Psoriatic arthritis is a type of arthritis that is caused due to psoriasis. Inflammation of the joints caused by psoriatic arthritis can very well result in severe joint damage that can only worsen over time; hence early diagnosis is very important in order to prevent this from happening. Factors that trigger this type of arthritis include:
- Plaque psoriasis can occur due to any skin injury. A skin infection, skin inflammation or even excessive scratching can trigger psoriasis.
- Although many people believe that sunlight can be beneficial for treating psoriatic arthritis, there are others who have found that sunlight simply triggers their symptoms even more. A bad case of sunburn may make the symptoms get even worse.
- Streptococcal Infection caused by bacteria has been shown to cause guttate psoriasis, a type of psoriasis that looks like small red drops on the skin.
- Psoriatic arthritis gets worse after an individual has been diagnosed with HIV.
- Drugs like Lithium, Beta-blockers and Antimalarials can also aggravate Psoriatic Arthritis.
- Studies have shown that the increase in emotional stress increases psoriatic arthritis.
- Smoking and excessive alcohol consumption also increase symptoms of psoriatic arthritis.
- Sometimes genetic and environmental factors also come into play for triggering psoriatic arthritis in a person.
- People with psoriatic arthritis often have a family member who has either psoriasis or arthritis. A person who has a lower immune system is highly susceptible to develop psoriatic arthritis due to an infection.
Doctors suggest cold and hot applications on the affected area twice a day to treat psoriatic arthritis. Exercise and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs also help relieve symptoms. In cases of little improvement or permanent changes on the X-ray, then a disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD) or a biologic drug will be prescribed in order to help prevent permanent or long-term joint damage. Enzyme inhibitors such as Otezal can also be prescribed to block the proteins that cause inflammation. Some newly developed medicines for plaque arthritis can also reduce the signs and symptoms of Psoriatic Arthritis. These drugs include Stelara and Cosentyx. Tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF- alpha) is an inflammatory substance produced in your body. TNF-alpha inhibitors can help reduce pain, morning stiffness, and tender or swollen joints. When only a few joints are involved corticosteroids are administered through injections. In certain cases biologics are given; this is nothing but medications that work with the body’s immune system to target specific causes of inflammation. This may actually help to prevent further damage to both the bones and the joints.
Steroid injections reduce inflammation more quickly and effectively and are injected right into the affected area. Joint replacement surgery is the last option available to the patient if everything else fails. Joints that have been severely damaged by psoriatic arthritis can be replaced with an artificial prosthesis made of metal and plastic. This is, however, the last option and is only suggested if everything else fails.
