Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis, affecting millions of people worldwide. It occurs when the protective cartilage that cushions the ends of your bones wears down over time. Although osteoarthritis can damage any joint, the disorder most commonly affects joints in your hands, knees, hips and spine
Osteoarthritis causes:
OA is caused by joint damage. This damage can accumulate over time, which is why age is one of the main causes of the joint damage leading to osteoarthritis. The older you are, the more wear and tear you’ve had on your joints.
Other causes of joint damage include past injury, such as:
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torn cartilage
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dislocated joints
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ligament injuries
They also include joint malformation, obesity, and poor posture. Certain risk factors, such as family history and gender, increase your risk of osteoarthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease that can cause joint pain and damage throughout your body.
The joint damage that RA causes usually happens on both sides of the body.
So, if a joint is affected in one of your arms or legs, the same joint in the other arm or leg will probably be affected, too. This is one way that doctors distinguish RA from other forms of arthritis, such as osteoarthritis (OA).
Treatments work best when RA is diagnosed early, so it’s important to learn the signs
RA is a chronic disease marked by symptoms of inflammation and pain in the joints. These symptoms and signs occur during periods known as flares or exacerbations. Other times are known as periods of remission — this is when symptoms disappear completely.
While RA symptoms can affect several organs in the body, the joint symptoms of RA include:
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loss of joint function and deformities
Symptoms can vary from mild to severe. It’s important not to ignore your symptoms, even if they come and go.
There are several types of blood tests that help your healthcare provider determine whether you have RA. These tests include:
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Rheumatoid factor test. The RF blood test checks for a protein called rheumatoid factor. High levels of rheumatoid factor are associated with autoimmune diseases, especially RA.
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Anticitrullinated protein antibody test (anti-CCP). This test looks for an antibody that’s associated with RA. People who have this antibody usually have the disease. However, not everyone with RA tests positive for this antibody. The anti-CCP Ab is more specific for RA than the RF test
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Antinuclear antibody test. The antinuclear antibody panel tests your immune system to see if it’s producing antibodies. Your body may make antibodies as a response to many different types of conditions, including RA.
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Erythrocyte sedimentation rate. The ESR test helps determine the degree of inflammation in your body. The result tells your doctor whether inflammation is present. However, it doesn’t indicate the cause of the inflammation.
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C-reactive protein test. A severe infection or significant inflammation anywhere in your body can trigger your liver to make C-reactive protein. High levels of this inflammatory marker are associated with RA.
Ankylosing spondylitis is a form of arthritis that primarily affects your spine. It causes severe inflammation of the vertebrae that might eventually lead to chronic pain and disability. In more advanced cases, the inflammation can cause new bone to form on the spine. This may lead to deformity.
Ankylosing spondylitis can also cause pain and stiffness in other parts of your body. Other large joints, such as the shoulders, hips, and knees, can be involved as well.
The symptoms of ankylosing spondylitis vary. It’s often characterized by mild to moderate flare-ups of inflammation that alternate with periods of almost no symptoms.
The most common symptom is back pain in the morning and at night. You may also experience pain in the large joints, such as the hips and shoulders. Other symptoms may include:
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early morning stiffness
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poor posture or stooped shoulders
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loss of appetite
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low-grade fever
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weight loss
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fatigue
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anemia or low iron
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reduced lung function
Because ankylosing spondylitis involves inflammation, other parts of your body can be affected as well. People with ankylosing spondylitis may also experience:
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inflammation of the bowels
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mild eye inflammation
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heart valve inflammation
While ankylosing spondylitis is primarily a condition of the spine, it can impact other parts of the body, too.
Sjogren’s syndrome is an autoimmune disease that causes your immune system to go haywire and attack healthy cells instead of invading bacteria or viruses. Your white blood cells, which normally protect you from germs, attack the glands that are in charge of making moisture. When that happens, they can't produce tears and saliva, so your eyes, mouth, and other parts of your body dry out. There are treatments that bring relief, though.
It's natural to worry when you learn you've got a lifelong disease that will need regular care. Keep in mind that most people with Sjogren's stay healthy and don't have serious problems. You should be able to keep doing all the things you love to do without making many change
The symptoms of Sjogren's can be different from person to person. You may have just one or two, or you may have many. By far, the most common symptoms are:
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Dry mouth that may have a chalky feeling or feeling or feel like cotton
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Dry eyes that may burn, itch, or feel gritty
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Dry throat, lips, or skin
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Dryness in your nose
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A change in taste or smell
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Swollen glands in your neck and face
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Skin rashes and sensitivity to UV light
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Dry cough or shortness of breath
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Feeling tired
Gout is a general term for a variety of conditions caused by a buildup of uric acid. This buildup usually affects your feet.
If you have gout, you’ll probably feel swelling and pain in the joints of your foot, particularly your big toe. Sudden and intense pain, or gout attacks, can make it feel like your foot is on fire.
Some people have too much uric acid in their blood, but no symptoms. This is called asymptomatic gout.
For acute gout, symptoms come on quickly from the buildup of uric acid crystals in your joint and last for 3 to 10 days.
You’ll have intense pain and swelling, and your joint may feel warm. Between gout attacks you won’t have any symptoms.
If you don’t treat gout, it can become chronic. Hard lumps called tophi can eventually develop in your joints and the skin and soft tissue surrounding them. These deposits can permanently damage your joints.
Prompt treatment is important to prevent gout from turning chronic
The buildup of uric acid in your blood from the breakdown of purines causes gout.
Certain conditions, such as blood and metabolism disorders or dehydration, make your body produce too much uric acid.
A kidney or thyroid problem, or an inherited disorder, can make it harder for your body to remove excess uric acid.
You’re more likely to get gout if you:
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are a middle-aged man or postmenopausal woman
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have parents, siblings, or other family members with gout
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drink alcohol
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take medications such as diuretics and cyclosporine
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have a condition like high blood pressure, kidney disease, thyroid disease, diabetes, or sleep apnea
In some people with gout, diet is the cause
Juvenile idiopathic arthritis refers to a group of conditions involving joint inflammation (arthritis) that first appears before the age of 16. This condition is an autoimmune disorder, which means that the immune system malfunctions and attacks the body's organs and tissues, in this case the joints.
Researchers have described seven types of juvenile idiopathic arthritis. The types are distinguished by their signs and symptoms, the number of joints affected, the results of laboratory tests, and the family history.
Systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis causes inflammation in one or more joints. A high daily fever that lasts at least 2 weeks either precedes or accompanies the arthritis. Individuals with systemic arthritis may also have a skin rash or enlargement of the lymph nodes (lymphadenopathy), liver (hepatomegaly), or spleen (splenomegaly).
Oligoarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis (also known as oligoarthritis) is marked by the occurrence of arthritis in four or fewer joints in the first 6 months of the disease. It is divided into two subtypes depending on the course of disease. If the arthritis is confined to four or fewer joints after 6 months, then the condition is classified as persistent oligoarthritis. If more than four joints are affected after 6 months, this condition is classified as extended oligoarthritis. Individuals with oligoarthritis are at increased risk of developing inflammation of the eye (uveitis).
Rheumatoid factor positive polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis (also known as polyarthritis, rheumatoid factor positive) causes inflammation in five or more joints within the first 6 months of the disease. Individuals with this condition also have a positive blood test for proteins called rheumatoid factors. This type of arthritis closely resembles rheumatoid arthritis as seen in adults.
Rheumatoid factor negative polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis (also known as polyarthritis, rheumatoid factor negative) is also characterized by arthritis in five or more joints within the first 6 months of the disease. Individuals with this type, however, test negative for rheumatoid factor in the blood.
Psoriatic juvenile idiopathic arthritis involves arthritis that usually occurs in combination with a skin disorder called psoriasis. Psoriasis is a condition characterized by patches of red, irritated skin that are often covered by flaky white scales. Some affected individuals develop psoriasis before arthritis while others first develop arthritis. Other features of psoriatic arthritis include abnormalities of the fingers and nails or eye problems.
Enthesitis-related juvenile idiopathic arthritis is characterized by tenderness where the bone meets a tendon, ligament, or other connective tissue. The most commonly affected places are the hips, knees, and feet. This tenderness, known as enthesitis, accompanies the joint inflammation of arthritis. Enthesitis-related arthritis may also involve inflammation in parts of the body other than the joints.
The last type of juvenile idiopathic arthritis is called undifferentiated arthritis. This classification is given to affected individuals who do not fit into any of the above types or who fulfill the criteria for more than one type of juvenile idiopathic arthritis.
Treatment At The Best Homeopathy Clinic In Kolakat For Joint Disorders
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