Behind the Scenes: The Real Impact of Psoriatic Arthritis
What does daily life with psoriatic arthritis really look like? Living with psoriatic arthritis it’s not just about coping with symptoms like chronic fatigue, joint pain and swelling, and skin lesions.
Psoriatic arthritis can be disruptive to many aspects of life including relationships with loved ones, work and home responsibilities, and even the ability to participate in the activities and hobbies you enjoy. 77% of people with PsA who completed the survey shared “I can't do everything I would like to do because of psoriatic arthritis.”
For those with psoriatic arthritis, the condition can change how you live your life every single day. In our annual In America survey, we learned more about the real impact of psoriatic arthritis on the lives of real patients and their families.
Understanding daily symptoms of psoriatic arthritis
A day in the life with psoriatic arthritis means waking up with morning stiffness and trying to cope with a reduced range of motion in your joints. It means finding ways to push through the fatigue and pain while not pushing your body over too far.
For those who cope with psoriasis in addition to psoriatic arthritis skin symptoms such as itching and burning and flaking add an additional layer of daily complications to deal with.
The impact on work and career
The demands of a career can be a lot to handle with a chronic condition like psoriatic arthritis. It isn’t just pain that has an impact on the responsibilities of a job, even on low pain days, it can be a struggle to function at full capacity at a job due to brain fog and chronic fatigue.
The burden and stress of treatment cost
The financial aspects of living with and managing psoriatic arthritis can cause a lot of stress for those with psoriatic arthritis and caregivers. From paying for treatment or balancing health-care related costs with other financial responsibilities it can feel overwhelming.
Sleep interrupted
We all know sleep is an important part of staying healthy, but psoriatic arthritis symptoms can steal away precious hours of much-needed sleep. Certain PsA symptoms can be more problematic to achieving a good night’s sleep than others.
The importance of support with PsA
On both the good days and the bad days with psoriatic arthritis there is the need for support. Although many with psoriatic arthritis have a team of people who help provide encouragement, comfort, and support, there are still days when PsA flares require a bit more for your support team. 6 in 10 people living with PsA would like to receive additional support.
Most are looking for support with coping emotionally with their condition, many are also looking for tangible help around the house.
The Psoriatic Arthritis in America 2019 survey was conducted online from May through September of 2019. 1,148 people who have been diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis completed the survey.
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