What is psoriatic arthritis? Psoriatic arthritis can occur in people who have psoriasis (scaly red and white skin patches). It affects the joints and areas where tissues attach to bone. The joints most often affected are: The outer joints of the fingers or toes. Wrists. Knees. Ankles. Lower back.

What is polymyalgia rheumatica? Polymyalgia rheumatica causes muscle pain and stiffness in the neck, shoulder, and hip. The pain and stiffness usually occur in the morning or when you haven’t been moving for a while. It typically lasts longer than 30 minutes. For most people, the condition develops over time. But for some people it can start quickly – even overnight. In addition to stiffness, you may have a fever, weakness, and weight loss. Polymyalgia rheumatica usually goes away within one year, but it could last several years. People with polymyalgia rheumatica often have giant cell arteritis a disorder associated

What are autoimmune diseases? Autoimmune diseases refer to problems with the immune system, which usually fights off viruses, bacteria, and infection. The problem causes your immune cells to attack your body by mistake. These diseases can affect almost any part of the body.

What is pachyonychia congenita? Pachyonychia congenita is a very rare disorder. It causes thick nails and painful calluses on the bottoms of the feet. In some cases, blisters also form on the palms of the hands.

What is acne? Acne is a common skin condition that happens when hair follicles under the skin become clogged. Oil and dead skin cells plug the pores, and outbreaks of lesions (often called pimples or zits) can happen. Most often, the outbreaks occur on the face but can also appear on the back, chest, and shoulders. For most people, acne tends to go away by the time they reach their thirties, but some people in their forties and fifties continue to have this skin problem.

What is arthritis? "Arthritis" literally means joint inflammation. Although joint inflammation is a symptom or sign rather than a specific diagnosis, the term arthritis is often used to refer to any disorder that affects the joints. Joints are places where two bones meet, such as your elbow or knee. There are different types of arthritis. In some diseases in which arthritis occurs, other organs, such as your eyes, heart, or skin, can also be affected. Fortunately, current treatments allow most people with arthritis to lead active and productive lives.

What is Behçet’s disease? Behçet’s disease can affect different parts of your body. If you have the disease, you probably have sores in the mouth or on the genitals (sex organs). More serious symptoms can include swelling, heat, redness, and pain in the eyes and other parts of the body. The disease is named after the doctor who first described it, Dr. Hulusi Behçet.

What is Sjögren’s syndrome? Sjögren’s syndrome is a chronic (long-lasting) disorder that happens when the immune system attacks the glands that make moisture in the eyes, mouth, and other parts of the body. The main symptoms are dry eyes and mouth, but the disorder may affect other parts of the body. Many people with Sjogren’s syndrome say they feel tired often (fatigue). They also may have joint and muscle pain. In addition, the disease can damage the lungs, kidneys, and nervous system.

What is rheumatoid arthritis? Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic (long-lasting) disease that mostly affects joints, such as the wrist, hands, feet, spine, knees, and jaw. In joints, RA causes inflammation that leads to: Pain. Swelling Stiffness. Loss of function. Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disorder because the immune system attacks the healthy joint tissues. Normally, the immune system helps protect the body from infection and disease. RA may cause you to feel unusually tired, to have occasional fevers, and to have a loss of appetite. It also may cause other medical problems in the heart, lungs, blood, nerves, eyes

What are knee problems? Knee problems happen when you injure or develop disease in your knee and it can’t do its job. The knees provide stable support for the body. They also allow your legs to bend and straighten. Both flexibility and stability are needed to stand, walk, run, crouch, jump, and turn. Other parts of your body help the knees do their job. These are: Bones. Cartilage. Muscles. Ligaments. Tendons.