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While there are well over 100 different types of arthritis in existence, unfortunately many people do not even realize that there are other types of arthritis besides rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. But guess what my friend, there are many other types of arthritis that can invade your life. Psoriatic arthritis is definitely one of the lesser known types of arthritis. But it is a serious form of arthritis nonetheless. Oh, if it only got the "glamor girl" attention that rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis does! Come on people, give psoriatic arthritis its due! Pay attention here! Just like the name sounds, psoriatic arthritis is associated with psoriasis. This rather common skin condition is characterized by redness, swelling, inflammation and scaly patches all along the skin. Yes, psoriasis can be found in all populations, but most commonly it is seen most often in the United States among those of Caucasian decent. The skin condition psoriasis most often affects the scalp, face, navel, tips of the elbows, knees, and areas surrounding the genitals and anus. Health professionals estimate that 10 per cent of all psoriasis patients concurrently develop some form of inflammation in the affected joints. These patients are thus classified as suffering from psoriatic arthritis. Obviously, one of the major risk factors for developing psoriatic arthritis is the presence of the skin disorder, particularly if it affects the joints. Psoriatic arthritis usually strikes later in life, with most diagnosed cases occurring in the fourth or fifth decades of the patient's life. It appears that gender is not a risk factor, since men and women are affected equally. The majority of patients experience onset of the diseases at different times. It is common that patients develop psoriasis before experiencing symptoms of psoriatic arthritis. Approximately 80 per cent of psoriatic arthritis patients develop psoriasis before the arthritis. The majority of patients experience onset of the diseases at different times. It is common that patients develop psoriasis before experiencing symptoms of psoriatic arthritis. Approximately 80 per cent of psoriatic arthritis patients develop psoriasis before the arthritis. Just like with the other kinds of arthritis, psoriatic arthritis is a systematic disease meaning that it can attack many other parts of your body as well. So this leaves you wide open to so many other serious health conditions, including those which can damage your heart, lungs, kidneys, eye and mouth. With serious health concerns such as these lurking, you simply cannot afford to ignore either arthritis symptoms or psoriasis symptoms. Get smart, and get yourself to the doctor. Unfortunately, when psoriatic arthritis is severe, other terribly important organs can also be attacked. Just like with other varieties of arthritis, psoriatic arthritis can also attack the spine with an inflammatory reaction. This is really true of spondylitis arthritis and reactive arthritis. Again, this is such an important thing to remember so that you are well aware of the potential of inflammatory spinal involvement if you indeed are battling psoriatic arthritis. So just what is responsible for psoriatic arthritis? What is the cause of psoriatic arthritis? While there are many theories on the "why" behind the reasons patients develop psoriatic arthritis, the bottom line is that the cause of this condition truly remains unknown. The majority of health care professionals generally agree that psoriatic arthritis is most probably a result of a combination of factors. These factors can be related to a variety of environmental factors, genetic factors and even an immune system basis. Researchers have been able to identify a genetic marker known as gene marker-HLA-B27- that is often present in the DNA of many of those patients who suffer with psoriatic arthritis. With psoriatic arthritis, not only does the genetic marker HLA-B27 often show up with these patients, there are also other genetic alterations that may appear. Of course, this just continues to feed into the researchers belief that this variety of arthritis is based in the genes. Another one of the common denominators in the case of psoriatic arthritis is the changes that are seen in the immune system. While we don't know the exact basis of this, those changes are often seen. Also, remember that simple environmental factors may also be a key component behind the reason why people develop this health condition. Psoriatic arthritis is not something to be taken lightly. It is a serious health condition and must be managed as such. Partnering with your health care provider can produce the best result in managing this disease.
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