All about arthritis

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

Arthrosis is sick of 10-15 % of the world's population.In addition to age, the risk of arthrosis increases significantly.Symptoms of arthrosis are often found in 30-40 years.27% of people over 50 are suffering from arthrosis.And after 60 years, almost everyone suffers from this disease.The incidence of arthrosis is the same among men and women.An exception is the arthrosis of the interfalangic joints - this type of arthrosis is most often found in women.

The causes and nature of the disease may be different.Arthrosis can develop on a rheumatic basis.This applies to chronic rheumatic people.Diseases are sometimes entire "sets": arthrosis rheumatism, thrombosis, vascular sclerosis, stroke, etc.It is accompanied by varicos.Everything in the body is connected.Arthrosis can also be autoimmune disease.This means that the immune system, which aims to protect viruses and bacteria, suddenly begins to attack healthy cells.The mystery of why the body was starting to attack was still not disclosed.

But still, arthrosis is most often a sign of rheumatoid arthritis and represents the devastating changes of cartilage and bone tissue that occur at age as a result of natural aging.Eloquence and statistics.After reaching 60-70 years, arthrosis is diagnosed in 60-70% of people.The words "arthrosis" and arthritis are only phonetically similar, but the causes are completely different, and accordingly the treatment is.When highlighting the differences between arthrosis and arthritis, it is important to implement another direction in which a devastating and deforming process is underway.If you have arthrosis, the joint metabolism is disturbed, the elasticity is lost, the cartilage is thinner, and every movement causes pain.When there is arthritis, its immune system absorbs the joint, its body acts against its tissue, and it becomes the cause of inflammation, pain and deforming changes.It is important to understand this because it determines treatment.While autoimmune processes suppress autoimmune processes, mechanical recovery of the joint will be the main goal for patients with arthrosis.

The first blow is taken by knee joints, elbows, hands.Thus, the most common arthrosis of the knee joint is.Over time, deforming arthrosis occurs, and the joints can take bizarre outlines due to curvature.There are especially phrases like "swans", "Button loop".If a person has deforming arthrosis and affects his fingers, they can become shorter outward.

The deformation of arthrosis was the disease of modernity and the sedentary lifestyle.The purpose of nature is to live differently, but by automating the processes, a person in which people pay for all the benefits they receive.Deformation of arthrosis usually affects the support of the joints.The arthrosis of the knee joint is explained because its properties, unlike the other high -load joints.Nature did not particularly provide for the nutrition of overloaded places.And since the knee joint cartilage has no own vessel, aging or infections or injuries, it can be atrophy.

There are about 200 different types of arthritis, each of which can be caused by different types of external or internal factors, but their goal is one - our joints.To better understand the relevance of the problem, we give more sad numbers:

  • The planet population is approx.21% suffer from arthritis,
  • 31% of arthritis is not working,
  • One of the 250 children under the age of 250 suffers from arthritis,
  • 18% of all cases of disability fall for arthritis,
  • The losses caused by arthritis accounted for 1.2% of the 2003 gross domestic product.

The attempts to overcome the situation are in vain, the numbers are deteriorating year by year.It is predicted that by 2030, 25% of the world's population will have some degree in arthritis.

Symptoms

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

Pain- You can be constant or come, stupid and sharp.It may occur in rest or in motion, and may appear in a single joint or various joints.

Edema- The affected joint is most often swollen, and sometimes observes the redness of the skin.Edema lasts for three days or more and then disappears.It can occur from time to time, for example, two to three times a month or three times.

Stiffness- The classic symptom of arthritis, which occurs during the morning or long rest: seat in a chair, riding in a car, etc.

These symptoms can be light, medium or severe.For many years they can remain unchanged and start to advance.Severe arthritis is chronic pain and inability to give any physical childbirth.

Over time, arthritis can lead to irreversible, visible changes in the joints.Packaged, limbs - curve.Often the damage can only be seen in X -Srays.Some types of arthritis affect the heart, eyes, lungs, kidneys and skin.

Localization: What is the difference between arthritis and arthrosis?

Both diseases can affect the joints, but in most cases the localization of pathology can indirectly indicate its nature.So, for example, arthritis is called "damage" and "exception joints", depending on the prevalence of the disease.

Above all, arthritis was amazed:

  • Kardal and metacarpal fragmentation joints;
  • proximal inter -falanx joints;
  • knees and ankles;
  • Especially thumb joints;
  • Elbow joints.

Arthritis and joint difference

The lesions can be symmetrical (rheumatoid arthritis) and asymmetric (psoriatic and other species).

Arthrosis chooses supportive joints that experience anatomically heavy loads.They belong to:

  • knee;
  • Parleen-Phalanx joints of the thumb;
  • Distal joints of the fingers;
  • hip;
  • ankle;
  • Between vertebrae.

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

The primary diagnosis of arthritis and arthrosis means visual examination and palpation of joints, which have become a source of complaints.Previous illness, injuries can also give you a tip.

Comprehensive analysis of blood and urine may determine the difference between arthritis and arthrosis.You can determine the presence of bacterial pathogens, the level of increased leukocytes, rapid red blood cells and other anti -inflammatory markers (such as a rheumatoid factor. If the result is "clean", other studies are prescribed.

The X radiation of arthrosis shows the narrowing of the articular gap, the thinning of the cartilage layer, and depending on the presence of osteophytes, depending on the stage of the disease.In the case of arthritis, visible changes do not need to be observed.

Hardware research methods (ultrasound, CT, MRI) and minimally invasive interventions (arthroscopy) can be used in the field of diagnostics.

Diagnosis of arthritis

What is the difference in the treatment of arthritis and joint treatments with predictions.Arthrosis is always incurable - it is a chronic disease and can only be restrained.Arthritis can be chronic (rheumatoid, idiopathic, psoriatic) and transitional phenomena (infectious).

Let's look at the characteristics and fundamental differences in the therapy of these diseases in more detail.

Here are the main types of disease, depending on the provocative factors:

  • Inflammatory arthritis
  • It is known that the immune system is our defender.He is the one who generates inflammation to save the body from infection.Occasionally, they show malfunction during the operation of the immune system.One is their own joints and, as a result, attack of inflammation.Most often this leads to erosion and damage to the joints and tissues around them.

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

    In the case of inflammatory (autoimmune) arthritis, early diagnosis and aggressive treatment are crucial.The slowdown of the disease minimizes or even prevents irreversible damage to the joints.

  • Degenerative arthritis
  • It is clear from the name that it is the degradation of the joint, or more precisely the cartilage.As a result, the cartilage becomes thinner or usually disappears, and the bone begins to rub the bone, causing edema, pain, and further motility of the joint.To compensate for cartilage loss, the body begins to rebuild the bone to restore stability, and the bone growth develops - osteophytes that deform the joint.

    The risk group has athletes who deal with heavy physical work and the elderly.Risk factors include excessive weight, genetic predisposition, and experienced trauma.

  • Infectious arthritis
  • Inflammation of the joints caused by infections: bacteria, viruses, fungi.Examples of microorganisms localized in the joints: Salmonella, Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, Hepatitis C

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

  • Metabolic arthritis
  • Acute joint disease caused by high levels of uric acid in the body.It is formed in the digestive system as a product of plant production purines.They are rich in foods such as liver, anchovies, sprays, beer, legumes, etc.

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

    Uric acid may accumulate in the joints, forming sharp needle crystals that cause severe paingout- Gout may appear episodically, depending on the level of uric acid or in a chronic form.

    Crystallization is a physical process depending on the temperature.The lower, the faster the crystallization process goes.This explains the fact that gout most often affects the "cold" joints of the limbs, such as the thumb of the arm or leg.

    If you read the first part of the article, you probably noticed that degenerative arthritis is very similar to arthrosis.That's right!The same disease with other names -osteoarthritis(osteoarthrosis).

    This type of arthritis is widespread.The planet's population is adult (25 years old) approx.12% suffer from them.The osteoarthritis of the knee joint is one of the five main causes of disability.60%between arthritis with arthritis and 40%of men.

Treatment of arthritis and arthrosis.

Various methods are used in the treatment of arthritis and arthrosis.Above all, you should consult a doctor to clarify your diagnosis.The best result of diagnosis of joint disease is the radiography and MRI.At the same time, the doctor prescribes the necessary laboratory tests.

The axial load of the joints should be restricted.The disease is treated in two directions: removal of the inflammatory process, restoration of cartilage and licking tissue.Therapeutic physical education, the orthopedic system, therapeutic diet, physiotherapy are used: arthrosis -arthritis, thermal and ultrasound procedures, electrophoresis, magnetic therapy, amplipulsotherapy, paraffin applications.Intraarticular administration of hyaluronic acid preparations is also possible - this is one of the most important components of synovial fluid.This ensures the nutrition of hyaline intraarticular cartilage, which has no blood vessels, reduces friction between the joint surfaces of the bones and provides smoothness (peculiar intraarticular lubrication).

Prevention

Prevention

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

At the same time, preventing arthritis is quite simple - moderate physical activity and monitoring its own weight.So the weight loss is 6 kg.It reduces the risk of osteoarthritis of the knee joint by 50%.Moderate physical activity (three times a week) reduces the risk of osteoarthritis by older people by 47%.