in America . It doesn't only represent a disease, but more then one hundred kinds of affections that inflame muscles, articulations, tendons, ligaments and bones.

One particular type of arthritis is psoriatic arthritis. One out of six people in America affected by psoriasis may also develop this condition. Psoriasis causes the skin's inflammation and scal. Arthritis brings the inflammation of the articulations and their pain, together with the exfoliation and discoloration of nails.

Psoriatic arthritis has, too, more than one type. Symptoms vary from easy to deal with to severe. The disorder is not as serious as other types of arthritis, but, unless it is treated, may cause disability, discomfort and deformity. It is not curable but it may be properly taken care of so that pain won't be that severe and the articulations will suffer no extremely severe damage.

Symptoms of psoriatic arthritis

Usually the symptoms of psoriasis don't occur simultaneously with those of arthritis. It is equally possible for psoriasis to precede arthritis and the other way around.

A diagnose can be given only in case of coexistence of the symptoms:

• - Rigidity and tiredness in the morning.
• - Portions of the skin, which are thickened, red and covered with silvery scales on the knees, scalp, the lower end of the spine, or the elbows. These patches itch or burn, while the skin cracks.
• - The articulations, particularly the ones of fingers and toes turn red, hurt, are inflamed and have limited movements.
• - The nails are exfoliated and discolored.
• - Conjunctivitis or iritis may appear.

Psoriatic arthritis is of five main kinds:

- Symmetric arthritis usually attacks over for articulations on both sides of the body. The most affected are the hips, the knees, the ankle and the wrists. It is a lot like the rheumatoid arthritis, but not that severe. Still, it partly disables the articulations and is more frequent in women than in men.

- Asymmetric arthritis is the easiest form of psoriatic arthritis. It only affects the articulations on one side, unlike the symmetric form but it affects one of three joints turning them red and sensitive. When it gets to hands or feet, dactylis occurs.

- Arthritis mutilans represents the most painful, severe and difficult to bear form of arthritis. In time, the small bones are completely destroyed and deformity and disability occur. It mostly affects the hands. It is fortunately very rare.

- Spondylitis inflames the spine, lower back and sacroiliac articulations. This causes pain and difficulties of movement. It is a difficult and progressive form of arthritis and should not be taken for ankylosing spodylitis.

- Distal interphalangeal joint predominant (DIP) mostly affects men. It is a rare form of arthritis which inflames the distal articulations that are close to the nails. It is taken for osteoarthritis, but in the last condition the nails are not affected as it happens with DIP.

The symptoms of arthritis are more severe sometimes than they are others. The very annoying fact is that when the articulations' symptoms enter remission, those of psoriasis appear and vice versa.

Psoriatic arthritis in children

Juvenile psoriatic arthritis usually appears at nine years of age. In most of the cases the symptoms are easy to handle but there are also severe affections that the child caries into adulthood.

The symptoms of psoriatic arthritis are the same as in adults, but they may appear at the same time in their case. Arthritis can affect the bones of the child producing abnormalities.

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