It’s a common belief that psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis go hand in hand. While the two diseases share genetic similarities, they are two different chronic diseases. Psoriasis is an immune system disorder that affects your skin and psoriatic arthritis is an inflammatory form of arthritis.
People who develop psoriatic arthritis almost always have psoriasis first – but not always. In some patients with psoriatic arthritis, arthritis may precede psoriatic skin lesions, as mentioned in the International Journal of Rheumatic Diseases. The journal also mentions psoriatic skin lesions may not develop for more than 10 years after the onset of arthritis.
So that begs the question, is the skin psoriasis going to show up eventually for those who develop psoriatic arthritis symptoms first? Well, it seems like the jury could still be out on that one.
According to the National Psoriasis Foundation, in 85 percent of patients, psoriasis occurred before joint disease. The other 15% percent had arthritis symptoms develop before skin psoriasis. Sometimes psoriasis can go undetected in areas we don’t notice, or is so mild we just don’t see it. For someone who thinks they don’t have skin psoriasis, their psoriasis could certainly be undetected.
When it comes down to it, a psoriatic arthritis diagnosis doesn’t have to come with all the tell-tale psoriasis symptoms. If you or someone you love is struggling to manage psoriatic arthritis symptoms, research studies exploring potential new treatment options are enrolling now. Study participants have access to potential new treatment medications and cared for by board-certified physicians. Qualified participants may also receive compensation for time and travel expenses. To learn more and see how you may qualify, click HERE.
