 Arthritis is the inflammation of one or more joints, accompanied by joint pain called arthralgia, swelling, stiffness, and loss of movement of the joints.  Approximately 350 million people in the world have arthritis. It is estimated that there are around 70 million Americans with arthritis. More than half of those with arthritis are under the age of 65.

Understanding what happens A joint is where one bone moves on another bone. The joint is lined by a thin film of tissue called the synovium Ligaments are like elastic bands that hold the two bones together. The Cartilage covers the bone to stop the two bones from rubbing right against each other.

When someone develops arthritis it basically means that something went wrong with the joint(s). It depends on the type of arthritis; it could be that the cartilage is wearing away, a lack of synovium fluid, autoimmunity (the body attacking itself), infection, or a combination of different factors.

M ORE THAN 100 TYPES Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis which affects people younger than the age of 16. There are 3 main types of Juvenile arthritis: 1. Pauciarticular, which is the most common and mildest. The person experiences pain in up to 4 joints. 2. Polyarticular, which affects more joints and is more severe; as time goes by it gets worse. 3. Systemic which is the least common; the pain is felt in many joints, and can spread to organs.

 causes muscular pain and fatigue, tingling or numbness in hands and feet, morning stiffness, problems with thinking and memory, and irritable bowel syndrome  the cause is not known but physical and emotional stressors can contribute to it.  It is hard to diagnose fibromyalgia because its symptoms are similar to other illnesses and there are no definitive diagnostic tests.

a rheumatic disease caused by the deposition of uric acid crystals in tissues and fluids within the body. It causes red, hot, and swollen joints with severe pain; the inflammation can last just a few days to weeks or can become chronic. Diet, alcohol, and certain medications can also contribute to the cause of it.

 causes cartilage, which acts as a shock absorber to lose its elasticity.  If the cartilage is stiff it becomes damaged more easily. The cartilage will gradually wear away in some areas.  As the cartilage becomes damaged tendons and ligaments become stretched, causing pain. Eventually the bones rub against each other causing excruciating pain and joint stiffness  it most commonly happens in the hips, knees, hands, and spine. What causes osteoarthritis isn’t really known, it is believed though to be a result of mechanical events in the joints (wear and tear).

R HEUMATOID ARTHRITIS considered an inflammatory disease which affects several joints and causes an overactive immune system. The inflammation affects the lining of the joints (synovial membrane). The inflamed synovium leads to breakdown of the cartilage and bone and sometimes joint deformity, it also causes pain, swelling, and redness. The fingers, arms, legs and wrists are most commonly affected. There may also be rheumatoid nodules (bumps of tissue under the skin of the arms). It can also cause damage to other organs like the heart, lungs, eyes, skin, and nerves. People with rheumatoid arthritis feel tired most of the time and lose weight. They also feel like their arthritis is influenced by the weather, stress, and temperature. The causes are not known but it is believed to be caused by a faulty immune response.

 an autoimmune disease which means that the body produces antibodies to cells within the body, resulting in inflammation and tissue damage.  This form of arthritis can affect joints, skin, brain, lungs, and kidneys; it can cause photosensitivity, oral ulcers, seizures, and blood cell abnormalities.  They feel tired, pain or swelling of the joints, skin rashes, and fevers.  The causes are unknown but it is believed to be due to genetic, environmental, and hormonal factors.

 Doctors will ask for your medical history  examine your joints for inflammation and deformities.  They will also take X-rays or an MRI if they believe it is osteoarthritis to show the condition of the joints.  If they think it’s another type of arthritis they will do a blood lab test, collect urine or joint fluid sample called “effusion” (in the case of gout arthritis) to determine if /or what kind of arthritis it is.

 The types of treatment can be physical or occupational therapy, exercise, splints or joint assistive aids, or weight loss.  In mild cases medications like aspirin, Tylenol, naproxen, and Ibuprofen may help to reduce inflammation and pain.  Cortisone can also help reduce inflammation; it can be taken by mouth, intravenously, or injected directly into the joint  When it comes to Arthritis that is characterized by an, overactive immune system (like rheumatoid arthritis) regulated doses of medications that suppress the immune system are needed, like methotrexate and Sulfasalazine.  In severe cases where the patient is unresponsive to medication, surgery may be helpful. Surgical procedures can relieve pain, improve function, and correct deformity.  Surgeries include joint replacement (replacing the joint with an artificial joint), tendon reconstruction (reconstructing damaged tendons) and synovectomy (removal of the inflamed tissue).

 Patients who have arthritis should regularly see the doctor to monitor the advancement of their arthritis and if symptoms seem to get worse.  They should also see their doctor if there are symptoms like fever, numbness or tingling, rashes, eye redness, nausea, dark stools (bleeding of the stomach), vomiting, cough or chest pain, infection, constipation or diarrhea; these symptoms could be due to side effects of the medication, dehydration, or joint swelling.  In addition the patient should find out everything they need to know about their form of arthritis, how it will affect them, if it is inherited, what treatment is necessary in order to cope better with their arthritis.

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