Symptoms of psoriatic arthritis can vary from person to person but typically include joint pain and swelling, scaly patches on your skin, fatigue, and eye pain.
Psoriasis is an autoimmune condition characterized by a rapid turnover of your skin cells. The excess skin cells create scaly lesions on your skin, called flare-ups. It’s estimated that about
PsA is an autoimmune condition that occurs when your body attacks your healthy joints, causing inflammation. Without treatment, PsA can cause permanent joint damage.
Most people who develop PsA develop psoriasis symptoms first. However, this is not always the case.
This article explores what PsA may look and feel like.
Symptoms of PsA vary from person to person. Some symptoms you may notice include:
- scaly, inflamed patches on your skin
- painful swelling of a finger or toe
- nail changes such as pitting (small dents) or crumbling
- eye inflammation that can cause pain or redness
The following gallery shows what these symptoms may look like.
As mentioned before, symptoms of PsA appear differently for every person. However, If you have PsA, you’ll probably experience one or more of the following:
Joint swelling occurs with psoriatic as well as other types of arthritis. But PsA commonly causes a unique type of swelling in your fingers or toes.
With PsA, you may notice a “sausage-like” swelling in your fingers and toes around your joint before you notice any symptoms in your joints themselves. This swelling can be very painful and cause permanent deformities in your fingers and toes if not treated.
Joint pain is a symptom in most forms of arthritis, but PsA is more likely to also cause pain in your tendons. Your tendons attach your muscles to your bones. PsA often causes tendon pain in your feet.
Two conditions that can occur with PsA are plantar fasciitis and Achilles tendinitis.
Plantar fasciitis is the most common and occurs when the tendon that connects your heel to your toes becomes inflamed. This causes pain at the bottom of your foot.
In Achilles tendinitis, the tendon that connects your lower calf muscles to your heel bone becomes inflamed. People with this condition experience pain in their heel.
A secondary condition called spondylitis may occur with PsA. Spondylitis leads to joint inflammation in two main areas: between your pelvis and spine (sacroiliac region), and between your spinal vertebral bodies. This leads to lower back pain.
Psoriatic spondylitis occurs in about 20% of people who have psoriatic arthritis.
PsA can cause you to feel stiff and inflexible in the morning. This stiffness might make it difficult to move joints on either or both sides of your body.
You might notice similar stiffness when you first stand up after sitting in one spot for a period of time. As you start moving around, you’ll often feel less stiff. But it can last up to 45 minutes or longer.
Just like psoriasis, PsA can cause many nail problems and changes. This includes pitting, or the formation of depressions in your fingernails or toenails. You may also notice your nail separating from your nail bed.
Sometimes nail dysfunctions can appear similar to fungal infections.
If your nails on either your hands or feet look discolored or have indentations, this could be a sign of psoriatic arthritis. In later stages, the nails can crumble and may become very damaged.
As many as 85% of people with PsA experience the skin problems associated with psoriasis before they notice joint issues.
The red, scaly rash that appears on the body is common in people with PsA.
People with PsA often feel tired due to the pain and inflammation this autoimmune disorder causes. Some arthritis medications may also cause general fatigue.
Fatigue may have broader health implications for people with PsA, as it can make it more difficult to conduct daily activities and stay physically active. This can lead to other problems, such as obesity and mood changes.
Joint stiffness and pain — and swelling and tenderness in tendons — can lead to reduced motion. Your range of motion will depend on the severity of your other symptoms. It will also depend on how many joints are affected.
Exercising regularly can help you loosen up your joints. It’s helpful to pick exercises that help your range of motion.
Eye swelling and pain are other symptoms of PsA. According to research, around
Other possible eye problems that may go hand-in-hand with psoriatic arthritis include dry eye, vision changes, and lid swelling.
If left untreated, dry eye can cause permanent damage to the eye and interfere with the effectiveness of glaucoma treatment. Research suggests that
People with psoriatic arthritis often have anemia. Anemia is when you do not have enough red blood cells that function properly. Anemia can cause:
- fatigue
- paleness
- shortness of breath
- headache
The anemia associated with psoriatic arthritis is most often mild. If you have other symptoms of psoriatic arthritis, your doctor may order a blood test to determine whether you have anemia.
Because many forms of arthritis are often similar, making an appointment with a doctor if you think you have arthritis is important. A medical examination and discussing your medical history and symptoms can help your doctor make a diagnosis.
Your doctor can also order blood tests to help detect telltale signs of psoriatic arthritis, such as a high inflammation level and anemia.
Proper diagnosis and treatment can help relieve your pain and decrease your risk of permanent joint damage.
What does psoriatic arthritis look like?
Symptoms of psoriatic arthritis that you may notice include:
- scaly, inflamed patches on your skin
- swelling of a finger or toe
- nail changes such as pitting (small dents) or crumbling
- eye inflammation which can cause redness and pain
What are the six common symptoms of psoriatic arthritis?
Six common symptoms of psoriatic arthritis are:
- swollen fingers
- joint pain
- fatigue
- anemia
- eye inflammation
- nail changes
What is the red flag of psoriatic arthritis?
Joint pain and swelling, which can affect any part of your body, are primary symptoms of psoriatic arthritis. These symptoms can be mild or severe and can flare up and then go into periods of remission.
What can be mistaken for psoriatic arthritis?
Psoriatic arthritis is