Psoriatic arthritis
Brief description of the disease
As the name implies, psoriatic arthritis combines two diseases at once - rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis. The inflammatory process affects the joints of a person and is currently the most severe form of psoriasis. The prevalence of the disease among the world's population is low. According to experts, psoriatic arthritis, the symptoms of which may appear only in the late stages, is common mainly among patients with psoriasis (from 7 to 47%). Ordinary people suffer from the inflammatory process much less often (the disease is recorded in 2-3% of the population).
The insidiousness of psoriatic arthritis is manifested in the fact that it can be absolutely painless. As a result, in the vast majority of cases, the disease is detected too late, when the adverse changes in the joints are already irreversible. This means that with a timely diagnosis of psoriatic arthritis, treatment should be prescribed as early as possible to avoid serious consequences and complications. Methods for early detection of the inflammatory process are standard: careful observation of the body, response to known symptoms, regular examination by a rheumatologist.
All the standard preventive measures that are important for other orthopedic diseases have no effect in the case of psoriatic arthritis, since doctors do not know the exact cause of the inflammation. This means that the main way to fight the disease remains the so-called secondary prevention, which is aimed at slowing down the spread of pathology and preserving the basic functions of the joints.
Unfortunately, not a single clinic in the world still guarantees one hundred percent cure for this unpleasant disease. At this point in time, researchers are just beginning to understand the mechanisms of the body's immune system. It is possible that in a few years an effective medicine will be found, but so far, when psoriatic arthritis is diagnosed, treatment continues to rely on ineffective drugs that suppress the body's overly strong immune responses. Accordingly, sick people continue to suffer from gradual destruction of soft tissues and joints. Many of the patients become disabled for life.
Psoriatic arthritis - symptoms and clinical picture
The most common signs of inflammation are the appearance of red, scaly patches on the skin, changes in the pigmentation of the nails on the feet and hands, and the formation of small scars that resemble pockmarks. Psoriatic plaques are small, but they quickly spread throughout the body, and this process is accompanied by unpleasant itching and constant discomfort. As mentioned above, when psoriatic arthritis is diagnosed, symptoms can appear very late, so each person needs to be regularly examined by a rheumatologist and monitor the state of their body. An indirect sign of the presence of an inflammatory process is pain in the joints and their swelling, however, they are also characteristic of ordinary rheumatoid arthritis, therefore, for any discomfort, it is necessary to consult a specialist.to eliminate the risk of serious complications.
Psoriatic arthritis - treatment and prognosis
There is no specific method for treating joint inflammation, therefore, all efforts of doctors are aimed at restoring lost functions and relieving severe pain. For this, the following groups of drugs are used:
- non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, in particular, ibuprofen. Such drugs reduce joint stiffness, relieve pain, and suppress the development of inflammation. At the same time, they have a negative effect on the intestines, kidneys, heart and gastric mucosa, so they should be taken with caution;
- glucocorticoids - used in cases where psoriatic arthritis is accompanied by severe, sharp pain in the joints;
- basic drugs - reduce pain and inflammation, prevent the spread of the disease to other joints. The drugs of this group act very slowly, so the effect of their use becomes noticeable several weeks after the start of the course of treatment;
- immunosuppressive agents - partly suppress the immune system, but rid healthy tissues from the "attack" of our own body, which, in fact, occurs in psoriatic arthritis. The best known immunosuppressive drugs are cyclosporine and azathioprine.
Surgical intervention in the treatment of psoriatic arthritis is practically not used. It is used only in cases where the disease continues to spread despite taking medication and threatens to move to healthy joints.
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The information is generalized and provided for informational purposes only. At the first sign of illness, see your doctor. Self-medication is hazardous to health!
