Psoriatic Arthritis Signs, Symptoms And Treatment

Psoriasis is a chronic skin condition that causes red, itchy rashes covered with silver scales. Later in life, psoriasis patients can develop psoriatic arthritis, which causes stiffness and joint pain.

Both conditions have flare-ups where the condition worsens for a period of time. Some patients miss these symptoms at first, leading to a late diagnosis.

Understanding psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis is crucial for managing these conditions effectively and improving the quality of life for those affected. By continuing to read, you will gain valuable insights into the causes, symptoms, and treatment options available for these chronic conditions. This knowledge can help you recognize early warning signs, seek timely medical intervention, and explore various lifestyle changes and therapies that can alleviate symptoms and prevent flare-ups. Additionally, learning more about these conditions can foster empathy and support for those living with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, promoting a more inclusive and understanding community.

Sausage Fingers

Joint inflammation can cause swollen hands with "sausage" fingers. Each finger is reddened, tender and puffy, making it hard for the patient to function normally. The swollen fingers might feel hot, as if the patient has a fever. Some mistake swollen fingers for an allergic reaction and don't seek medical care.

Shapes Moving Across Your Field Of Vision

Psoriatic arthritis can cause uveitis, which is inflammation of the iris. This results in pain, blurriness and vision problems like shapes appearing to move through the patient's field of vision. While some patients assume that they're just getting older, changes in eyesight warrant a trip to the doctor. Otherwise, vision loss can occur.

Eye Inflammation

Other eye problems can include soreness, redness and inflammation. The patient looks like they've been crying and has trouble seeing and blinking normally. When they look at a bright light, the pain worsens. While other conditions like allergies can cause red, watery eyes, psoriatic arthritis leads to chronic flare-ups.

Lower Back Pain

Many patients ignore lower back pain because they assume that it's part of aging. However, lower back pain can be a symptom of spondylitis, which results from psoriatic arthritis. Spondylitis causes inflammation in pelvic joints and joints between spine vertebrae. This leads to stiffness and soreness that causes pain throughout the day.

Nail Pitting

Nail pitting is a minor symptom that many patients overlook until they notice other symptoms of arthritis. Psoriatic arthritis can cause tiny dents in the patient's nails as if someone poked them with a nail. Lines and ridges may develop, giving the nails a strange textured appearance.

Reduced Range Of Motion

Psoriatic arthritis causes joint inflammation, which leads to reduced range of motion. Patients can't stretch, move their arms and bend over as easily as they did in the past. If they don't seek treatment in time, the stiffness and inflammation get worse, depleting their range of motion until they can barely function normally.

Sausage Toes

Like their fingers, psoriatic arthritis can make the patient's toes swell like tiny sausages. Their toes feel puffy, hot and uncomfortable when they cram them into their shoes. Patients experience foot pain and have trouble walking. The swelling appears during flare-ups and gradually recedes until the inflammation starts again.

Swollen Joints

Knee, ankle, wrist, leg and other joints throughout the patient's body swell from inflammation, making them sore, stiff and difficult to move. Some patients assume the swelling came from stress or an unnoticed injury. However, home remedies won't cure this condition. They need a diagnosis and treatment for psoriatic arthritis.

Nail Separation

Psoriatic arthritis can cause bizarre changes in the patients' nails, including cracking, crumbling and flaking. The nails look infected and start to separate from the nail bed, causing pain and an unsightly appearance. Patients need treatment to save their nails before they crumble and fall off entirely.

Fatigue

Since hundreds of conditions cause fatigue, psoriatic arthritis patients often assume it's a symptom of stress, poor diet or a mild virus. However, joint inflammation leads to fatigue that doesn't lift until the patient seeks treatment for their arthritis. They oversleep, yawn throughout the day and struggle to focus on basic tasks.

Flaky Scalp

At first, some patients think they have dandruff. However, a red, itchy or flaky scalp is a psoriatic arthritis symptom that many people overlook. The condition might start with flaking, but as it worsens, patients suffer from itchy rashes that inspire them to shave their heads in frustration.

Chest Pain And Shortness Of Breath

Chest pains and shortness of breath aren't always a sign of heart problems. Psoriatic arthritis can lead to costochondritis, which is inflammation of rib cartilage. Patients experience chest pains that sometimes radiate to their back, trouble breathing and feelings of tightness and pressure. Whatever the cause, these patients should immediately seek medical treatment.

Sensitivity To Light

Fluorescent lights, sunlight and bright computer screens hurt the patient's eyes. They flinch back, blink rapidly and experience pain and watery eyes, which interferes with their daily life. When eye drops don't relieve their light sensitivity, the patient might be suffering from psoriatic arthritis that causes iris inflammation.

Ankle Inflammation

The patient's ankle throbs with every step as if they twisted their ankle. If they didn't suffer from a recent injury, undiagnosed psoriatic arthritis might have inflamed the joint, causing pain, swelling and stiffness. The inflamed joint makes it difficult to wear shoes, walk up the stairs and exercise outdoors without wincing.

Stiff Joints Lasting 30 Minutes Or More

Some people feel stiff when they wake up in the morning. But if the stiffness doesn't fade after 30 minutes, they might have a chronic condition like psoriatic arthritis that causes joint inflammation. No matter how much they stretch, walk around and pop their joints, their body never loosens, hinting at a more serious issue.

Skin Rashes

Rashes are one of the hallmarks of psoriatic arthritis. Patients experience red, scaly rashes that cover different parts of their bodies. The rashes burn and itch, rub against their clothing and cause embarrassment when they appear in visible areas. If a doctor rules out allergic reactions, the patient might have psoriatic arthritis.

Tendon or Ligament Pain

As psoriatic arthritis attacks different areas of the body, patients experience tendon and ligament pains in their wrists, shoulders, ankles, knees and heels. The pain seems to come from nowhere and periodically worsens before disappearing again. With no other apparent cause, the patient might be experiencing a psoriatic arthritis flare-up.

1. James, William; Berger, Timothy; Elston, Dirk (2005). Andrews' Diseases of the Skin: Clinical Dermatology (10th ed.). Saunders. p. 194. ISBN 978-0-7216-2921-6.
2. Amherd-Hoekstra A, Näher H, Lorenz HM, Enk AH (May 2010). "Psoriatic arthritis: a review". Journal of the German Society of Dermatology. 8 (5): 332–9. doi:10.1111/j.1610-0387.2009.07334.x. PMID 20015187. S2CID 25484225.