How do I describe a psoriatic arthritis flare?

Flares can feel different from one person to the next, so describing your own in specific terms often helps more than a single word. It can help to note which joints or areas were affected, how long any morning stiffness lasted, whether your skin or nails changed at the same time, and how tired you felt. Saying what it stopped you doing, such as gripping, walking or working, can show its effect more clearly than a number alone. Notes made during the flare are usually easier to rely on than memory.

Where and how

  • Which joints or areas, and on which side.
  • Any swelling, heat or redness, and where.
  • Any swollen fingers or toes, or pain in the heel.

How long and how much

  • When it started, and how long it lasted.
  • How long stiffness lasted after waking.
  • A rating out of 10 for your worst day, and for a typical day.
  • How tired you felt, and whether rest helped.

What else changed

  • Your skin or nails, at the same time or just before.
  • Your sleep or mood.

What it made harder

  • Gripping, dressing, walking or stairs.
  • Work, sleep, or plans you had to change.

If things change quickly

  • If you have a painful red eye or changes in your vision, you do not need to wait for your appointment. Contact your GP, an urgent eye service or NHS 111 the same day.

My flare notes

  • Which joints, and which side
  • When it started, and how long it lasted
  • Morning stiffness: how long
  • Worst-day and typical-day rating out of 10
  • Skin or nail changes
  • What it made harder
Make my one-page summary

The summary takes a couple of minutes, needs no account, and nothing is saved.

About the condition itself

Written by Mark Dunbavan, founder of Noori. Last reviewed 8 October 2026.

Noori keeps a record of your symptoms between appointments, so this summary can fill itself in, and can introduce you to a UK-registered nutritionist who works with people with joint pain. About NooriSee who is taking clients