All about arthritis

Arthritis - joint inflammation.However, this is a simplified formulation.In fact, the term "arthritis" combines more than 200 rheumatic diseases and conditions that affect the joints around the tissues.Arthritis also means any disturbance that affects the joints.

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

The causes and nature of the disease may be different.Arthrosis can develop for rheumatic reasons.This applies to people with chronic rheumatism.Diseases sometimes occur "whole sets": arthrosis is accompanied by rheumatism, varicose veins with thrombosis, vascular sclerosis, stroke, etc.Everything in the body is interconnected.Arthrosis can also be an autoimmune disease.This means that the immune system, whose purpose is to protect you against viruses and bacteria, suddenly begins to attack healthy cells.The mystery of why the body begins to attack itself is not yet disclosed.

Still, most of the time arthrosis is a sign of rheumatoid arthritis and represents destructive changes in cartilage and bone tissue that occur with age as a result of natural aging.Eloquence and statistics.Upon reaching 60-70 years, arthrosis is diagnosed in 60 to 70% of people.The words “arthrosis” and arthritis are similar only phonetically, but the causes are completely different and therefore treatment as well.In highlighting the differences in arthrosis and arthritis, it is important to perform a different direction in which there is a destructive and deforming process.If you have arthrosis, joint metabolism is disturbed, its elasticity is lost, cartilage is thinner and each movement causes pain.If you have arthritis, your immune system has adopted the joint, your body works against the tissue and this becomes the cause of inflammation, pain and changes that are deforming.It is important to understand this because it determines the treatment.While authritis will be suppressed by autoimmune processes, mechanical joint recovery will be the main objective for the treatment of arthrosis patients.

The first blow is given by the knee joints, elbow joints, hands.Thus, knee articulation arthrosis is more common.Over time, deformed arthrosis occurs, joints begin to deform due to curvature, the affected places can assume bizarre contours.There are, in particular, terms like "Swan Neck", "Button Loop".If a person has deformed arthrosis and the fingers are affected, then, externally, it can become shorter.

Deformative arthrosis is a disease of modernity, a sedentary lifestyle led us to it.Nature was intended to live differently, but automating processes, a person "gained" many wounds with which people pay for all the benefits received.Deformation arthrosis affects, as a rule, supports the joints.Knee articulation arthrosis is explained, because its resource, unlike other articulations in large loads it carries.Nature did not particularly take care of the nutrition of such places overloaded with the work.And since knee joint cartilage does not have its own vessels, as a result of aging or under the influence of infections or injury, this can be atrophy.

There are about 200 different types of arthritis, they all have a different nature, can be caused by several external or internal factors, but their goal is one - our articulations.To better understand the relevance of the problem, we give several sad numbers:

  • About 21% of the planet's population suffers arthritis,
  • 31% of arthritis suffering cannot work,
  • One of 250 children under 18 suffers from arthritis,
  • Of all cases of disability, 18% fits arthritis,
  • Arthritis losses totaled 1.2% of the gross domestic product of 2003.

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

Symptoms

Arthritis can develop slowly, or may appear suddenly.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 their main symptoms:

Pain.It can be constant or coming, dumb and clear.It may occur at rest or during movement, appear in a joint or in different joints.

Edema.Most of the time, the affected joint looks swollen, hot to the touch, sometimes the redness of the skin is observed.Edema lasts three days or more and then passes.It can occur 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: sitting in a chair, walking in a car, etc.

These symptoms can be light, medium or serious.They can remain the same for many years, they can begin to progress.Severe arthritis is a chronic pain and the inability to get involved in any physical work.

Over time, arthritis can lead to irreversible and visible changes in the joints.They can be tied, members - crooked.More often, damage can only be seen in X -rays. Some types of arthritis affect the heart, eyes, lungs, kidneys and skin.

Location: What is the difference between arthritis and arthrosis?

Both diseases may affect any articulation, but in most cases the location of the pathology may indirectly indirectly its nature.Thus, for example, arthritis has “damage joints” and “exception articulations” - depending on the prevalence of the disease.

First of all, Arthritis surprises:

  • Pulse walls and metacarpal falsification joints;
  • together inter -Falanx proximal;
  • knee and ankle;
  • In particular, the articulations of the thumbs;
  • elbow joints.

Arthritis and arthrosis difference

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

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

  • knee;
  • Parleen-Phalanx joints of the thumbs;
  • Distal fingertips;
  • hip;
  • ankle;
  • Intervertebral.

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

The primary diagnosis of arthritis and arthrosis implies visual examination and palpation of joints that have become a source of complaints.An earlier disease, injuries may also receive a tip.

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

The radius -x for arthrosis shows narrow gap narrowing, cartilage layer thinning and, depending on the stage of the disease, the presence of osteophytes.With arthritis, visible changes are not observed.

In the diagnosis, hardware research methods (ultrasound, CT, magnetic resonance) and minimally invasive interventions (arthroscopy) may be used.

Arthritis diagnosis

What is the difference in the treatment of arthritis and artrosania with predictions.Arthrosis is always incurable - this is a chronic disease and can only be restricted.Arthritis can be chronic (rheumatoid, idiopathic, psoriatic) and a transient phenomenon (infectious).

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

Here are the main types of this disease, depending on the thought -provoking factors:

  • Inflammatory arthritis
  • It is known that the immune system is our defender.It is she who generates inflammation to save the body from the infection.Sometimes, in the operation of the immune system, there are flaws.One is the attack of their own joints and, as a result, inflammation.Most of the time, this leads to erosion and damage to the joints and tissues around you.

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

    With inflammatory (autoimmune) arthritis, early diagnosis and aggressive treatment are crucial.The deceleration in the disease minimizes or even avoids irreversible joint damage.

  • Degenerative arthritis
  • By name, it is clear that it is caused by the degradation of the joint, more accurately, its cartilage.As a result, the cartilage becomes thinner or usually disappears, the bone begins to rub the bone, which causes edema, pain, additional joint immobility.To compensate for the loss of cartilage, the body begins to rebuild the bone in an attempt to restore stability, bone growths develop - osteophytes that force the joint to deform.

    In the risk group are athletes involved in heavy physical work and aged people.Risk factors also include overweight, genetic predisposition, experimental trauma.

  • Infectious arthritis
  • Inflammation of joints caused by infections: bacteria, viruses, fungi.Examples of microorganisms capable of located in the joints are: Salmonella, Chlamidia, Gonorrhea, Hepatitis C

    Modern treatment with antibiotics destroys the infection, however, with late treatment, articulation 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 cutting purines.They are rich in foods such as liver, anchovies, sprats, beer, vegetables, etc.

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

    Uric acid can accumulate in the joints, forming sharp needle crystals, which causes serious pain calleddrop.The gout may appear episodically, depending on the level of uric acid or may enter a chronic form.

    Crystallization is a physical process, depending on the temperature.The lower it is, the process of the crystallization process is faster.This explains the fact that the drop usually affects the "colder" joints of the limbs, such as an thumb of arm or leg.

    If you read the first part of the article, you probably realized that degenerative arthritis is very similar to arthrosis.This is true!This is the same disease that has another name -Osteoarthritis(osteoarthritis).

    It was this kind of arthritis that was widespread.About 12% of the adult (over 25 years) of the planet's population suffers from them.Knee joint osteoarthritis is one of the five main causes of disability.Among arthritis that suffers from arthritis, there are 60%, men 40%.

Treatment of arthritis and arthrosis.

In the treatment of arthritis and arthrosis, different methods are used.First of all, you need to consult a doctor to clarify the diagnosis.The best results of the diagnosis of joint diseases are given by radiography and magnetic resonance imaging.Along with this, the doctor also prescribes the necessary laboratory tests.

It is necessary to limit the axial load in the joints.The treatment of the disease is performed in two directions: removal of the inflammatory process, cartilage restoration and ligament tissue.Therapeutic physical education, orthopedic regime, therapeutic diet, physiotherapy are used: for arthrosis -Artritis, thermal and ultrasonic procedures, electrophoresis, magnetotherapy, amplipuls therapy, paraffin applications.It is also possible an intra -articular administration of hyaluronic acid preparations - this is one of the most important components of synovial fluid.It provides hyaline intra -articular cartilage nutrition, which does not have its blood vessels, reduces friction between bone joint surfaces and provides softness of movement (peculiar intraarticular lubrication).

Prevention

Prevention

Most of the time, arthritis has a slow and chronic character.It is almost impossible to completely eliminate the cause of the disease.Therefore, it is more likely that your treatment is 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, arthritis prevention is quite simple - it is a moderate physical activity and tracking its own weight.Therefore, weight loss 6 kg.Reduces the risk of developing knee joint osteoarthritis in a woman by 50%.Moderate physical activity (3 times a week) reduces the risk of osteoarthritis in elderly by 47%.