Arthritis: What are the symptoms

Arthritis, which came from a Greek term meaning disease of joints, is a bone disease where the joints of the bones swell up, causing a lot of pain and making the movement of that particular joint very difficult. It is an age-dependent disease that occurs later, generally due to the wear and tear of tissues surrounding the bone. It generally affects adults aged 50+, but it can also affect teenagers and young adults in certain conditions. A variety of factors, including age, obesity, genetic background, and others, are the causes. There are different types of arthritis, and various medications for this disease like analgesics, painkillers, and steroids are also available.

Types Of Arthritis:

Arthritis can be divided into different types. Today, 100+ types of arthritis are present. 

Some are:

• Osteoarthritis
• Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Psoriatic Arthritis
• Gout
• Fibromyalgia
• Juvenile Arthritis
• Lupus and many more

Osteoarthritis:

The most common type of arthritis is caused by the wear and tear of the tissue that connects the joints. Joint injuries or obesity can also be a cause of this disease. In osteoarthritis, the cartilage between the joints is damaged but leads to joint pain as bones rub against each other, leading to difficulties in movement.

Symptoms:

• The pain of the joints.
• Trouble in movement like climbing stairs, holding things with hand, involving the joint, which has been inflamed.
• Muscle stiffness in the morning after getting up is a common symptom.
• Walking can often be painful as bones rub against each other.
• The affected area is generally warmer, swollen, and hard to move.

Rheumatoid Arthritis:

It is an autoimmune disease that means the immune system attacks the body’s cells. It can lead to inflammation and severe joint damage. It is believed that Tumour necrosis factors (TNF) cytokines generally play a role in the development of Rheumatoid arthritis. It generally impacts multiple joints.

Symptoms:

• Pain, fatigue, and inflammation are among the most common symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis and can occur at multiple joints.
• Generally, the small joints are swollen like the wrist joint.
• The symptoms like swelling occur symmetrically; if one elbow joint is inflamed, the other elbow joint will also be inflamed.
• After getting up from bed, the body may feel tired and stiff, and this could stay for a long time, hampering the body’s normal functioning.
• Slight fever can also occur.
• Weakness can be observed due to weight loss.

Psoriatic Arthritis:

Psoriatic arthritis is the swelling of both the skin and the joints. Inflammation of the skin is known as psoriasis, which causes patchy, red areas usually at the tips of elbows, knees, etc. it can also be found near the genital area. This type of arthritis is only seen in people who already have psoriasis.

Symptoms:

• Generally, the fingers and toes swell in this type of arthritis.
• Discoloured fingernails are a common symptom.
• In rare cases, nails also separate from the skin.
• Eye inflammation can also be included as a symptom of this disease.
• Foot pain can also be seen.

Lupus:

This disease is also known as Systemic Lupus erythematosus (SLE), an autoimmune disease. It is known to affect joints as well as many organs. Pregnant women are more prone to this disease, occurring between 15 and 45 years of age.

Symptoms:

• The appearance of painful and swollen joints
• Tiredness, headaches, and weakness
• Rashes around the cheek area
• Hair loss is also one of the symptoms
• Anaemia or low WBC level related to the blood disorder
• Heart and lungs lining can also be inflamed, which causes chest pain.

Treatment:

Arthritis can be treated through different methods like:

• Medications – steroids, painkillers, some ointments, anti-rheumatoid drugs
• Therapy and exercises can also be helpful in some types of arthritis as they will cause motion and provide strength to the muscles.
• Surgery can also be used at times. Joint repair, joint replacement, joint fusion are a few surgeries that can be used to treat arthritis of different types.

Conclusion:

Arthritis is a Greek term meaning disease of joints. Arthritis is a disease where the joints swell up, leading to pain in the joints, and difficulty in movement. 100+ types of arthritis are known today. Osteoarthritis, Rheumatoid arthritis, Psoriatic arthritis, Gout, and Lupus are among the most frequent kinds of arthritis. All the types have a few common symptoms like joint swelling and pain, muscle stiffness, restricted movement, etc. Though arthritis is mainly an age-Arthritis can be treated with medications, surgery, and other methods, lifestyle modifications can also assist. In rare cases, surgeries also treat the disease when medications do not help.