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Psoriatic arthritis actually consists of two separate condition: psoriasis and arthritis. Psoriasis is very common and involves the development of raised, red skin patches and scales on the skin. With psoriasis, the skin’s appearance changes while arthritis is related to the inflammation of joints.

Autoimmune Disease

Psoriatic arthritis is thought of as an autoimmune disease, meaning that aspects of your immune system, such as cells and antibodies, begin attacking their own tissues. The chances of a person having psoriatic arthritis and not have suffered at one time or another from psoriasis isn’t great. The likelihood of developing arthritis increases when the symptoms of the skin are severe.

Men and women are both equally affected by this condition. Though, men have a tendency to suffer from spondylitic forms affecting their spines, while women are victims of rheumatoid forms that affect the joints. While people of all ages can develop it, those in the range of 35-55 are at the greatest risk.

The causes have yet to be determined, though factors related to the immune system and genetics are thought of as triggers for the onset of the disease. Ultimately, psoriatic arthritis is characterized as an inflammatory process causing a great deal of pain and swelling.

As a matter of fact, one of the key symptoms of is experiencing swelling and pain in their fingers and toes. This is what can result in what’s referred to as ‘sausage’ fingers or toes.

Range of motion is also inhibited in the areas affected from psoriatic arthritis. In the morning, stiffness and fatigue are common symptoms. The ligaments and tendons will have swelling and pain, while fingernails and toenails will being coming up from the skin, or small holes may occur which are referred to as pits.

Arthritis includes more than one hundred different disorders characterized by swelling, pain and limited or no movement in the joints. The most common form is osteoarthritis, caused by the breakdown and loss of the cartilage in one or more joints. Because it is essentially a degenerative disease, it happens more frequently and with greater severity as people age. It occurs more frequently in men over the age of 45 and in women after the age of fifty five, mostly due to wear and tear of the joints. Other factors exacerbate osteoarthritis, including weight and diet.

Psoriatic and rheumatoid arthritis are genetically transmitted and are primarily caused by severe inflammation within the joints that destroy the cartilage.

Today, physicians know much more about who is likely to develop osteoarthritis, the most common form of this disease. Below are some factors:

• Heredity.

Like many conditions, this disease seems to run in families. One indication of a genetic predisposition is the formation of Herberden’s nodes. The hard, bony growths on the joints near the fingertips are twice as common in women whose mothers had these joint changes.

• Obesity.

This is another risk factor. Generally, the more a person weighs, the greater the pressure on the knees, hips, and other weight-bearing joints. For example, women who were overweight at age eighteen are five times more likely to develop hip arthritis than women who maintained a normal weight. This has serious implications, since more than half of the women in the United States are overweight. Weight management is a significant factor in the development of arthritis because excess pounds clearly create a greater strain on the weight-bearing joints such as the knees and hips. Being overweight though, doesn’t guarantee that you will develop the disease, but it significantly increases your chances.

• Trauma.

Often a severe trauma such as a sports injury, motor accident or fall may cause damage to the cartilage. It may take more than a year for the disease to develop in the joint that was traumatized. Even a small tear in the cartilage can lead to inflammation at the site of the injury. This injury can be the instigating factor that leads to loss of resiliency in the cartilage, cartilage breakdown, and eventually, arthritis.

• Estrogen.

This hormone may also play a role in the development of osteoarthritis in women. The amount of estrogen in the body plummets after menopause. Several studies show that estrogen replacement may have a protective effect on the bones of older women. However, when this therapy is stopped the benefits that go with it decline too. In ten years, risk gradually returns to a level similar to that of women who have never used estrogen replacement therapy. Hence, women must consider the pros and cons of hormone replacement with her physician.

• Occupation.

Heavy physical labor may damage the joints and set the stage for osteoarthritis. For instance, miners, dockworkers, and furniture movers normally develop this disease in their knees. Employers may be willing to modify job descriptions or workplace environments to include some desk work or to reduce heavy lifting, climbing stairs, or squatting.