Everything about arthritis

Arthritis - Joint inflammation.However, this is a simplified formulation.In fact, the term "arthritis" combines more than 200 rheumatic diseases and conditions affecting the joints surrounding the tissues.Arthritis also means any disorder affecting the joints.

Arthrosis is sick 10 to 15% of the world's population.With age, the risk of osteoarthritis increases considerably.Often, osteoarthritis symptoms are already in 30 to 40 years.27% of people over 50 suffer from osteoarthritis.And after 60 years, almost everyone suffers from this disease.The frequency of occurrence of osteoarthritis is the same in men and women.The exception is the osteoarthritis of interphalangic joints - this type of osteoarthritis is most often found in women.

The causes and nature of the disease can be different.Osteoarthritis can develop on rheumatic patterns.This applies to people with chronic rheumatism.Diseases sometimes occur whole "sets": osteoarthritis is accompanied by rheumatism, varicose veins with thrombosis, vascular sclerosis, stroke, etc.Everything in the body is interconnected.Osteoarthritis can also be an autoimmune disease.This means that the immune system, the aim of which is the protection of you against viruses and bacteria, suddenly begins to attack healthy cells.The mystery of the reason why the body begins to attack has still not been revealed.

But still, most often osteoarthritis is a sign of rheumatoid arthritis, and represents destructive changes in cartilage and bone tissue that occur with age due to natural aging.Eloquence and statistics.After reaching 60 to 70 years, osteoarthritis is diagnosed in 60 to 70% of people.The words "osteoarthritis" and arthritis are only similar phonetically, but the causes are completely different and, therefore, the treatment too.When highlighting differences in osteoarthritis and arthritis, it is important to make a different direction in which there is a destructive and distorting process.If you have an osteoarthritis, then the metabolism in the joint is disturbed, its elasticity is lost, the cartilage is thinner and each movement causes pain.If you suffer from arthritis, your immune system has taken up the joint, your body works against its tissues and this becomes the cause of inflammation, pain and deform changes.It is important to understand this because it determines the treatment.Although authority is removed by autoimmune processes, mechanical recovery of the joint will be the main objective of the treatment of patients with osteoarthritis.

The first blow is taken by the knee joints, the joints of the elbows, the hands.Thus, osteoarthritis of the knee joint is the most common.Over time, distorting osteoarthritis occurs, the joints are starting to deform, due to the curvature, the assigned places can take bizarre contours.There are, in particular, terms such as "swan neck", "button buckle".If a person has a distorting osteoarthritis and the fingers are affected, then they can become shorter.

Distorming osteoarthritis is a disease of modernity, a sedentary lifestyle has led us.Nature was intended to live differently, but by automating the processes, a person has "won" many wounds with which people pay for all the benefits received.Deforming osteoarthritis affects, as a rule, supporting the joints.The osteoarthritis of the knee joint is explained, because its characteristic, unlike other joints in large loads which it transports.Nature has not particularly taken care of the nutrition of these places overloaded by work.And as the cartilage of the knee joint does not have its own ships, due to aging or under the influence of infections or injuries, this can be atrophy.

There are around 200 different types of arthritis, all have a different nature, can be caused by various external or internal factors, but their objective is one - our joints.In order to better understand the relevance of the problem, we give several sad figures:

  • About 21% of the population of the planet suffers from arthritis,
  • 31% of arthritis suffering cannot work,
  • One of the 250 children under the age of 18 suffers from arthritis,
  • Of all cases of disability, 18% fall on arthritis,
  • The losses caused by arthritis amounted to 1.2% of the 2003 gross domestic product.

Attempts to overcome the situation are in vain, the figures aggravate from year to year.It is expected that in 2030, 25% of the world's population will already suffer from arthritis to one degree or another.

Symptoms

Arthritis can develop slowly or suddenly occur.Joint pain may appear, disappear and reappear.In this sense, arthritis is quite plastic, but it is impossible to confuse it with another disease.Here are his main symptoms:

Pain.It can be constant or future, stupid and sharp.It can occur at rest or during movement, appearing in a joint or in different joints.

Edema.Most often, the affected joint looks swollen, hot to the touch, sometimes redness of the skin are observed.The edema lasts three days or more, then passes.This can happen periodically, for example, two or three times a month.

Rigidity.The classic symptom of arthritis that occurs in the morning or during long rest periods: seated on a chair, get into a car, etc.

These symptoms can be light, medium or serious.They can stay the same for many years, can start to progress.Severe arthritis is chronic pain and an inability to engage in any physical work.

Over time, arthritis can cause irreversible and visible changes in the joints.They can become knotted, members - twisted.More often, damage can only be seen on X -rays.Certain types of arthritis affect the heart, eyes, lungs, kidneys and skin.

Location: What is the difference between arthritis and osteoarthritis?

Both diseases can affect any joint, but in most cases, the location of the pathology can indirectly indicate its nature.Thus, for example, arthritis has "damage joints" and "exceptional joints" - depending on the prevalence of the disease.

First of all, arthritis surprises:

  • Tales of cuffs and metacarpal phalancing joints;
  • Proximal inter-platform joints;
  • knee and ankle;
  • In particular, the joints of the thumbs;
  • Elbow joints.

Difference in arthritis and osteoarthritis

The lesions can be both symmetrical (rheumatoid arthritis) and asymmetrical (psorias and other species).

Arthrosis chooses the support joints which anatomically experience a large load.These include:

  • knee;
  • Pléen-Phalanx joints of the thumbs;
  • Distal joints of the fingers;
  • hip;
  • ankle;
  • Intervertebral.

What is the difference between arthritis arthritis of joints in the diagnosis?

The main diagnosis of arthritis and osteoarthritis implies a visual examination and a palpation of the joints which have become a source of complaints.Previous illness, injuries can also be indicated.

A complete analysis of blood and urine can establish the difference between arthritis and osteoarthritis.It can establish the presence of bacterial pathogens, an increased level of leukocytes, the rapid colony of red blood cells and other markers of inflammation (for example, a rheumatoid factor. If the result is "clean", other studies are prescribed.

The X -ray for osteoarthritis shows the narrowing of the joint gap, the slimming of the cartilage layer, as well as, depending on the stage of the disease, the presence of osteophytes.With arthritis, visible changes are not noted.

In the diagnosis, material research methods (ultrasound, CT, MRI) and mini-invasive interventions (arthroscopy) can be used.

Arthritis diagnosis

What is the difference in treatment of arthritis and arthrosannia with forecasts.Osteoarthritis is always incurable - it is a chronic disease and it cannot be retained.Arthritis can be both chronic (rheumatoid, idiopathic, psoriatic) and a transitional phenomenon (infectious).

Let us see in more detail the characteristics and fundamental differences in the therapy of these diseases.

Here are the main types of this disease, according to the factors caused:

  • Inflammatory arthritis
  • We know that the immune system is our defender.It is she who generates inflammation to save the body from the infection.Sometimes, in the functioning of the immune system, there are dysfunctions.One of them is the attack on their own joints and, therefore, inflammation.Most often, this leads to erosion and damage to the joints and the tissues that surround them.

    Inflammatory arthritis includes a very commonrheumatoidAndPsoriasarthritis.Doctors believe that the main reason for their occurrence lies in genetics.External factors also play an important role.For example, smoking can cause rheumatoid arthritis in people with certain genes.

    With inflammatory arthritis (autoimmune), early diagnosis and aggressive treatment are crucial.The slowdown in the minimized or even damage to irreversible damage to the joints.

  • Degenerative arthritis
  • According to the name, it is clear that it is caused by the degradation of the joint, more precisely, its cartilage.Consequently, the cartilage becomes thinner or generally disappears, the bone begins to rub on the bone, which causes edema, pain, additional immobility of the joint.In order to compensate for the loss of cartilage, the body begins to rebuild the bone in order to restore stability, bone growths develop - osteophytes which force the joint to be deformed.

    Within the risk group are athletes involved in heavy physical work and the elderly.Risk factors also include excess weight, genetic predisposition, trauma suffered.

  • Infectious arthritis
  • Inflammation of the joints caused by infections: bacteria, viruses, fungi.Examples of microorganisms capable of located in the joints are: salmonella, chlamydia, gonorrhea, hepatitis c

    Modern treatment with antibiotics destroys infection, however, with late treatment, joint damage can become irreversible and the disease becomes chronic.

  • Metabolic arthritis
  • Acute joint disease caused by a high level of uric acid in the body.It is formed in the digestive system, as a product of culture purines.They are rich in food such as liver, anchovies, sprats, beer, legumes, etc.

    In a healthy organism, uric acid dissolves into the blood, enters the kidneys and is excreted from the body in the urine.In some people, the uric acid content is higher than usual.This condition is called hyperuricemia.

    Uric acid can accumulate in the joints, forming net needle crystals, which causes severe pain calleddrop.Gout can appear episodically depending on the level of uric acid, or can enter a chronic form.

    Crystallization is a physical process depending on the temperature.The lower it is, the process of the crystallization process goes more quickly.This explains the fact that the drop most often affects the "cold" joints of the limbs, like an inch on the arm or leg.

    If you read the first part of the article, you have probably noticed that degenerative arthritis is very similar to osteoarthritis.It's true!It is the same illness that has another name -osteoarthritis(osteoarthrosis).

    It is this type of arthritis that was widespread.About 12% of adults (over 25) from the population of the planet suffer from it.Osteoarthritis of the knee joint is one of the five main causes of disability.Among arthritis arthritis, there are 60%, men 40%.

Treatment of arthritis and osteoarthritis.

In the treatment of arthritis and osteoarthritis, different methods are used.First of all, you need to consult a doctor to clarify the diagnosis.The best results in the diagnosis of joint diseases are given by radiography and MRI.In addition to this, the doctor also prescribes the necessary laboratory tests.

It is necessary to limit the axial load on the joints.The treatment of the disease is carried out in two directions: elimination of the inflammatory process, restoration of cartilage and ligament fabric.Therapeutic physical education, the orthopedic diet, the therapeutic diet, physiotherapy are used: for osteoarthritis -arthritis, thermal and ultrasonic procedures, electrophoric, magnetotherapy, amplipulotherapy, paraffin applications are used.Intra -articular administration of hyaluronic acid preparations is also possible - it is one of the most important components of synovial fluid.It provides nutrition of hyaline intra-articular cartilage, which does not have its blood vessels, reduces the friction between the articular surfaces of the bones and offers a gentle movement (particular intra-articular lubrication).

Prevention

Prevention

Most often, arthritis has a slow and chronic chronic character.It is almost impossible to completely eliminate the cause of the disease.Therefore, its treatment is more likely to be the nature of the fight against symptoms (for example, with pain).It is not possible to completely restore the function of the joint.

At the same time, the prevention of arthritis is quite simple - it is a moderate physical activity and the monitoring of your own weight.So weight loss 6 kg.Reduces the risk of developing osteoarthritis of the knee joint in a woman by 50%.Moderate physical activity (3 times a week) reduces the risk of osteoarthritis in the elderly by 47%.