If you’ve encountered an old person or if you are old, then you have probably heard about arthritis. If you haven’t, don’t worry. Here, we’ll discuss what arthritis is, its types, and how to manage it.
What is arthritis?
Arthritis is inflammation or swelling. It occurs within joints. It is not a single disease. It is a term for swelling and degeneration in the joints due to degeneration. In addition to joint degeneration, it can also cause severe joint pain and stiffness.
Normally, arthritis damages the soft tissues surrounding the joint. This in turn causes pain during joint movement. The exact symptoms of arthritis differ based on its cause and type. It typically occurs with age but can result from trauma, poor lifestyle choices, etc.
It is a progressive condition. So, the symptoms often start worsening over time. In the initial stages, it is mild and easily manageable through medications. But in severe cases, most arthritis patients need to undergo surgery for correction.
Different types of arthritis
Arthritis is one of the most common bone and joint issues prevalent in today’s world. There are more than 100 documented types of arthritis. This is based on their causes and symptoms. Of these, 5 types of arthritis are the most common. Let’s discuss these types of arthritis and how they can affect you.
The most common types of arthritis are:
• Osteoarthritis (OA)
It is also known as degenerative joint disease or “wear and tear” arthritis. It is the most common type of arthritis. It generally affects the hands, hips, and knees.
It can also occur due to improperly managed fractures or trauma in the joint. During OA, the cartilage supporting the joint starts breaking down. This causes stress on the underlying bone.
Its symptoms are joint pain, stiffness, and swelling, along with a severe inability to perform joint movements.
• Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)
RA is an autoimmune condition. In this, your body’s immune system starts attacking the healthy joint tissues by error. This can further lead to painful inflammation of the joints.
RA frequently affects multiple joints at the same time. Some of the most commonly affected joints from RA are the hands, wrists, and knees.
It is signified by symptoms like chronic pain, joint instability, joint deformity, weakness, etc. In some cases, it can even spread to other organs like the lungs, heart, and eyes.
• Childhood Arthritis
Childhood or juvenile arthritis is another type of autoimmune disorder. Its exact cause is unknown. But due to its similarity to rheumatoid arthritis, it is also known as juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) and juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.
It causes severe pain in the joints, along with symptoms like joint swelling, fever, stiffness, rashes on the body, fatigue, loss of appetite, etc. If not managed properly, it can cause permanent damage to the joints, even making simple activities like walking difficult.
• Psoriatic Arthritis
Psoriatic arthritis is a combination of psoriasis and arthritis, i.e., patients have inflammation in their skin and joints. It is most commonly associated with patchy and scaly skin, with raised red and white inflamed areas.
Normally, signs of psoriasis appear before signs of arthritis. It can affect virtually any joint, i.e., knee, spine, elbow, etc. It generally affects people between 30 to 40 years of age, but it can affect children too in some cases.
• Gout
Gout is an inflammatory type of arthritis. It is incurable. It occurs due to the deposition of uric acid crystals in the joints. If gout keeps recurring, it eventually leads to gouty arthritis, i.e., joint degeneration.
It commonly affects only one joint at a time. It normally occurs in the feet (big toe joint, ankle, etc.) The symptoms of gout can get worse sometimes, called flares, and can recede sometimes on their own, called remission.
You can manage it using medications and self-management strategies.
How can arthritis be managed?
You can manage arthritis by following the given tips:
• Manage your lifestyle. Take your medicines as prescribed. Manage your stress levels. Try to improve your mood.
• Be physically active. It will help with your symptoms. It will also boost your mood, and slow down joint degeneration. It will reduce further risk of chronic diseases.
• Talk to your doctor. They will actively help you manage your pain and make sure you get the best treatment possible.
• Don’t stress out your joints. Try to make sure you only perform light activities and maintain a healthy weight.
With arthritis, it is very important to take proper care. If you have already been diagnosed, then you probably know how important it is to take control of the condition in time. Follow these steps to manage arthritis and lead a healthy life.
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FAQs
What is the most painful type of arthritis?
Rheumatoid arthritis is the most painful type of arthritis. It affects the soft tissues and organs surrounding the joint. It causes inflammation there.
Can arthritis be cured completely?
There is no actual cure for arthritis. It occurs due to wear in the joints. But it can be effectively managed via medicines, physiotherapy, and in severe cases, surgery.
What is the main cause of arthritis?
Arthritis mainly occurs due to natural wear and tear in the joints. However, it can also occur due to autoimmune disorders and certain inflammatory conditions. The exact cause differs from patient to patient.
