TYPES OF ARTHRITIS

 

Have you been skipping exercise because of joint pain? 
Can you barely get out of bed in the morning?  

If so, you might have arthritis.

    Throughout your life, you‘ve probably heard about arthritis or joint pain. Joint pain is not a regular part of life. There are more than hundreds of to date identified conditions. Many sufferers found a problem in performing daily tasks and in some cases their situation keeps them from working at all.
 
Arthritis means joint inflammation or any disease that can cause joint pain. Symptoms may come and go, and the joint pain may progress or get worse over time. 
Anyone can have arthritis at any time and from any walk of life, and women have more chances of having this disease.
 
Although arthritis is widespread, is not well understood. Most types of arthritis fall into one of two categories: or inflammatory arthritis, degenerative arthritis such as osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis.
 
The symptoms of most types of arthritis include pain, stiffness, and swelling in the joint. People who have arthritis might not complain of inflammation in the joint, but the common complaint is pain. If untreated, arthritis can cause permanent joint changes.
 
There are different types of arthritis:
 

• Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS)

The word Ankylosing Spondylitis means rigid. The bones and the spine become stiff or unable to bend.  It mostly affects men more than women.
It mainly affects the spine, when the ligaments fuse. Pain and stiffness are primarily the symptoms of this disease. If diagnosed by a blood test, a relatively specific and reliable lab test is necessary.
If you have AS, you still can lead full and active lives, because the condition can be well controlled. The important thing you can do is regular exercise, which helps to keep your spine mobile and flexible.
 

• Bursitis

It happens when the bursa (fluid fields sacks that cushion your tendons, muscles, and skin)is inflamed. It is a condition that can cause pain or swelling next to a joint.  Most of the time, bursitis happens around the shoulder, elbow, hip, or knee. It can also occur around other joints in the body.  Injury and overuse are common causes of bursitis. You might even get bursitis from putting pressure on a joint for a long time.

•  Gout
  

The cause of gout is the dysfunction of the kidneys. The kidneys are supposed to clean up crystals out of the blood and fluid of the body, and if that is dysfunctional and unable to discharge the waste, those crystals stay in the blood or stay in the fluids. Those crystals circulate the body, and they get deposited in the joints.  These crystals inside joints lead to intense pain. Gout commonly affects on joints such as the foot, elbow, knee, and fingertips.  Family history, age, diet, alcohol use, and can affect your risk of developing gout.

•  Fibromyalgia

It is a widespread musculoskeletal disorder,  often referred to as an invisible illness accompanied by fatigue, sleep, memory, and mood issues.
People living with Fibromyalgia are often victims of stiff joints, headaches, and depression. Sleeplessness and brain fog accompany the usual symptoms. The pain is not related to inflammation. Pain, fatigue, and tenderness are persistent for a long time.
Medications, cognitive behavioral therapies, and gentle exercise are the most common combination of multi-disciplinary approaches to manage and find relief from the symptoms.

•  Juvenile Arthritis

It is an autoimmune disease that affects children, usually before 16 years of age. This form is often seen initially by orthopedists, associated with iritis and blindness, and we can prevent it by early diagnosis and early management. Initial management prevents the complications of arthritis a pediatric rheumatologist.

•  Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is a degenerative kind of arthritis that is usually seen in older people. The breaking down of cartilage in a joint from aging or repetitive movements. The joints most commonly affected are the hands, knees, hips, and spine. Medications and physical therapy exercises can help reduce the pain and increases muscle strength.

•  Pseudogout (CPPD)

It is a  joint disease that can cause attacks of arthritis. It happens when calcium pyrophosphate crystals build up in a joint. Crystals formed in salt instead of uric acid. These lead to an attack of joint swelling and pain in knees, ankles, and other joints.

• Psoriatic Arthritis

Psoriatic Arthritis presents itself with scaly, patchy, plaques that can be silvery or red. Skin symptoms generally present before joint problems are detected. Arthritis may result from a combination of family, environmental, and immune factors.
The strongest underlying risk factor for psoriasis is hereditary, though sometimes it may be linked to previous infections.

• Reactive Arthritis

Reactive Arthritis is a form of inflammatory arthritis that develops in response to an infection in another part of the body, meaning, it happens as a reaction to an infection. It can be anything from a bacterial infection or can be a viral virus infection. It causes fever, pain, and inflammation in the joints and also eye and skin problems. 
There is no cure for reactive arthritis. However, treatments for reactive arthritis can help reduce or relieve your symptoms.
 

• Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis is another autoimmune disorder where the body attacks the synovial fluid in the joints, leading to stiffness, pain, and possibly deformities in the affected joints. It is one of the most known chronic inflammatory diseases.
There are many types of medication to help reduce the pain, inflammation, and long-term complications of RA. Some help to reduce flares and limit the damage that RA does to your joints. The doctor will determine the best types of treatments for you.
  
    Coping with joint pain can be the hardest part of living with arthritis. You may want or need to make some changes in your life.
 
    Remember that arthritis is a chronic condition, which means it does not go away, and will likely require lengthy treatment. Being diagnosed with arthritis does not mean you can't live a happy and healthy life.
 
    A step toward controlling it is getting an early diagnosis and starting treatment as soon as possible. Learning about the illness and its treatment options, making time for physical activity, and maintaining a healthy weight is very important. You have to get moving and stay positive.