Houston TX Psoriatic Arthritis Doctor Near Me

If you are seeking “Houston TX psoriatic arthritis doctor near me,” then contact Advanced Rheaumtology of Houston today. Doctors who diagnose and treat this condition are known as rheumatologists. Rheumatologists diagnose and treat arthritis of many types. Of course, they are capable of treating and diagnosing a wide range of rheumatologic illnesses.

In general, rheumatologic diseases affect the connective tissue in the body. Connective tissue is commonly referred to as joints, muscles, organs, skin, and ligaments. The sole doctor at Advanced Rheumatology of Houston, Dr. Brionez, has more than ten years of experience in practice.

Find a doctor that cares about what you are going through.

If you are seeking medical advice for your psoriatic arthritis, then she is the one you should speak with. Dr. Brionez studied obtained her Bachelor of Science in Nutritional Sciences from Texas A&M University. Afterward, she graduated from Baylor College of Medicine with a Doctor of Medicine degree. Dr. Brionez also completed her fellowship in rheumatology.

Then, in 2007, she became board-certified in internal medicine. Two years later, in 2009, she was board-certified in rheumatology. Ever since then, Dr. Brionez has offered her expertise to numerous patients. She does her best to help patients feel comfortable with the diseases they live with. Many rheumatologic conditions are not treatable, so patients are required to live with them. Dr. Brionez can help.

Psoriatic Arthritis’ Relation to Psoriasis

This type of arthritis only appears in patients with the skin disease known as psoriasis. Psoriasis appears in people as scaly red and white patches of skin. Patches of scaly skin appear anywhere, but common areas include the knees, elbows, scalp, and back. Psoriasis is an autoimmune disease, which is when the immune system attacks healthy tissue. In the case of psoriasis, the immune system attacks the skin cells.

The autoimmune disease is partly due to the cause of psoriasis, but there is more to the reason. The other part is it is due to the sped-up production of new skin cells. Skin cells will build up faster than they die, which causes the scaly look. The attacks from the immune disease can create inflammation that does not help the condition.

What is Psoriatic Arthritis?

Psoriatic arthritis is a condition related to the skin condition, and only appears in psoriasis patients. About 15 percent of patients with psoriasis develop arthritis. In some cases, the arthritis appears before the skin condition. Anyone is capable of developing psoriatic arthritis, but patients between the ages of 30 and 50 are most affected. Psoriatic arthritis affects the joints of psoriasis patients.

Any joint in the body is capable of being affected. Some patients may only have one joint with the condition or multiple. Common symptoms include swollen fingers and toes, pain in the foot, and lower back. Of course, these are common among many patients, but may not appear in all patients. The severity of these symptoms certainly varies from patient to patient.

Dr. Brionez can diagnose and treat your rheumatologic condition.

Diagnosing and Treating

In order to diagnose a patient with psoriatic arthritis, Dr. Brionez will examine areas in which symptoms are appearing. Swollen joints and changes in the nails and skin are examined. An x-ray may also be used in order to see if there is any joint damage. Other types of scans, such as a CT scan or ultrasound, may be used to see more detail. The last way Dr. Brionez can test for the disease is a blood test.

There is no cure for psoriatic arthritis, but there are ways of treating the symptoms so patients can live comfortable lives. Psoriasis also does not have a cure. The skin disease can go into remission or have flares. When it comes to treatment, rheumatologists aim to reduce discomfort, swelling, and pain. Of course, the approach to treatment is different for each case. Some patients may have mild cases, while others are more severe.

Medication and therapy are the best options when it comes to psoriatic arthritis. Therapy is a great way to overcome pain and stiffness of the joints. With mild cases, once pain and stiffness dissipate, the patient may quit therapy. Simply ibuprofen or Advil could be used in order to treat minor aches and pains.

Arthritis that does not respond to simple medication and therapy, disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs are used. One of these drugs may be prescribed, while a combination may be better. Finally, there are some biologic types of medications that can be used in order to help with the disease.

KEEPsAKE

Unfortunately, with so many ways of treating this illness, 40 percent of patients do not respond to treatment options. This means they must live with the swelling, stiffness, and pain caused by the condition. For this reason, there are research studies paving the way toward a new treatment option.

Dr. Brionez will help you overcome this chronic condition.

The KEEPsAKE research study is testing an investigational drug. This drug may lead to reducing the 40 percent of patients that do not respond to treatments. Research studies aim to find new treatment options for those who not respond to current options. Advanced Rheumatology of Houston is happy to participate in this study, and we need psoriatic arthritis patients to help.

The KEEPsAKE study lasts a little more than four years. There are two groups of 420 participants. One group will receive the investigational drug while the other will get the placebo. After 24 weeks, both groups are combined and given the investigational drug to test. If you are interested to see if you qualify, then visit the psoriatic arthritis research study web page.