If you already have joint pain with the knees and elbows for instance then you are more than likely to have psoriatic arthritis. Sadly this can be a life long disease and can be life long.

People who have psoriatic arthritis have had psoriasis for over 10 years, but it is interesting to note that 30% who have arthritis do not have psoriasis.

Should you have psoriasis and pains in the joints also then you could also have what is known as psoriatic arthritis. This a life long condition which does cause agony and even more stiffness in the joints which is caused by even a greater eroding of the muscle tissue

This condition mainly affects the toes and also the fingers but will and can affect other bodily joints too. Also the joints will feel heated and sometimes a purplish colour develops within the joints itself. It is often a case that problems arise within the nails before joint problems ever take place. Sometimes the nails can just be pulled away from the skin itself and even turn a brown-yellow colour

This nail problem is called Psoriatic Nails and does not really account or even suggest that you could also develop psoriatic arthritis. Like all other forms of psoriasis, there is are treatments available but as of yet there is no known cure.

The signs that you should look out for are pains in areas of the body such as the feet, knees and also the elbow. If psoriasis is not present then it can difficult to know if psoriatic arthritis is actually present. You can also experience pain in the neck and also the back.

How far this spreads can vary dramatically from person to person. One person can just have one finger infected whilst another can suffer from pain in multiple joints and also on the head also and yet again simply day-to-day tasks can become very difficult to perform.

It is irregularities within the immune system and also the effects on the environment in which we live that can make such conditions and diseases to appear. It is also suggested that genes can play a part as well as a family history.

So who does it affect?

In America alone over one million people are suffering from psoriatic arthritis. And it is from this group of people that the following information has been obtained

- affects both men and women
- can be seen frequently in those already suffering from psoriasis
- people with psoriatic nails are more likely to be affected
- stiffness in the joints appears between the ages of 30 and 50 years
- can also affect children just before teenage years

If you have psoriatic arthritis what you know what to do?

Well the instant thing that you need to do is to visit your doctor or to see a dermatologist. If found early then early treatment will be more effective to prevent any long term damage. If diagnosis is correct that you be required to have a blood test and possible serum tests to differentiate it from other conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis.