"What have I done to get an old person’s disease?" was Siobhan Donohoe's initial reaction when she was diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis at the age of 38.

The public relations consultant and mum of two had been feeling weak and fatigued, and had a red rash on her hand; which she had put down to juggling motherhood with the stress of a busy work schedule.

Psoriatic arthritis can cause permanent joint damage quickly when not treated. Once damage occurs, it is not reversible and can cause significant pain.

"When you’re sick," Siobhan says, "people don’t see that. You look grand from the outside, but you’re constantly battling pain and you don’t know when it’s going to flare up, how it’s going to happen or where it’s going to take you."

Siobhan says that she changed her lifestyle and her attitude to her health after getting a diagnosis. “My life turned around, with the help of exercise, diet and the right medications. I treasure my energy and the good days, but remain mindful that I live with a chronic disease."

Further information about psoriatic arthritis is available on the Arthritis Ireland website, www.arthritisireland.ie.

Supported by Novartis.