All posts by Arthritis Today Magazine

Emotional Toll Psoriatic Arthritis Depression

The Emotional Toll of Psoriatic Arthritis

The symptoms of psoriatic arthritis (PsA) are usually quite visible – painful, swollen joints, skin reactions and fatigue. Less apparent, but just as impactful, is the emotional toll the disease can take.

“They tell me that it’s taxing,” Julie Nelligan, PhD, a Portland Oregon-based psychologist, says of her psoriatic arthritis patients. “They may say things like, ‘Nobody understands me, I feel like I’m not contributing. I’m lonely, I’m anxious because I don’t know when I can get things done and I can’t commit to doing things,’” she adds.

Living with a disease that has both subtle and obvious symptoms can be a double-edged sword. When you don’t have any noticeable skin lesions, friends and family might not realize how much pain you’re in, and fail to take your illness seriously.
Continue reading The Emotional Toll of Psoriatic Arthritis

psoriatic arthritis facts vs myth

5 Psoriatic Arthritis Myths Debunked

Between appointments with your healthcare provider and online research, you feel confident in your knowledge of psoriatic arthritis (PsA). You might be surprised to learn that some popular beliefs about the disease, which affects up to 30% of the 7.5 million Americans living with psoriasis, are not true at all.

“There is a lack of understanding about the nature of this disease,” explains Eric L. Matteson MD, professor of medicine in the division of rheumatology at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN.

Learn the truth behind five popular psoriatic arthritis myths.

Continue reading 5 Psoriatic Arthritis Myths Debunked

Psoriatic Arthritis Eye Complications

Psoriatic Arthritis and Eye Complications

Research shows that the same arthritic inflammation that causes joint problems might also cause damage in other areas of your body, including your vision. One Arthritis Today reader asked us how psoriatic arthritis can lead to potential vision problems. Read on to find out more about what causes these complications and how to treat them, with answers from an expert rheumatologist in Toronto

Question From a Reader:

I have psoriatic arthritis and often hear that it can lead to eye and vision problems. What are these problems and is there anything I can do to avoid them?

Continue reading Psoriatic Arthritis and Eye Complications

Psoriatic Arthritis Skin Care

Skin Protection Tips for Psoriatic Arthritis

Keeping disease activity under control with disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs and biologics is an important part of managing the skin symptoms of psoriatic arthritis. But many lifestyle habits can help or worsen psoriasis.  Here are 9 self-care tips that can relieve symptoms and promote healthier skin.

Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize. One of the best remedies for scaling skin is moisture.  Applying moisturizers frequently can relieve dryness and itching and promote healing, particularly in cold, dry weather. The best one for you will depend on how dry your skin is – the thicker the product the more moisture it will hold in, says Steven R. Feldman, MD, professor in the department of dermatology at Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, N.C.  Dr. Feldman recommends fragrance-free products. A few brands to look for: Cetaphil, CeraVe and Eucerin.

Continue reading Skin Protection Tips for Psoriatic Arthritis

Smoking Increases Psoriatic Arthritis

Smoking Increases the Risk of Psoriatic Arthritis

Smoking can have harmful effects on your skin and joints, increasing the risk and severity of the scaling skin disease psoriasis, and the arthritis that often accompanies it – psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Several studies have found an association between smoking and psoriatic arthritis, but further research is needed to gain a better understanding of cause and effect.

In a 2014 study published in Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, researchers in Denmark investigated the smoking-psoriatic arthritis connection in 1,388 psoriatic arthritis patients from a nationwide registry. They found that compared with non-smoking psoriatic arthritis patients, smoking PsA patients had worse self-reported disease. Smokers also had shorter treatment adherence (meaning they didn’t follow their prescribed treatment plan for as long)  and a poorer response to treatment.

Continue reading Smoking Increases the Risk of Psoriatic Arthritis


How Common is Psoriatic Arthritis in People with Psoriasis?

The prevalence of psoriatic arthritis (PsA) among psoriasis patients is higher than previously thought, according to several international studies published between 2013 and 2015. In North America and Europe, between 18 and 42 percent of people with psoriasis, an inflammatory skin disease, also have psoriatic arthritis. In the United States, psoriasis affects about 2.2 percent of the population (7.5 million people), making it the most prevalent autoimmune disease in the US. In addition to skin problems associated with psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis affects the joints and other parts of the body.

Continue reading How Common is Psoriatic Arthritis in People with Psoriasis?

Obesity Increases Psoriatic Arthritis

Obesity Can Increase the Risk of Psoriatic Arthritis

From osteoarthritis to heart disease to diabetes, obesity is implicated in a host of diseases. A study now adds one more condition to the list: psoriatic arthritis, or PsA.

Psoriatic arthritis, an autoimmune condition, is a form of inflammatory arthritis that affects an estimated 6 to 10 percent of people with of the skin condition psoriasis and up to 40 percent of those with extensive psoriasis. It can also affect people who do not have the skin disease.

It’s been known that being overweight or obese increases a person’s chances of developing psoriasis. But a study in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, researchers report a link between body mass index, or BMI, and psoriatic arthritis, too.

Continue reading Obesity Can Increase the Risk of Psoriatic Arthritis