Kids’ Top Questions About Psoriatic Arthritis

“We don’t know all the how’s and why’s, but we have some good clues,” says A. Yasmine Kirkorian, M.D., assistant professor of dermatology and pediatrics at George Washington University School of Medicine. Explain that you're more likely to get PsA if Grandpa or Uncle Bob or someone else in your family has it, but that alone isn't enough: Usually it's a second illness, like strep throat or an earache, that sets off the disease, says Dawn Davis, M.D., a pediatric dermatologist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. (But it's pretty rare, and no, just because your son's throat is sore doesn't mean he's going to get PsA, too!)

Assure your youngster: You can’t “catch” PsA like you could a cold, no matter how much snuggling and hugging you do. But there are these things called genes that every person is born with, and your child's genes look a lot like your own. That matters because certain genes are more common in people with psoriatic arthritis, says Dr. Kirkorian, so the risk of your child getting PsA is a little higher than his friend, but only a little. “Not every person with these genes will get psoriatic arthritis," she says. Your child can help keep tab on things by letting you know how he's feeling.

Kids who’ve heard of psoriasis (PsO) might wonder why you don’t have those telltale red skin patches. But only about 30% of people with severe PsO go on to develop PsA. In PsA, your joints and tendons are the target, leading to pain and swelling that makes it uncomfortable to move. But just because they can't see your ouch, doesn't mean it isn't there! Describing the soreness you feel can help kids better understand why sometimes, you need to take it easy.

让你的孩子最后一次召回她的自行车泄漏并伤害了她的膝盖。伤害，记住？！这是一种像PSA感觉一样的样子，除了不仅仅是膝盖，它伤害了你的肘部，手腕和脚，太骨头，两个骨头会面或韧带附着在哪里。在Mayo诊所的流血学家中的类风学家Amir Orandi，M.D，M.D，M.D。

“If you have psoriatic arthritis and spend time asleep—or really any time that you spend stationary like sitting at your desk or watching a movie—the fluid around your joints becomes even more viscous, like the motor oil in a car,” says Dr. Kirkorian. “That can lead to morning stiffness.” Once you get going and move around, the physical activity will get that fluid to loosen up, which is why you feel better (and walk more normally) as the day goes on.

After asking how you feel and doing some tests, your doctor will determine if you have PsA. If it's a mild case, your doc might prescribe some medicines to make the swelling in your joints go down, which will help you feel better pretty quickly. If symptoms are more severe, your doctor will use other medicines that tell the cells in your body that are annoying your joints to knock it off. Either way, the medicines will help you feel better so you can get back to doing fun family activities.

Following healthy habits can make a big difference in how you feel, and your child can help you stick with them! Sleeping plenty of hours, going for walks, and limiting TV time are all ways to make you feel better. Staying away from cigarette smoke is important, and so is reducing stress, which can exacerbate symptoms of both PsO and PsA. “Stress can cause a skin disease to flare,” says Dr. Kirkorian, “whether it's smaller, everyday stress, or something more serious, like a divorce.”

绝对不。“这通常是我被问到的第一个问题，”Kirkorian博士说。“但任何人都可以触摸有资金道上关节炎的人。你可以牵手。你可以拥抱。没有关于这种疾病的困难。“相反，它是一种疾病，您的免疫系统 - 您的身体内部的细胞通常会抵抗有害病毒 - 攻击某些健康的细胞。尽管皮肤上的鳞片状红色斑块（如果您在银屑病关节炎顶部有牛皮癣）可能看起来不具有传染性，但它们不是。

银屑病关节炎是一种慢性条件，所以除了在几个罕见的情况下，它不会完全离开。但是，通过您的医生的帮助和正确的药，您将能够管理PSA的症状，这很好的时间您的孩子甚至不会注意到它。“改善的治疗方案现在对许多患者进行完全疾病控制，”奥兰迪博士说。翻译：你的关节和韧带会感觉足够好，你可以玩隐藏和去寻求和标签，没问题。

当妈妈或爸爸生病时，孩子们可能会对他们应该对同龄人说的话混淆。选择适合年龄的方式用孩子谈论疾病，他们将能够更好地解释他们的朋友。像“Boo-Boos”和“哎呀”的词语与年轻人群相吻得很好，而“有时候有时候真的不舒服”是你的毕业生或青春期前的东西。您也可以寻找当地支持小组，孩子们可以与疾病与同行交谈，以获得新的视角，就有意味着PSA。