Melanie H. Smith, MD, PhD, rheumatologist at HSS shares common triggers for psoriatic arthritis and the importance of proactive treatment and maintaining overall health to mitigate symptoms. 

“Lack of sleep may contribute to psoriatic arthritis flares, but we need more research in this area,” said Dr. Smith, adding that the cause and effect may not be a straightforward relationship. “With sleep, maybe it’s not necessarily about being a trigger for psoriatic arthritis, but when we get less sleep, we feel more pain.”

“Another trigger can be changing or discontinuing medication,” explained Dr. Smith. That’s because a different mechanism of action might not work as well—or not work at all if you suddenly stop taking your medication. All of this can lead to worse symptoms, she said. 

Dr. Smith added that sometimes you will need to take the lead in shortening the time you are without treatment. “Sometimes it’s about making sure the doctor’s prior authorization is not running out anytime soon or if it is, letting the doctor know,” she explained. “I’m never upset about a patient advocating for themselves.”

Read the full article at healthcentral.com.