Psoriatic vs rheumatoid arthritis – what’s the difference? Both of these conditions are autoimmune diseases which can damage your joints, leading to swelling, pain and stiffness. Both of these conditions can also harm your eyes, skin and blood vessels. However, they differ in a few key ways, which we discuss here.
How Do They Affect You?
When you experience psoriatic arthritis, your immune system attacks and damages both your joints and skin. This causes your body to overload on skin cell production, which in turn leads to psoriasis, a skin condition that often affects those with psoriatic rheumatism.
With rheumatoid arthritis, your immune system attacks the lining of tissues found around your joints, which then swell up and start to hurt. They may gradually become damaged or deformed.
Causes
Psoriatic and rheumatoid arthritis are hereditary. Psoriatic arthritis can begin to develop between the ages of 30 to 50, while rheumatoid arthritis can start manifesting between the ages of 40 to 60. Rheumatoid arthritis is also more likely to develop in women than men.
In addition to genetics, researchers think that both conditions can also develop through a mix of factors that may include hormones, as well as viral or bacterial infections that could trigger immune systems into overdrive. It is still unknown what precisely causes both conditions to manifest however.
Symptoms
Both psoriatic and rheumatoid arthritis cause swelling, pain and stiffness in the joints. They also have their own specific symptoms, listed below:
Psoriatic arthritis
- Affects joints in the pelvis, back, fingers and toes
- Is asymmetric, usually affecting only one side of the body
- May cause foot pain, especially in the areas of the sole or back of the heel
- Can cause swelling in the fingers
- Can cause nails to flake and pit
- Tends to affect areas where ligaments or tendons attach to the bone
Rheumatoid arthritis:
- Often starts manifesting in smaller joints, such as the fingers and toes. Gradually, it may affect the wrists, knees, hips and ankles.
- Is symmetric, usually appearing in both sides of the body
- Can cause joints to feel stiff in the morning
- Can lead to low-grade fever, weight loss and fatigue.
Both conditions can have periods where the symptoms feel more severe, known as flares. Periods in between these flares are known as remissions.
Diagnosis
Given how similar both conditions are, it is best to get a diagnosis from a specialist, which in this case is a rheumatologist. A rheumatoid factor blood test will be performed to determine which of the two conditions you have. Blood tests that seek to detect antibodies can also help differentiate between both conditions. You can also tell by observing your skin and nails: scaly patches on the skin, flaking or pitting can be a sign of psoriatic arthritis. At a more advanced stage of both conditions, an x-ray can also serve to distinguish between both. A prompt and precise diagnosis is important as both conditions can make daily activities, such as keeping with personal hygiene, difficult.
