According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC), 23% of the population in the U.S. have Arthritis. That means there are over 54 million people in the U.S. itself who are victims of this disease and disorder. There are many types of arthritis but the most common types are Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis. Today, we will delve into knowing more about these different types of arthritis, their symptoms, and their causes.
What is Arthritis?
It is simply stiffness, tenderness, or swelling between the joints. Joints are connections made between bones. According to the Arthritis.org website, arthritis is not a single specified disease, it is used as a word that refers to joint pain or joint diseases. There are numerous types of arthritis but the most common are Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis. It is categorized as a degenerative disease since it usually affects populations that are in their late 40s and this disease worsens with age.
Two types of Arthritis
There are two other types of Arthritis: Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis.
Osteoarthritis in its initial stages affects the cartilage which is like an elastic tissue that protects the ends of bones in the joints. This results in pain in our joints during movements of our body. As this progresses with age, the cartilage gets less and the tendons which are at the end of each muscle attach muscle to bones are stressed too much. This can cause swelling and further form osteophytes(bone spurs) which form near joint margins.
As suggested by NHS, the most common joints which are affected by Osteoarthritis are located in: knees, hands, spine, and hips.
Rheumatoid Arthritis: According to Mayo Clinic, Rheumatoid Arthritis(RA) is a chronic inflammatory disorder. It is also called an “autoimmune disorder” since the immune system “mistakenly” attacks the tissues present inside our bodies. In RA, the linings of the joints are affected and therefore can result in joint deformity and bone erosion, which is a loss of a bone in a certain area. This type of arthritis can affect other parts of the body such as the lungs, eyes, skin, and heart.
The most common signs of arthritis and symptoms include pain, stiffness, and swelling in the joints.
Causes of Arthritis
Genetic: Various types of arthritis are genetic which means that this disorder could be passed through genes and sometimes depends on the family history of a person. One example is osteoarthritis.
Age: It is one of the major factors in causing RA and osteoarthritis since the chances of someone getting diagnosed with arthritis increases with age.
Gender: Many clinical studies and data have found that women are more susceptible to arthritis since the bones in females’ joints are less stable which increases their chances of injuries, and arthritis. More specifically, women are often diagnosed with RA as compared to men.
Treatment
Arthritis can only be treated since there is no cure, yet. The treatments include medications such as painkillers, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and counterirritants. There are other treatments such as physical therapies, surgeries such as joint repair, joint replacement, and joint fusion.
Lifestyle changes
While the treatments above are effective, changes in the lifestyle including exercising, healthy diet, and even weight loss could reduce the symptoms of arthritis.
Sources
Tags: #degenerativedisease
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