Arthritis
What is Arthritis?
Arthritis is a disease that affects joints of your body and causes inflammation. As a result, patients experience extreme pain in joints which tend to increase with age. Arthritis can affect these parts of your body:
● Knees
● Hands/ Feet
● Lower Back
● Elbow
● Ankles
You should immediately see a Rheumatologist if you notice swelling around any joints of your body or suffer from unexplainable pain in your knees or back.
What are the Types of Arthritis?
Following are some most common types of arthritis:
- Osteoarthritis:
It is also known as “Wear & Tear” arthritis is the most common type of arthritis. It occurs when a joint tissue tears down due to continuous stress.
2. Ankylosing spondylitis:
Ankylosing spondylitis is also known as arthritis of the spine because it affects the lower back mostly. It is more common in men than women, and it usually occurs due to genetic reasons.
3. Juvenile Arthritis:
Juvenile arthritis is a condition when your immune response destroys the tissues that surround your joints. It causes severe pain and swelling in joints. Juvenile Arthritis is commonly diagnosed in adolescents under the age of 16.
4. Gout
Gout is a condition which causes uric acid crystals to accumulate in the joints and cause inflammation. It results in a sudden feeling of intense pain, swelling, and tenderness around joints. Patients who suffer from gout report that they feel like their joints are on fire.
5. Psoriatic Arthritis:
It is another kind of joint inflammation. Usually, a person who is suffering from psoriasis (an autoimmune disease that provokes skin inflammation), can be diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis as well.
6. Rheumatoid Arthritis:
It is an autoimmune disease in which your immune system attacks the synovial tissues in your joints.
What are the Symptoms of Arthritis?
Arthritis is commonly diagnosed in people aged between 30 to 50. However, some children, adolescents, and young adults are also diagnosed with it.
Normally, the signs and symptoms of arthritis arise gradually except in some rare situations. Following are some signs and symptoms of arthritis:
● Swelling and redness around joints
● Painful joints
● Stiffness in joints
● Muscle weakness
● Popping sounds when you bend your joints
In case of rheumatoid arthritis, the symptoms look like:
● Fatigue
● Low-grade fever
● Stiffness of joints in morning
● Inflammation around eyes, mouth, heart muscles, blood vessels, etc.
What are the Causes of Arthritis?
Arthritis could be influenced by following factors:
● Stress on joints
● Age
● Fresh or old fractures
● Obesity
● Autoimmune disorders
● Genetic History
● Weak muscles
How Can Arthritis be Diagnosed?
If you suspect that you have pain in your joints visit a rheumatologist and they will assess your condition for diagnosis. First and foremost, they will perform a physical exam to record the extent of motion in your joints.
Furthermore, they will order some blood work to analyze the inflammation levels and identify the existence of arthritis. They may also analyze other body fluids like joint fluid or urine for diagnosis.
In some cases, doctors also prescribe imaging tests to take a closer look at your joints and identifying the underlying cause of your pain.
How Can Arthritis be Treated?
A treatment method will be suggested to you if you are diagnosed with arthritis to manage the symptoms as arthritis cannot be treated completely. The main objective of the treatment should be to lessen your pain and prevent further joint deterioration. Some general treatment methods that are helpful for arthritis patients are as follow:
● Supplements and Medications
● Physiotherapy
● Cognitive therapy
● Mobility assistance
● A nutritionally rich diet
● Exercise
● Weight loss
● Hot and cold compresses
Even though arthritis is not treatable it can be managed efficiently with the right amount of therapies and medications. So we suggest anybody who is diagnosed with arthritis should consult a highly qualified and experienced specialist in their town by logging on to oladoc.com.
