Erosive arthritis is an immune-inflammatory process with irreversible changes in the joints. Erosions occur with rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthropathy. What is the mechanism of their appearance?
The cells of the body begin to produce antibodies against the microorganisms that caused the pathological process. Due to increased production and disruption of normal outflow, the amount of synovial fluid in the joint increases and swelling occurs. Due to the similarity of the protein structure of cartilage tissue and foreign microorganisms, antibodies begin to “eat” the cartilage and then the bone tissue of the joint. Osteolysis occurs - the destruction of bone and cartilage. Defects in the cartilage and bone structure—erosions—are formed, and the articular surface ceases to be even and perfectly smooth. When defects in the articular surfaces become pronounced, a joint deformity is formed.
Unfortunately, these are irreversible changes. There is no way to get rid of them. With proper treatment, you can only stop the further development of the disease and the destruction of the affected tissue.
Additional mechanisms of erosion formation:
There are several types of bone erosions:
In rheumatoid arthritis, the first erosions form in the area of the II, III metacarpophalangeal joints, in the area of the styloid process of the ulna (at the site of tendon attachment), interphalangeal, and wrist joints of the hand. The carpometacarpal joint I is a “happy exception” in which pathological changes do not form for a long time.
For rheumatoid arthritis, symmetry of the lesion is typical. In advanced cases, with a long course of the disease, complete destruction of the articular surface occurs. Against this background, deformations arise that are the “calling card” of the disease (the position of the fingers in the form of a “swan neck”, their valgus deviation in the metacarpophalangeal joints), dislocations, subluxations, and contractures are formed.
Factors that increase the likelihood of developing erosions in rheumatoid arthritis, indicating high activity of the inflammatory process:
Pain syndrome is not a determining factor. With intense and prolonged pain, the joint can remain intact for a long time.
The following methods are used to detect erosive arthritis:
Radiography is the most common diagnostic method. This is the cheapest and at the same time quite accurate way to detect changes in the articular surfaces. MRI and CT will allow us to identify erosive changes already in the initial stages.
To prevent erosive changes in the articular surfaces you need to:
Treatment for rheumatoid arthritis should begin as early as possible. It is optimal if this happens before erosions form. If you are late, the maximum that can be achieved is to prevent further destruction of articular tissues. The changes that have already occurred are, unfortunately, irreversible.
You need to visit a rheumatologist several times a year. This is necessary for a full examination, timely detection of pathological changes in bone and cartilage tissue, and proper treatment.
To maintain joint mobility, you should engage in exercise therapy, swimming, and perform feasible physical activity. Movement stimulates the production of intraarticular fluid. The latter nourishes the cartilaginous surface and removes metabolic products from the synovial cavity.
To reduce the load on the affected joints, it is recommended to use orthopedic devices: a cane, knee pads, elbow pads.
The development of erosions can be observed not only with rheumatoid arthritis. They also appear in other forms.
With psoriatic arthropathy, skin changes are combined with articular ones. The lesions are asymmetrical, multidirectional deformations are formed. Damage to the sacroiliac joints, hand bones, and spine is typical. First, marginal erosions form, then they spread to the central part of the articular surfaces. Osteolysis of the epiphyses of bones occurs. This type of arthritis is also called mutilating arthritis. A distinctive feature is the presence of bone growths (proliferations) near erosions.
Such arthritis can be recognized by skin changes and characteristic deformation of the joints, recognized using radiography, MRI, and CT.
The disease is rare but aggressive. Affects postmenopausal women. Not only does intense bone loss occur, but, alas, articular surfaces can also be destroyed. Most often it affects the symmetrical joints of the hands. Diagnosed based on patient complaints and X-ray data.
Patients complain of morning pain, stiffness in the joints, swelling does not always appear, and may be temporary.
Leukocytosis is a condition characterized by an excess of white blood cells (ie leukocytes) in the blood.
White blood cells are produced in the bone marrow and are part of the human immune system, protecting us from invading “enemies” and preventing the proliferation of pathological cells.
The number of leukocytes in the blood is not a constant value; it increases with emotional or physical stress, sudden changes in ambient temperature, intake of protein foods, and also with diseases. In the case of disease, leukocytosis is pathological, while an increase in the number of leukocytes in a healthy person is physiological leukocytosis.
A significant increase (up to several hundred thousand) in the number of leukocytes usually indicates a serious blood disease - leukemia, and an increase to several tens of thousands indicates an inflammatory process.
The main causes of leukocytosis include:
The most common causes of leukocytosis in children:
In addition, we must not forget that, although rare, acute leukemia can be the cause of leukocytosis in children.
Leukocytosis can be true or absolute (with an increase in leukocytes or the mobilization of their reserves from the bone marrow), as well as redistributive or relative (an increase in the number of leukocytes as a result of blood thickening or their redistribution in the vessels).
The following types of leukocytosis are also distinguished:
1. Physiological leukocytosis: observed after physical activity, eating, etc.;
2. Pathological symptomatic leukocytosis: occurs in certain infectious diseases, purulent-inflammatory processes, as well as as a result of a certain reaction of the bone marrow to tissue breakdown, which was caused by a toxic effect or circulatory disorder;
3. Short-term leukocytosis: occurs as a result of a sudden “release” of leukocytes into the blood, for example, during stress or hypothermia. In such cases, the disease is reactive in nature, i.e. disappears along with the cause of its occurrence;
4. Neurophilic leukocytosis. This condition is most often caused by an increase in the formation and release of neutrophils into the blood, while an increase in the absolute number of leukocytes is noted in the vascular bed. Observed in acute infection, chronic inflammation, as well as myeloproliferative diseases (blood diseases);
5. Eosinophilic leukocytosis develops as a result of accelerated formation or release of eosinophils into the blood. The main causes are allergic reactions, including to foods and medications;
6. Basophilic leukocytosis is caused by an increase in the formation of basophils. Observed during pregnancy, nonspecific ulcerative colitis, myxedema;
7. Lymphocytic leukocytosis is characterized by an increase in lymphocytes in the blood. Observed in chronic infections (brucellosis, syphilis, tuberculosis, viral hepatitis) and some acute infections (whooping cough);
8. Monocytic leukocytosis is extremely rare. It is observed in malignant tumors, sarcoidosis, and some bacterial infections.
Leukocytosis is not an independent disease, and therefore its symptoms coincide with the signs of the diseases that caused it. In children, leukocytosis is often asymptomatic, which is why doctors recommend that parents periodically have their child’s blood tested in order to detect abnormalities in the composition of the blood at an early stage.
The most dangerous, although the rarest type of leukocytosis is leukemia, or blood cancer, and therefore it is necessary to know its symptoms so as not to miss the onset of the disease. So, with leukemia, the common symptoms of leukocytosis are as follows:
If you find yourself with two or more of the listed signs, you should consult a doctor and take a blood test.
Treatment methods for leukocytosis depend entirely on the disease that caused it. For infectious processes, antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs are usually prescribed; antihistamines and steroids can be prescribed to relieve an allergic reaction. Chemotherapy drugs are used to treat leukemia. In some cases, leukopheresis may be prescribed - the extraction of leukocytes from the blood, after which the blood is transfused back to the patient.
It should be remembered that treatment of leukocytosis cannot be carried out without identifying the cause that caused it.
Leukocytosis is a change in the cellular composition of the blood, which is characterized by an increase in the number of leukocytes. Leukocytosis is indicated by leukocyte counts of more than 10,000 in 1 μl of blood, and with a low initial level - up to 8000-9000 in 1 μl.
Leukocytosis can be either a physiological phenomenon or a sign of many diseases.
A physiological increase in the number of leukocytes is caused by:
Causes of pathological leukocytosis:
Typical symptoms include:
Often leukocytosis does not manifest itself with the listed symptoms, but there are symptoms of a disease that has caused an increase in the number of leukocytes.
Leukocytosis is diagnosed by a blood test to measure the level of white blood cells. In addition, the patient undergoes a full medical examination and, if necessary, undergoes other tests to determine the cause of leukocytosis.
There are physiological and pathological leukocytoses.
Pathological ones come in the following forms:
If the symptoms described above appear, it is necessary to take a blood test to detect leukocytosis.
The choice of treatment method depends on the cause of leukocytosis. The following drugs can be used:
In some cases, treatment for leukocytosis uses leukafaresis, a procedure for removing excess white blood cells.
The leukocyte concentrate obtained as a result of this procedure is infused back into the patient or left at the donor center for use by other patients.
The consequences of leukocytosis are complications of diseases that cause an increase in the level of leukocytes in the blood.
To prevent leukocytosis, drugs that enhance immunity are used. Maintaining a normal level of leukocytes is facilitated by a healthy lifestyle and monitoring your health.
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic autoimmune disease. Typically, this type of arthritis affects:
Rheumatoid arthritis develops unnoticed by a person and is expressed by many vague symptoms. Therefore, very often even doctors with extensive experience cannot identify this disease.
Rheumatoid arthritis usually appears in women after 30 years of age. Men also get it, but in women this type of arthritis is 5 times more common.
Unfortunately, rheumatoid arthritis is a rather dangerous disease that affects people of working age.
Currently, the etiology of the disease is unknown. Modern medicine cannot determine exactly the reasons that lead a healthy person to joint inflammation. But it is known that the disease provokes a malfunction in the immune system.
The inflammatory process begins due to:
In addition, statistics show that 80% of patients with rheumatoid arthritis have antibodies to the Epstein-Barr virus.
Medicine is constantly and continuously developing, but now it is still impossible to completely cure or prevent the formation of rheumatoid arthritis. The disease does not develop quickly, but is constantly progressing.
A person may feel well, but his body produces antibodies that attack not a foreign virus or allergen, but his own body.
Rheumatoid arthritis is essentially an inflammatory process that occurs in the joints and membranes of the joints.
The affected organs slowly become deformed and cannot function fully.
Most patients experience the following symptoms:
Please note that the presence of at least one of the above symptoms may signal the onset of the disease. In severe forms of rheumatoid arthritis, not only joints are subject to deformation, but also organs such as:
The list of general symptoms includes a visible increase in temperature (up to subfebrile 38 C), as well as sleep disturbances and decreased appetite.
Rheumatoid arthritis does not go away on its own. If the disease is not treated, it seriously worsens the overall quality of life, and most importantly, leads to significant disruptions in the functioning of the body, in some cases death can occur.
When the first symptoms appear, you should immediately consult a rheumatologist. It is strictly forbidden to engage in self-diagnosis and treatment at home.
Only a qualified doctor will be able to distinguish rheumatoid arthritis of the fingers, for example, from other similar diseases and temporary disorders.
A rheumatologist will carefully listen to complaints, perform a visual examination, and be sure to refer you for appropriate tests. Rheumatoid arthritis research includes:
In some cases, the doctor decides to prescribe a puncture of the joint fluid.
If the disease is already in the later stages of development, then doctors of other specializations are involved. Depending on the type of damage to internal organs, you can consult with:
In rheumatoid arthritis, a complete blood count shows:
The degree of anemia in confirmed rheumatoid arthritis is directly related to the strength of the inflammatory process.
With the emerging Felty syndrome, acute neutropenia begins - a reduced concentration of neutrophils, that is, one of the types of leukocytes. In addition, Felty's syndrome is expressed by splenomegaly and polyarthritis.
In rheumatoid arthritis, blood biochemical parameters show the presence of P-factor or rheumatoid factor. Previously, it was generally accepted that this factor clearly indicates the presence of autoimmune processes, and the patient can safely be diagnosed with “rheumatoid arthritis.”
However, some time ago, scientists discovered that the P factor can be found in the blood of healthy people, of which approximately 5-6%. However, P factor is often not detected in patients with arthritis.
Thus, we can conclude that the identification of P-factor is not the most compelling reason for deciding the presence of arthritis. But based on a biochemical blood test, it is possible to determine the type of rheumatoid arthritis: seronegative or seropositive. The P factor can be determined from 6-8 weeks after the onset of the disease.
Among other things, with the help of a biochemical blood test, those indicators that are characteristic of other collagenoses are detected:
In rheumatoid arthritis, an immunological blood test provides an opportunity to determine one of the atypical causes of inflammation, namely C-reactive protein.
If there is seromucoid in the blood, then this indicates pathological inflammatory processes in the body. But its presence is not definitive proof of rheumatoid arthritis. The following signs also indicate arthritis:
In addition to a blood test, a person suspected of having arthritis is also given a urine test. If the disease is present, doctors will see serious malfunctions in the urinary system.
In many cases, a patient with arthritis experiences amyloidosis or nephrotic kidney damage. Amyloidosis develops several years after the onset of arthritis and acts as a complication of the underlying disease.
Rheumatoid arthritis in many cases is accompanied by a characteristic dysfunction - renal failure.
Quite often, doctors consider it necessary to diagnose synovial fluid. In people with rheumatoid arthritis, this fluid becomes cloudy and contains both intact and destroyed white blood cells (about 80% neutrophils). Signs of the inflammatory process are also shown by a biopsy of the synovial fluid.
The most reliable indicator that makes it easy to determine the presence of rheumatoid arthritis is a test for antibodies to citrullinated peptide (ACCP). Thanks to this method, the disease can be detected in at least 80% of people.
One more positive aspect of this study should be noted; we are talking about the possibility of identifying the disease in people who have normal levels of rheumatoid factor. This test has become widespread due to its accurate diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis.
ESR is the erythrocyte sedimentation rate. In a healthy person it is in the range of 5-12 mm/hour.
With rheumatoid arthritis, the ESR becomes higher and amounts to 20 mm/hour. A marker on the ESR indicates a severe course or a sharp exacerbation of rheumatoid arthritis.
Tests for rheumatoid arthritis determine:
It is important to remember that timely diagnosis is a guarantee of successful treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.
Leukocytosis is an increase in the number of leukocytes in the blood, which is evidence of both normal physiological processes in the body and many diseases. Leukocytes are white blood cells that are formed and mature in bone marrow cells. They participate in protecting the human body from foreign microorganisms. The normal number of white blood cells in the blood fluctuates throughout the day and depends on various factors. For adults, the norm is their amount from 4 to 9?10 9 per liter of blood.
Among the main causes of leukocytosis are the following:
There are several classifications of leukocytosis.
1. By the number and distribution of leukocytes:
2. According to the principle of “pathology - temporary deviation”:
3. Leukocytes include several types of cells that perform various protective functions: lymphocytes, monocytes, basophils, neutrophils, eosinophils, therefore, depending on their type, leukocytosis is divided into:
Symptoms of leukocytosis may not appear at all or may be detected in the form of:
It should be noted that the presence of several of these symptoms may indicate the presence of leukemia, a malignant neoplasm of hematopoietic tissue.
The number of leukocytes in the blood of children varies depending on age: on the first day of life the indicators can be 8.5–24.5?109, in one month – 6.5–13.8?109, from one year to six years – 5–12?10 9 , at 13–15 years old – 4.3–9.5?10 9 .
Because the number of white blood cells changes very quickly during childhood, parents should not panic if they detect an increased number. However, this should be taken seriously and your white blood cell levels should be monitored regularly using a routine blood test. In children, leukocytosis can be asymptomatic for a long time; if the child’s condition is not monitored, the onset of serious diseases can be missed.
The following factors contribute to the development of leukocytosis:
It is important to monitor the level of white blood cells in a child's blood to prevent serious consequences. Symptoms that parents need to pay attention to:
The presence of these symptoms, as in adults, may be a signal of the development of leukemia, so additional diagnostics are required.
If after examination it is discovered that leukocytosis in a child is caused by physiological factors, parents should not worry. If leukocytes increase during infectious diseases, their level will quickly return to normal after adequate therapy is prescribed.
If the causes of leukocytosis are more serious diseases, for example, the cardiovascular system, then a specific examination should be immediately carried out and therapy aimed at curing the underlying disease should be prescribed.
To diagnose leukocytosis, it is enough to conduct a general blood test. To obtain reliable data, blood must be donated in the morning on an empty stomach. If necessary, the doctor will order additional tests, such as a bone marrow biopsy or peripheral blood smear.
Physiological leukocytosis does not require special treatment; it is enough to normalize nutrition, eliminate negative psychological factors and excessive physical activity.
An increase in leukocytes in pregnant women is a normal process; if their number does not exceed 15×109 per liter of blood, there is no need to worry.
To normalize the level of white blood cells in pathological leukocytosis, it is necessary to prescribe the correct treatment for the disease that caused the change in the number of leukocytes. This may be antibacterial, hormonal, antihistamine therapy; leukemia requires chemotherapy. Once the underlying disease is cured, your blood counts will return to normal on their own.
Sometimes a leukopheresis procedure is required - the extraction of leukocytes from the blood using a special device.
From traditional medicine recipes, you can use a decoction of lingonberry leaves and berries; decoction of strawberry leaves and berries. Eating plant foods, nuts, soybeans, and seeds is also beneficial. Traditional methods of treatment are allowed for use only after determining the cause of leukocytosis and consulting a doctor.
Complications of leukocytosis manifest themselves in the form of complications of diseases that cause an increase in the number of white blood cells in the blood. Therefore, it is important to diagnose leukocytosis and its causes in a timely manner.
To prevent leukocytosis, it is recommended to increase immunity, stop drinking alcohol, follow a diet, ensure proper physical activity, and avoid stress.
Quite often you hear from doctors: “You have signs of leukocytosis in your blood.” It is often difficult for a patient to understand medical terms and understand what they mean. And various thoughts come to mind, sometimes not the best.
What it is? Leukocytosis is a secondary reaction of the hematopoietic system to any causative factor. It consists of increasing the level of leukocytes in the blood. The diagnostic threshold for adults is 10,000 cells in 1 μl of blood. However, there is one exception to the rule.
If a patient has an initially low level of leukocytes in the range of 3,000–5,000 per μl, then the state of leukocytosis is diagnosed at a level of 8,000–9,000 cells or more per 1 μl.
The causes of leukocytosis in the blood can be physiological and pathological. In the first case, we are not talking about the disease. This is a normal increase in bone marrow function that occurs during certain periods of age or is associated with a particular condition. Physiological leukocytosis can be of several types:
The causes of pathological leukocytosis can be both infectious and non-infectious. Its development is determined by 2 main mechanisms:
The most significant stimuli for activation of the hematopoietic function of the bone marrow with an increase in the level of leukocytes are:
biologically active compounds, among which colony-stimulating factors are especially relevant.
Drug-induced leukocytosis should be placed in a separate category. It is associated with the use of certain pharmacological drugs, most often from the group of adrenergic agonists.
This increase in leukocytes in the blood is due to redistribution mechanisms. However, long-term use of these drugs can lead to increased activity of bone marrow hematopoiesis.
Types of leukocytosis are classified depending on which cells have elevated levels. From this point of view, there are:
In medicine, leukocytosis means an increase in the number of leukocytes only in the blood. But some doctors use this term to refer to an increase in leukocytes in any biological environment, for example, in vaginal secretions, urine, etc. However, it is not correct to talk about leukocytosis in a smear or in urine.
As a rule, leukocytosis indicates acute diseases; less commonly, it can be observed in chronic pathologies. This is always a secondary syndrome caused by a causative disease. Depending on the type of the latter, the clinical picture will be formed.
There are no specific manifestations for leukocytosis. However, the symptoms of leukocytosis are directly dependent on the cellular characteristics. Therefore, it is important for the doctor to identify which cells exceed the standard values - neutrophils, lymphocytes, eosinophils or others.
Thus, neutrophilic leukocytosis indicates:
An important diagnostic symptom is a shift to the left with leukocytosis. It allows you to evaluate its degree. This criterion is the ratio of the number of all segmented neutrophils (functionally mature cells) to non-segmented ones (young forms that practically do not perform immune functions). The normal value of this index is 0.06 – 0.08.
Based on this indicator, it is possible to determine the prognosis of the course of the causative disease. If the index is 0.25 - 0.45, then this corresponds to the regenerative type of changes, for which the prognosis is favorable.
In this case, a large number of band neutrophils appear in the blood. Severe infections with a tendency to generalize and develop purulent-septic complications correspond to a hyperregenerative index (1.0-2.0). The prognosis in this case is unfavorable. Young forms and their precursors (metamyelocytes) appear in the blood, which cannot perform immune functions.
A serious symptom is the presence of myeloblasts against the background of a high level of leukocytes. This may indicate acute leukemia (tumor of the hematopoietic system). Less commonly, it can be a sign of a severe purulent-septic condition, in which a leukemoid reaction develops.
Laboratory symptoms of neutrophilic leukocytosis include not only counting the number of white blood cells, but also determining their morphology. Its change in the form of degenerative signs is observed in the case of a strong influence of infectious and toxic factors. Degeneration is indicated by signs such as:
The laboratory technician indicates all these changes on the blood test form if he detects them. For a doctor, such signs greatly facilitate the development of a diagnostic search program.
Another variant of leukocytosis is an increase in the level of eosinophils by more than 5% (eosinophilia). Most often it is regarded as a sign of an allergic process. Therefore, clinical symptoms include manifestations of one of the following diseases:
The main symptoms of allergies that a person can independently detect are:
In some cases, eosinophilic leukocytosis indicates helminthic infestation (helminthiasis). Therefore, along with the laboratory sign, characteristic clinical manifestations are also present: poor appetite, itching in the perianal area, weight loss and skin rashes, etc.
Sometimes with eosinophilia there may be symptoms of rarer diseases:
An increase in basophils in the blood in most cases is a rarely diagnosed condition, because the proportion of these cells in the leukocyte formula is insignificant (from 0.5% to 1%). Basophilia can occur with diseases such as:
Monocytosis is a condition in which the number of monocytes in the blood is more than 8%. Monocytic leukocytosis may indicate some specific infections and cancers:
The detection of lymphocytosis (more than 35%) in peripheral blood is accompanied by a variety of clinical symptoms, because The list of causative diseases is huge. Most often this is:
In addition to the above physiological leukocytosis, children may experience an increase in the level of eosinophils during prematurity, as well as in full-term children up to 3 months of age. This is regarded as a variant of the norm.
In other cases, it is necessary to look for the cause of leukocytosis (an increase in the level of leukocytes above the age norm). They, as in adults, can be different:
The principles of diagnosis in pediatrics are similar to those in therapy. They are based on the fact that each type of leukocyte is responsible for a specific part of the immune system. Therefore, the cellular composition of a blood test helps to establish a preliminary diagnosis.
Subsequent examination is aimed either at confirming it or excluding it.
Leukocytosis during pregnancy in the blood, developing in the second half, is a normal variant. Its appearance is explained by 2 main mechanisms:
This feature must be taken into account by doctors of different specialties so as not to prescribe unreasonable examinations that supposedly should reveal the cause of this condition.
If a woman feels well and the pregnancy is more than 20 weeks old, and elevated levels of leukocytes are found in the blood, then further diagnostics are not indicated.
Treatment of leukocytosis always depends on the underlying disease. There is no therapeutic agent that directly reduces the number of white blood cells. Therefore, careful diagnosis is always required.
Most often, leukocytosis is a sign of infection, therefore the most common treatment is antimicrobial (antibacterial or antiviral) and anti-inflammatory.
Leukocytosis of allergic origin can be treated with both non-hormonal drugs (histamine receptor blockers, etc.) and hormonal drugs (corticosteroids). Usually they start with the first ones, and if they are not effective, then hormones are added.
Tumors of the blood system in which leukocytosis appears are an indication for polychemotherapy. It involves the use of cytostatics that have a detrimental effect on uncontrolled dividing cells. Usually a combination of drugs from several groups is required.
The answer to the question of why leukocytosis is dangerous depends on the underlying disease that led to this hematological syndrome. The main complications may be:
Basophilic leukocytosis may indicate a poor prognosis for a patient with oncohematological disease. The appearance of basophils in the blood of more than 1% (the norm is 0.5 - 1%) indicates an increased risk of terminal stage leukemia.
Psoriatic arthritis manifests itself as inflammation of the joints, and this disease can affect both large and small joints. Doctors have not yet been able to accurately determine the etiological factors that provoke the development of this pathological condition. In the development of various forms of psoriasis, a significant role is played by:
Among patients with psoriasis, arthritis most often develops in those who suffer from severe damage to the nail plates. Most often, joints are affected between 30 and 50 years, but sometimes the disease occurs in representatives of other age categories. Among men and women, this pathological condition occurs with equal frequency.
Symptoms of psoriatic arthritis are similar to other connective tissue diseases (acute rheumatic fever, rheumatoid arthritis).
If, in addition to the skin manifestations of psoriasis, you begin to worry about pain and stiffness in the joints, swelling or redness, then you should definitely tell a dermatologist about the problem.
Since joint inflammation occurs in many diseases, it is very important to undergo a comprehensive examination of the body. The tactics and effectiveness of treatment depend on the correctness and timeliness of diagnosis. If you have been diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis, you should immediately consult a dermatologist. The patient needs to undergo a series of diagnostic examinations.
The presence of typical skin manifestations of psoriasis greatly facilitates diagnosis. However, in cases where inflammatory changes in the joints precede the appearance of rashes, the doctor must first rule out other connective tissue diseases.
When inflammation develops in the joints, symptomatic therapy is resorted to. To treat psoriasis arthritis use:
Treatment of psoriasis arthritis should include mandatory changes in the patient's lifestyle. Regular, moderate physical activity and complete cessation of bad habits (drinking alcohol, smoking) are recommended. When you have psoriasis arthritis, it is important to follow the principles of proper nutrition; the diet should be balanced and include all the necessary vitamins and microelements. Fatty, fried and spicy foods should be avoided.