Psoriatic Arthritis - Got Your Attention Yet?

No, there are not just a couple of garden variety types of arthritis out there.  In fact currently, there are over well over one hundred different kinds of arthritis. 

Shocking isn't it? 

Over 100 different types of arthritis make it one very aggressive disease that invades the lives of millions.

One of those little known types of arthritis is known as psoriatic arthritis and it can be as debilitating as some of the more well known varieties of arthritis. So exactly what is psoriatic arthritis and just how does this variety present itself?

We can learn a lot about this disease just from the name of the disease.  Guess what?  This joint condition is associated with a skin condition often known as "the heartbreak of psoriasis".  I know you've heard of that one!  Well, psoriasis is a rather common skin condition in which the skin of the body reacts and shows up as red, raised patches on the skin, alligator-like scaly skin and simply an over all, generalized inflammation of the skin.  Right now, psoriasis is known to affect around 2% of Caucasian Americans.  But it is important to remember that this skin condition can most definitely appear in others besides just the Caucasian population.

If so then you know that this aggravating skin condition can attack your belly button, your knees, your elbows, your scalp, and for goodness sakes, it can even affect your anus and genital area!  Now that is just not right!  At this point in time, health care professionals believe that Aaron 10% of those who suffer with the "heartbreak of psoriasis" also develop a simultaneous inflammation of specific body joints.  When this happens, these patients gain a new label known as psoriatic arthritis.

So there you go. 

Seems to go hand in hand.  Having psoriasis, the skin condition, is a major risk factor for the development of psoriatic arthritis.  This is particularly true if your psoriasis has begun to affect the joint. Not typically a young persons' disease, psoriatic arthritis most often impacts most patients later in life, most often when people are in their forties and fifties.  Men and women seem to be equally attacked by this condition. There doesn't seem to be an increased incidence of occurrence between one sex or the other.  In this case, men and women are equal!

The majority of patients experience onset of the diseases at different times. It is common that patients develop psoriasis before experiencing symptoms of psoriatic arthritis. Approximately 80 per cent of psoriatic arthritis patients develop psoriasis before the arthritis.

But of course everything in life cannot follow a definite pattern, since in some patients, they actually get a diagnosis of psoriatic arthritis before actually developing a skin condition.  This can make diagnosing the condition a bit more difficult.  Unfortunately far too many patients suffer with either the arthritis or the psoriasis for way too long before figuring out that they two go together.

Just like with the other kinds of arthritis, psoriatic arthritis is a systematic disease meaning that it can attack many other parts of your body as well.  So this leaves you wide open to so many other serious health conditions, including those which can damage your heart, lungs, kidneys, eye and mouth.  With serious health concerns such as these lurking, you simply cannot afford to ignore either arthritis symptoms or psoriasis symptoms.  Get smart, and get yourself to the doctor.

In the most serious cases of psoriatic arthritis, the impact on your vital organs can be life altering.  With psoriatic arthritis, you are also at increased risk for spinal inflammation with can cause increased pain and limited movements.

So just what is responsible for psoriatic arthritis? What is the cause of psoriatic arthritis?  While there are many theories on the "why" behind the reasons patients develop psoriatic arthritis, the bottom line is that the cause of this condition truly remains unknown. The majority of health care professionals generally agree that psoriatic arthritis is most probably a result of a combination of factors.  These factors can be related to a variety of environmental factors, genetic factors and even an immune system basis.  Researchers have been able to identify a genetic marker known as gene marker-HLA-B27- that is often present in the DNA of many of those patients who suffer with psoriatic arthritis.

There are even other genetic markers that are found in cases of psoriatic arthritis which continue to lead to researchers to believe that this condition is genetic in nature.  Lab tests can help to confirm these genetic markers if they are present.  Some research also indicates that a faulty immune system may also be a causative factor in the case of psoriatic arthritis.  Other research shows that environmental factors may be to blame.  Any way you slice it, the reasons can vary behind the development of psoriatic arthritis.

So, with psoriatic arthritis, you must work collaboratively with your health care provider so that you have an aggressive management plan designed specifically for you.  This management plan must take into account its practicality and your willingness to comply.  Psoriatic arthritis is a battle faced by many each and every day, but it does not have to be a battle that you give up on long before the fight begins.  Be your own best advocate if you are facing psoriatic arthritis.  Do it well and do it now!