Psoriatic arthritis is a condition which causes pain and inflammation around the joints. It generally affects the individuals who are already suffering from psoriasis which is a condition of the skin where red and scaly rashes occur. Psoriasis is known to leave its mark on the elbows, knees, buttocks, scalp and back. But you should note that in some individuals, the skin condition never occurs while others have their arthritic symptoms before psoriasis.

How to understand whether you have psoriatic arthritis?
Psoriatic arthritis can affect people of all age, both men, and women. In most cases, people with psoriasis suffer from other variants of arthritis such as rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis even though they have no connection with psoriasis. Some of the most common signs of psoriatic arthritis are:

– Pain and inflammation near the joints. It also causes stiffness in the joints.
– It also causes swelling in the toes and fingers known as dactylitis. This is mainly triggered by inflammation in the tendons and joints.
– The individuals can also cause pain in the buttock, stiffness in the back and neck. It is due by the inflammation in spine known as spondylitis.
– It also causes inflammation in the area where the Achilles tendon connects to the bone, including the pain and swelling in the heels.
– Sometimes, psoriatic arthritis also causes pain all over the body where tendons attach to the bone called enthesitis. It mostly affects chest, knee, and hip.
– With psoriatic arthritis, you will see pitting, thickening of the nails.
– It often leads to fatigue which is caused by the emotional effects of the disease and activity of the disease. People who have been suffering from psoriatic arthritis for a long time get fatigued faster than who are recently affected with the disease.

There are no specific locations of the joints which can be affected by psoriatic arthritis. It may trigger in any of the 78 joints of the human body. But it is true that some joints are more likely to be affected than the others. Approximately, 25 percent people with psoriatic arthritis suffer from pain, inflammation, and stiffness in the neck and back.

What are the other effects of psoriatic arthritis?
Psoriatic arthritis doesn’t really affect the major organs like liver or lungs. But it often causes redness in the eye, and if you are suffering from this, it is crucial not to ignore the symptom and consult without an expert without any delay. The symptoms of the psoriatic arthritis are typically caused by a condition known as uveitis. It is also known as iritis which is the inflammation of the front part of the eye. This can damage the eyesight to a significant extent if left untreated.

You should consult with your doctor as he can help you recognize the signs psoriatic arthritis. People with psoriatic arthritis also have a greater chance of developing cardiac disease. Your doctor will also educate you on what you should do if these symptoms occur.