Arthritis - joint inflammation.However, this is a simplified formulation.In fact, the term "arthritis" combines more than 200 rheumatic diseases and conditions affecting the joints surrounding tissues.Arthritis also means any disorder affecting the joints.
Arthrosis is sick from 10 to 15 % of the world's population.With age, the risk of arthrosis increases significantly.Often, arthrosis symptoms are found already in 30-40 years.27% of people over 50 years old suffer from arthrosis.And after 60 years, almost everyone suffers this disease.The frequency of occurrence of arthrosis is the same among men and women.The exception is arthrosis of the interphalangic joints - this type of arthrosis is most often found in women.
The causes and nature of the disease can be different.Arthrosis can develop on rheumatic grounds.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 may also be an autoimmune disease.This means that the immune system, the purpose of which is the protection of you from viruses and bacteria, suddenly begins to attack healthy cells.The mystery of why the body begins to attack itself is still not disclosed.
But still, most often 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 60-70% of people.The words “arthrosis” and arthritis are similar only phonetically, but the causes are completely different and, accordingly, treatment also.When highlighting the differences in arthrosis and arthritis, it is important to realize a different direction in which there is a destructive and deforming process.If you have arthrosis, then the metabolism in the joint is disturbed, its elasticity is lost, the cartilage is thinner and each movement causes pain.If you have arthritis, then your immune system has taken up the joint, your body works against its 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 recovery of the joint will be the main goal for the treatment of patients with arthrosis.
The first blow is taken by the knee joints, joints of the elbows, hands.Thus, arthrosis of the knee joint is most common.Over time, deforming arthrosis occurs, joints begin to deform, due to curvature, the affected places can take bizarre outlines.There are, in particular, terms such as “swan neck”, “button loop”.If a person has deforming arthrosis and fingers are affected, then outwardly they can become shorter.
Deforming arthrosis is a disease of modernity, a sedentary lifestyle led us to it.Nature was destined to live differently, but by automating the processes, a person “earned” many sores with which people pay for all the benefits received.Deforming arthrosis affects, as a rule, supporting joints.The arthrosis of the knee joint is explained, because its feature, unlike other joints in large loads that it carries.Nature did not particularly take care of the nutrition of such places overloaded with the work.And since the cartilage of the knee joint does not have its own vessels, as a result of aging or under the influence of infections or injuries, it can be atrophy.
There are about 200 different types of arthritis, all of them have different nature, can be caused by various external or internal factors, but their goal is one - our joints.In order to better understand the relevance of the problem, we give several sad numbers:
- About 21% of the population of the planet suffers arthritis,
- 31% of arthritis suffer cannot work,
- One of 250 children under 18 years old suffers from arthritis,
- Of all cases of disability, 18% falls on arthritis,
- Losses from arthritis amounted to 1.2% of the gross domestic product 2003.
Attempts to overcome the situation are in vain, the numbers worsen year from year to year.It is predicted 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 arise suddenly.Joint pain can appear, disappear, and reappear.In this sense, arthritis is quite plastic, but it is impossible to confuse it with another disease.Here are his main symptoms:
Pain.It can be constant or coming, dumb and sharp.It can occur at rest or during movement, appear in one joint or in different joints.
Edema.Most often, the affected joint looks swollen, warm to the touch, sometimes redness of the skin is observed.Edema lasts for three days or longer, 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 periods of long rest: sitting in a chair, riding in a car, etc.
These symptoms can be light, medium or severe.They can remain the same for many years, can begin to progress.Severe arthritis is a chronic pain and inability to engage in any physical labor.
Over time, arthritis can lead to irreversible, visible changes in joints.They can become knotted, limbs - crooked.More often damage can be seen only in x -rays.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 any joint, but in most cases the localization of pathology can indirectly indicate its nature.So, for example, arthritis has the so -called“Joints of damage” and “joints of exception” - depending on the prevalence of the disease.
First of all, arthritis amazes:
- wristwalls and metacarpal phalancing joints;
- proximal inter -phalanx joints;
- knee and ankle;
- In particular, the joints of the thumbs;
- elbow joints.
Arthritis and arthrosis difference
The lesions can be both symmetrical (rheumatoid arthritis) and asymmetric (psoriatic and other species).
Arthrosis chooses the supporting joints that anatomically experience a large load.These include:
- knee;
- Parleen-phalanx joints of the thumbs;
- Distal joints of the fingers;
- hip;
- ankle;
- Intervertebral.
What is the difference between arthritis from arthrosis of the joints in diagnosis?
The primary diagnosis of arthritis and arthrosis implies visual examination and palpation of the joints that have become a source of complaints.An previous disease, injuries can also be given a hint.
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 are prescribed.
The X -ray for arthrosis shows narrowing of the joint gap, thinning of the cartilage layer, as well as, depending on the stage of the disease, the presence of osteophytes.With arthritis, visible changes are not noted.
In diagnostics, hardware research methods (ultrasound, CT, MRI) and minimally invasive interventions (arthroscopy) can be used.
Diagnosis of arthritis
What is the difference in treatment of arthritis and arthrosanny with forecasts.Arthrosis is always incurable - this is a chronic disease and it can only be restrained.Arthritis can be both chronic (rheumatoid, idiopathic, psoriatic), and a transient phenomenon (infectious).
Let us consider in more detail the features and fundamental differences in the therapy of these diseases.
Here are the main types of this disease, depending on the provoking factors:
- Inflammatory arthritis
- Degenerative arthritis
- Infectious arthritis
- Metabolic arthritis
It is known that the immune system is our defender.It is she who generates inflammation to save the body from infection.Sometimes in the operation of the immune system there are malfunctions.One of them is the attack of their own joints and, as a result, inflammation.Most often, this leads to erosion and damage to the joints and tissues around them.
Inflammatory arthritis include very commonrheumatoidAndPsoriaticarthritis.Doctors believe that the main reason for their occurrence lies 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 slowdown in the disease minimizes or even prevents irreversible damage to the joints.
From the name it is clear that it is caused by degradation of the joint, more precisely, its cartilage.As a result, the cartilage becomes thinner or generally disappears, the bone begins to rub on the bone, which causes edema, pain, further immobility of the joint.In order 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.
At the risk group are athletes engaged in heavy physical labor and people aged.Risk factors also include excess weight, genetic predisposition, trauma experienced.
Inflammation of the joints caused by infections: bacteria, viruses, fungi.Examples of microorganisms capable of localized in the joints are: salmonella, chlamydia, gonorrhea, hepatitis C
Modern treatment with antibiotics destroys the infection, however, with belated treatment, damage to the joint can become irreversible, and the disease becomes chronic.
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 cropping purines.They are rich in foods such as liver, anchovies, sprats, beer, legumes, 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 higher than usual.This condition is called hyperuricemia.
Uric acid can accumulate in the joints, forming sharp needle crystals, which causes severe pains calledgout.Gout can appear episodically depending on the level of uric acid, or can go into a chronic form.
Crystallization is a physical process depending on temperature.The lower it is, the process the crystallization process goes faster.This explains the fact that gout most often affects the more “cold” joints of the limbs, such as a thumb on the arm or leg.
If you read the first part of the article, you probably noticed that degenerative arthritis is very similar to arthrosis.This is true!This is the same disease that has another name -osteoarthritis(osteoarthrosis).
It was this type of arthritis that was widespread.About 12% of the adult (over 25 years old) of the planet’s population suffer from them.The osteoarthritis of the knee joint is one of the five main causes of disability.Among the arthritis suffering 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 diagnosing joint disease are given by radiography and MRI.Along with this, the doctor also prescribes the necessary laboratory tests.
It is necessary to limit the axial load on the joints.Treatment of the disease is carried out in two directions: removal of the inflammatory process, restoration of cartilage and ligamentous tissue.Therapeutic physical education, orthopedic regime, therapeutic diet, physiotherapy are used: for arthrosis -arthritis, thermal and ultrasonic procedures, electrophoresis, magnetotherapy, amplipulsotherapy, paraffin applications are used.An intra -articular administration of hyaluronic acid preparations is also possible - this is one of the most important components of the synovial fluid.It provides nutrition of hyaline intra -articular cartilage, which does not have its blood vessels, reduces friction between the joint surfaces of the bones and provides smoothness of movement (peculiar intraarticular lubrication).
Prevention
Most often, arthritis has a sluggish, chronic character.It is almost impossible to completely eliminate the cause of the disease.Therefore, his treatment is more likely to be the nature of the struggle against symptoms (for example, with pain).It is not possible to completely restore the function of the joint.
At the same time, the prevention of arthritis is quite simple - it is moderate physical activity and tracking your own weight.So loss in weight 6 kg.reduces the risk of developing osteoarthritis of the knee joint in a woman by 50%.Moderate physical activity (3 times a week) reduce the risk of osteoarthritis in older people by 47%.