In the current world, people are suffering from so many diseases. This has made it even difficult for medics to sometimes know the exact disease that one is suffering from. The increase in the disease types has been occasioned by the change of lifestyle, the type of food we eat as well as an increase in environmental pollution. Some of the main diseases include cancer, diabetes, hypertension as well as arthritis.
Many people basically refer to arthritis as a disease of the joints. However, there is more to arthritis than just pain in the joints. It basically refers to an inflammation of a joint which can be as a result of a genetic defect, a disease or even an infection. This article will deeply discuss arthritis to help you understand the disease better.
Types of arthritis
To understand arthritis better, it is important to know the various types of arthritis which are common as well as their cause and symptoms. According to a belief by most of the people, arthritis is common in old people. However, this is not the case, and this disease can affect anybody at any age. The most common types of arthritis include rheumatoid arthritis, infectious arthritis as well as osteoarthritis.
Rheumatoid arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis is very common and usually occurs at any age. It affects women more than men and it has been mostly known to affect people at the age of thirty to fifty years. The main symptoms of this type of arthritis include pain, swelling, and inflammation in the elbows, wrists, knuckles, knees, shoulders as well as the feet.
Sometimes fatigue also manifests itself as a sign of rheumatoid arthritis. It is worth noting that this type of arthritis can eventually damage some major parts of your body like the eyes, lungs and the skin too. As the situation worsens it can lead to weak muscles and damage to the bones leading to the misshapen of the feet and hands. There is no known cure for this type of arthritis but early diagnosis and treatment can help in preventing disability and relieve symptoms.
Osteoarthritis
This is the most common type of arthritis that has been known to affect a great number of adults worldwide. It is a degenerative joint disorder that basically refers to the swelling and pain which results when one progressively loses the cartilage in his joints. This form of arthritis has been referred by many as the wear and tear arthritis because it involves gradually wearing down of the protective cartilage within the joints.
It affects all joints in the body but mostly affects the hips, knees, and spine. It is mainly caused by an increase in body weight of an individual, misuse of steroids as well as trauma on the joints sometimes it is associated with genetic causes. The main way of avoiding this type of arthritis is by maintaining good body weight and doing exercises regularly.
Infectious arthritis
It is also important to understand this type of arthritis which is caused by either a virus or bacteria. This means that it is caused when an infection from other body parts travels to a joint. It affects body joints found in the toes, legs, fingers as well as the arms. Examples of these infections include tuberculosis and gonorrhea. This type of arthritis can be prevented by making sure you get treatment of the main cause of the primary infection.
Finally
There are other types of arthritis like the ankylosing spondylitis and bone spurs. It is worth noting that when diagnosed early, arthritis can be contained and help reduce the pain one may be going through. It is also essential to make sure that you exercise your body regularly to avoid such disorders.