psoriatic arthritis affects fingernailsPsoriatic arthritis affects the hands and nails, and the effects of this chronic condition can be seen in psoriatic arthritis pictures.  Psoriatic arthritis affects approximately five to 30 percent of people who come down with psoriasis of the skin. 

Some of signs include swelling of the joints and a fungus-like buildup on the knuckles.  Sometimes inflammation can show up in the spine and sacrum as well.

Psoriatic Arthritis Pictures Show Swelling
Symptoms of psoriatic arthritis include red, burning and swollen joints, and may include the entire finger or toe. This swelling is demonstrated in the psoriatic arthritis pictures in this article.  hand with psoriatic arthritisGenerally, people who develop psoriatic arthritis have psoriasis first.

For psoriatic arthritis pain relief, drugs and alternative therapy can be helpful, or try these tips for living with arthritis.

Lifestyle Choices Key to Minimizing Arthritis Symptoms
To prevent your skin from looking like the psoriatic arthritis in these pictures, doctors recommend you start by making healthy lifestyle choices.  Don’t smoke or drink, and try to avoid stress.  Also, eat a well-balanced arthritis diet that has a lot of the essential fatty acids.  Fatty acids have been shown to reduce the inflammation evident in these psoriatic arthritis pictures. 

Exercise often.  Maintaining a healthy weight will improve current arthritis symptoms and prevent new symptoms from breaking out. A healthy diet and exercise can decrease the chances of the condition shown in the psoriatic arthritis pictures from spreading to other parts of the body.

psoriatic arthritis picture showing bone erosionSkin Treatments Can Aggravate Arthritis

Watch what effects certain medications have on your skin.  Some medications can trigger the psoriatic arthritis symptoms seen in these pictures.  If your medication is causing an outbreak, stop taking it and talk to your doctor.

Finally, to avoid having your skin get worse, moisturize with unscented creams, because the fragrance in some creams can irritate the skin.  Drink plenty of water to protect the skin from drying out.

Pictures courtesy Osteon lotion and Eorthopod.