Psoriatic arthritis is type of psoriasis in which the psoriasis affects the joints. The joints in any part of the body can be affected by psoriatic arthritis. The reasons because of which it occurs are not known yet. However, treatments are available. Nevertheless, it is important that the treatments be taken in the initial stages as it can do irreparable damage to the joints. The symptoms of psoriatic arthritis are useful for diagnosing it.
Most of the times the psoriasis of the skin occurs first and it takes some years for the joints to get affected. It has been found that almost 80% of the people who face psoriasis of the skin face psoriatic arthritis. Therefore, the people suffering from psoriasis should be aware about the psoriatic arthritis as well.
The initial symptoms of psoriatic arthritis are pain in the joints. The pain is in similar manner to the rheumatoid arthritis. As psoriatic arthritis can occur to a number of joints at a single time, the patient will experience pain, in all of them at the same time. In most of the cases, it has been found out that the smaller joints are more frequently affected. For example, fingers are the most significant sites for development of psoriatic arthritis. Therefore, pain in such smaller joints is one of the symptoms of psoriatic arthritis.
One more useful and peculiar symptom in the initial stages is development of patches on the nails. It may as well be associated with pitting. In the advanced cases, the entire nails may get lost.
After sometime, the symptoms of psoriatic arthritis will start to grow. The affected joint will swell up. The swelling goes on increasing and eventually whole digit in which the joint in present appears to be swelled. Then the skin above the affected joint will show redness.
In addition to the symptoms of psoriatic arthritis due to swelling, the patches of psoriasis will start appearing on the skin above affected joint. The patches are in red or silver in color. Moreover, they are scaly and the scales may be falling off. Around the patch of psoriasis pigmentation or some dark patches are developed.
If psoriatic arthritis is not treated for a long time then serious symptoms of psoriatic arthritis can occur. The cartilage in that joint is lost. The psoriasis will also affect the other parts of the joint as well. Therefore, the joint may become impaired and lose its functionality.