Arthritis - joint inflammation.However, this is a simplified formulation.In fact, the term "arthritis" combines more than 200 rheumatic diseases and conditions that affect the joints surrounding the tissues.Arthritis also indicates any disorder that affects the joints.
Arthosis is sick from 10 to 15 % of the world population.With age, the risk of arthrosis increases significantly.Often, the symptoms of arthrosis are already in 30-40 years.27% of people over the age of 50 suffers from arthrosis.And after 60 years, almost everyone suffers from this disease.The frequency of arthrosis is the same between men and women.The exception is the arthrosis of the interfaces joints: this type of arthrosis is often found in women.
The causes and nature of the disease can be different.Arthosis can develop for rheumatic reasons.This applies to people with chronic rheumatism.Diseases sometimes occur "set": arthrosis is accompanied by rheumatism, varicose veins with thrombosis, vascular sclerosis, stroke, etc.Everything in the body is interconnected.Arthosis can also be an autoimmune disease.This means that the immune system, whose purpose 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 not yet disclosed.
However, very often arthrosis is a sign of rheumatoid arthritis and represents destructive changes in cartilage and bone tissue that occur with age due to natural aging.Eloquence and statistics.After 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, consequently, also the treatment.When highlighting the differences in arthrosis and arthritis, it is important to achieve 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 the immune system has taken the articulation, your body works against its tissue and this becomes the cause of inflammation, pain and changes that are deforming.It is important to understand it, because it determines the treatment.While the auditor will be suppressed by the autoimmune processes, the mechanical recovery of the joint will be the main objective for the treatment of arthrosis patients.
The first blow is taken from the joints of the knee, the joints of the elbows, the hands.Therefore, the arthrosis of the knee joint is more common.Over time, the deforming arthrosis occurs, the joints begin to deform, due to the curvature, the places concerned can request bizarre contours.There are, in particular, terms such as "cigno", "button".If a person has influenced arthrosis and fingers, then externally they can become shorter.
Deforming arthrosis is a disease of modernity, a sedentary lifestyle has brought us to it.Nature was destined to live differently, but by automating the processes, a person "gained" many plagues with which people pay for all the benefits received.The deformation of osteoarthritis affects, as a rule, in support of the joints.The arthrosis of the knee joint is explained, because its characteristic, unlike other joints in large loads that transports.Nature did not deal in particular with the nutrition of these places overloaded to work.And since the cartilage of the knee joint does not have its own vases, due to the aging or under the influence of infections or injuries, it can be atrophy.
There are about 200 different types of arthritis, everyone has a different nature, can be caused by various external or internal factors, but their goal is one: our joints.To better understand the relevance of the problem, we give several sad numbers:
- About 21% of the population of the planet suffer arthritis,
- 31% of arthritis suffering cannot work,
- One of the 250 children under the age of 18 suffers from arthritis,
- Of all cases of disability, 18% fall on arthritis,
- The losses from arthritis amounted to 1.2% of the 2003 gross domestic product.
Attempts to overcome the situation are in vain, the numbers worsen from year to year.It is expected that by 2030, 25% of the world population will already suffer from arthritis at one level or another.
Symptoms
Arthritis can develop slowly or suddenly arise.Articular pain may appear, disappear and reappear.In this sense, arthritis is rather plastic, but it is impossible to confuse it with another disease.Here are its main symptoms:
Pain.It can be constant or arrived, stupid and acute.It can occur at rest or during movement, appear in an joint or in different joints.
Edema.Very often, the articulation concerned seems swollen, warm to the touch, sometimes blushing of the skin is observed.The edema lasts three days or more, so it passes.It can periodically occur, for example, two or three times a month.
Rigidity.The classic arthritis symptom that occurs in the morning or during long rest periods: sitting on a chair, riding in the car, etc.
These symptoms can be light, medium or serious.They can remain the same for many years, they can start progressing.Serious arthritis is a chronic pain and inability to engage in any physical work.
Over time, arthritis can lead to irreversible and visible changes in the joints.They can become knotted, arts - crooked.More often the damage can only be seen in X -rays. Some types of arthritis influence the heart, eyes, lungs, kidneys and skin.
Location: what is the difference between arthritis and arthrosis?
Both diseases can influence any articulation, but in most cases the location of the pathology can indirectly indicate its nature.Therefore, for example, arthritis has the so called "damage joints" and "exceptional joints", depending on the prevalence of the disease.
First of all, arthritis amazes:
- wrist walls and metacarpal phalanic joints;
- Inter -Falanx joints;
- knee and ankle;
- In particular, the joints of the thumbs;
- joints of the elbow.
Difference of arthritis and arthrosis
The lesions can be both symmetrical (rheumatoid arthritis) and asymmetrical (psorial and other species).
Arthosis chooses the support joints that anatomically experience a large load.These include:
- knee;
- Parleen-falan joints of the thumbs;
- Distal joints of the fingers;
- hip;
- ankle;
- Intervertebral.
What is the difference between arthritis from arthrosis of the joints in the diagnosis?
The primary diagnosis of arthritis and arthrosis implies a visual examination and the palpation of the joints that have become a source of complaints.A previous disease, lesions can also be reported.
A complete analysis of blood and urine can establish the difference between arthritis and arthrosis.It can establish the presence of bacterial pathogens, an increase in the 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.
Raggio X for arthrosis shows the 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, no visible changes are indicated.
In diagnostics, hardware research methods (ultrasound, coach, magnetic resonance imaging) and minimally invasive interventions (arthroscopy) can be used.
Arthritis diagnosis
What is the difference in the treatment of arthritis and artrosanny with forecasts.Arthosis is always incurable: this is a chronic disease and can be retained.Arthritis can be both chronic (rheumatoid, idiopathic, psorial) and a transient (infectious) phenomenon.
We consider in more detail the fundamental characteristics and differences in the therapy of these diseases.
Here are the main types of this disease, depending on the provocative 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 the infection.Sometimes in the functioning of the immune system there are malfunctions.One of these is the attack of one's joints and, consequently, inflammation.Very often, this leads to erosion and damage to the joints and tissues that surround them.
Inflammatory arthritis includes very commonrheumatoidANDPsorialarthritis.Doctors believe that the main reason for their occurrence is in genetics.External factors also play an important role.For example, smoking can cause rheumatoid arthritis in people with some genes.
With inflammatory arthritis (autoimmune), early diagnosis and aggressive treatment are crucial.The slowdown of the disease minimizes or even prevents irreversible damage to the joints.
From the name it is clear that it is caused by the degradation of the articulation, more precisely, its cartilage.Consequently, the cartilage becomes more subtle or generally disappears, the bone begins to rub on the bone, which causes edema, pain, further immobility of the joint.In order to compensate the loss of cartilage, the body begins to reconstruct the bone in an attempt to restore stability, bone growth develop - osteophytes that force the articulation to deform.
In the risk group there are athletes engaged in heavy physical work and aged people.Risk factors also include excess weight, genetic predisposition, experienced trauma.
Inflammation of the joints caused by infections: bacteria, viruses, mushrooms.Examples of microorganisms capable of locating in the joints are: salmonella, chlamydia, gonorrhea, hepatitis C
Modern treatment with antibiotics destroys the infection, however, with late 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 the cutlery purines.They are rich in foods such as liver, anchovies, sprats, beer, legumes, etc.
In a healthy body, uric acid dissolves into the blood, enters the kidneys and is excreted by 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 cause severe pains calledgout.Gotta may appear episodically depending on the level of uric acid or can go to a chronic form.
Crystalization is a physical process depending on the temperature.Lower is, the process the crystallization process is faster.This explains the fact that Gotta often affects the most "cold" joints of the limbs, like a thumb on the arm or leg.
If you read the first part of the article, you have probably noticed that degenerative arthritis is very similar to arthrosis.This is true!This is the same disease that has another name -osteoarthritis(osteoarthritis).
It was this type of arthritis that was widespread.About 12% of adults (over 25 years) of the planet's population suffers from it.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 of 40%.
Treatment of arthritis and arthrosis.
In the treatment of arthritis and arthrosis, different methods are used.First of all, you have to consult a doctor to clarify the diagnosis.The best results of the diagnosis of joint diseases are given by radiography and magnetic resonance imaging.Together with this, the doctor also prescribes the necessary laboratory tests.
It is necessary to limit the axial load on the joints.The treatment of the disease is carried out in two directions: removal of the inflammatory process, restoration of cartilage and binding tissue.Therapeutic physical education, orthopedic regime, therapeutic diet, physiotherapy are used: for arthrosis -arthrosis, thermal and ultrasound procedures, electrophoresis, magnetotherapy, amplipulsotherapy, paraffin applications.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 the Intra -articular cartilage IARINA, which does not have its blood vessels, reduces the friction between the joint surfaces of the bones and provides the smoothness of the movement (peculiar intraarticular lubrication).
Prevention

Very often arthritis has a slow and chronic character.It is almost impossible to completely eliminate the cause of the disease.Therefore, it is more likely that its treatment is the nature of the fight against symptoms (for example, with pain).It is not possible to completely restore the function of the joint.
At the same time, arthritis prevention is quite simple: it is moderate physical activity and monitors your weight.Then weight loss 6 kg.It reduces the risk of developing the arthrosis of the knee joint in a 50%woman.Moderate physical activity (3 times a week) reduces the risk of osteoarthritis in the elderly of 47%.