Does Arthritis Affect Your Skin?

10 million people in the UK suffer from arthritis, with most suffering from either osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis. Both forms of the condition leave people to experience stiff, swollen and painful joints, which in turn affects their daily lives and routines.

While arthritis generally only affects a person's joints, some people find that their arthritis can also cause skin issues too. Bruises, lesions and rashes can all occur with different forms of arthritis, but what is the reason for this? Here we take a look at what factors can cause arthritis to affect your skin.

Psoriatic arthritis

Those who already suffer from the skin condition, psoriasis, might be at risk of developing a form of arthritis called psoriatic arthritis. This is where the joints become inflamed as the body's immune system attacks healthy tissues such as joints and the skin. It is not entirely known why some psoriasis sufferers are at risk of developing this form of arthritis, but about 30% of people with psoriasis do develop a form of inflammatory arthritis called psoriatic arthritis as a result. 

Medication

Some skin problems that arthritis sufferers struggle with can be a result of medication. Those with arthritis tend to take some form of medication to manage the symptoms associated with the condition, however, if you find that your skin breaks out or becomes itchy, it's worth chatting to a doctor and finding out the root of the cause. Some medications can also cause increased sensitivity to the sun and make you more vulnerable to bruising.

Rheumatoid nodules

Approximately 1 in 5 of those who have rheumatoid arthritis (RA) also get something called rheumatoid nodules. These are lumps of tissue that can be quite hard to touch, range from the size of a pea to a ping pong ball, and tend to appear in affected joint areas, e.g the elbows, knuckles or knees. These lumps form under the skin and don't tend to become infected, and are generally not painful to touch.