There are a number of other symptoms of psoriatic arthritis that may also be mistakenly attributed to other causes. One of the most distinct is the swelling of the fingers and toes to the point where they look like sausages. This condition, known as dactylitis, is easily ignored by people who believe they have inadvertently injured themselves. Nail lesions are another sign of psoriatic arthritis that may initially seem unrelated. In fact, approximately 80 percent of psoriatic arthritis patients will have lesions on their fingernails or toenails. When these lesions appear, the nail may separate from the nail bed and/or become pitted, ridged or discolored. This condition can be easily mistaken for a fungal infection. Psoriatic arthritis also affects the distal joints, the small joints closest to the tips of the fingers and toes. This condition can be mistaken for osteoarthritis.
An equally noticeable but seemingly unrelated sign of psoriatic arthritis is soreness in the feet caused by enthesitis. In enthesitis, inflammation caused by recurring stress creates tender spots, and often fibrosis and calcification, at the sites where the tendons and ligaments attach to the bone. Enthesitis can also cause pain at the back of the heel, sometimes known as Achilles tendonitis, making it difficult to walk or climb stairs.
Recognizing these symptoms is an important step in preventing the damage that psoriatic arthritis can inflict. If you suffer from psoriasis or have a family history of the condition, and you experience any of these symptoms, talk with your doctor. He or she can recommend an appropriate treatment regimen that can help you relieve the pain, reduce the inflammation and cope with this chronic and potentially disabling disease.
