Welcome to Arthritis advice doctor

Who Does Arthritis Affect?

Men, women, adults and children are the common suffers of arthritis. It is estimated that the number of people in the world suffering from arthritis is around 350 million. Half of this number covers the age group below 65 years. Arthritis is not just a one disease; rather it is a combination of 100 of distinct medical conditions which are related to joints, knee, shoulder, hips, spine, and fingers. Overweight people are also vulnerable to arthritis as the weight on their joints is much more than it can bear.

Recently the sufferers of arthritis are working age group people although the young generation is not free from its effect. Women are also major sufferers of arthritis because their body continuously undergoes hormonal changes, so lack capability to fight against arthritis. People who put huge stress on joints are also prone to arthritis. This category includes people like athletes, hammer men, body builder. Excessive strain on joints can make them weak gradually. Also people who met with accidents and injuries may get affected by arthritis. Injuries such as fracture and sprain make the cartilage surrounding the joints weak or may cause wear and tear. This will again increase load on the joints making the people vulnerable to arthritis.

What Causes Psoriatic Arthritis?

The exact cause of psoriatic arthritis is not known. Genetic factors, environmental factors and immunological factors do play an important role in the manifestation of this condition.

People with a family history of this condition are more likely to develop it at some point in their lives. The common age for the onset of this disease is between 30 and 50 years. Psoriatic arthritis is more frequently seen in men rather than in women. These facts indicate that there could be a genetic cause for this condition. A gene marker called HLS-B27 is also frequently, though not always seen in people with psoriatic arthritis. Scientists believe that certain gene mutations are associated with this disease.

Changes in the immune system are also thought to be linked to psoriatic arthritis. People with this disease show increased levels of B cells, T-cells, chemokines and cytokines. These are cells and chemical mediators of the immune system, which are responsible for the inflammation and tissue damage associated with this condition.

Sometimes, infections like streptococcal infections render a person more susceptible to psoriatic arthritis. It is also frequently seen in HIV positive people. This indicates that there may be a link between bacterial or viral infections and psoriatic arthritis.