Psoriatic Arthritis Outbursts: Causes, Signs, and Remedies
Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is a chronic inflammatory condition that affects the joints, causing them to become swollen, stiff, and painful. While there is no cure for PsA, effective management strategies can help reduce the impact of flare-ups and prevent long-term damage.
For individuals who are not suitable for biologics, oral small-molecule drugs such as methotrexate, apremilast (Otezla), and tofacitinib (Xeljanz) can be prescribed by a doctor.
Early signs of a PsA flare include fatigue, together with throbbing pain, swelling, and stiffness in the joints, tendon pain, swelling in the fingers and toes, and worsening skin symptoms. Common triggers for flare-ups include stress, infections, physical injuries, skipping or stopping PsA medications, poor sleep, being overweight, cold, dry weather, exposure to cigarette smoke, alcohol misuse, certain medications, dry skin, and some dietary factors.
To avoid or minimize flare-ups, patients can manage stress through relaxation techniques, therapy, or other stress-reduction methods. They should avoid infections by practicing good hygiene and promptly treating infections. Protecting the skin from injury and sunburn is also crucial. Adhering strictly to prescribed medications without skipping doses is essential. Maintaining healthy sleep habits, a healthy weight through balanced diet and exercise, avoiding smoking and reducing alcohol consumption, speaking with a doctor about any medications that might trigger symptoms, considering an anti-inflammatory diet rich in fruits and vegetables, and avoiding triggers such as physical injuries and illness are all important steps in managing PsA.
In the event of a flare-up, patients should seek medical help, follow their current treatment plan, get enough rest and sleep, reduce activity levels, do low-impact exercises, follow a balanced diet, limit alcohol intake, limit stress, and quit smoking. Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) can help limit joint damage, reduce pain, and slow the progression of PsA.
Long-term use of biologics can help prevent flares, reduce the severity of symptoms during flares, and prevent long-term damage. Steroid treatment can help reduce inflammation, swelling, and pain during a flare and is available as a topical treatment, in tablet form, or by injection.
It is important to note that symptoms and severity can vary widely between individuals. Some people may also experience irritable bowel disease symptoms during a flare, such as diarrhea and abdominal pain. Additionally, about 30% of people with psoriasis may develop PsA.
In the long term, new biologic drugs and other therapies are showing promise for reducing flares, managing symptoms, and possibly slowing the progress of PsA. Natural remedies such as indigo naturalis, curcumin, fish oils, meditation, acupuncture, and physical therapy may also help some people with psoriasis and PsA, although more research is needed.
The link between psoriasis and PsA is close, and they can occur together, but they are not the same condition. Early treatment of initial symptoms or a flare can help manage PsA, reduce the effect of a flare and the severity of symptoms, and limit permanent joint damage.
Sources: [1] Mayo Clinic. (2021). Psoriatic arthritis.
- For naive personas with psoriatic arthritis (PsA), treatments such as methotrexate, apremilast (Otezla), and tofacitinib (Xeljanz) may be established by medical-care providers.
- Psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) share a close link, and both are chronic diseases that can affect a person's health-and-wellness, including their skin-care and chronic-diseases management.
- Established treatment plans for psoriatic arthritis can help manage symptoms during a flare-up, reduce their severity, and prevent long-term damage, including disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) and steroids.
- A person's symptoms and severity can vary widely, with some individuals experiencing irritable bowel disease symptoms during a flare, such as diarrhea and abdominal pain.
- Science and medical advances are showing promise for reducing flares, managing symptoms, and possibly slowing the progress of psoriatic arthritis through new biologic drugs and other therapies.
- Natural remedies, such as indigo naturalis, curcumin, fish oils, meditation, acupuncture, and physical therapy, may help some people with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, but further research is needed to support their effectiveness.
