Arthritis is a condition that causes the inflammation of various joints in the body. It can cause discomfort, pain and even loss of mobility. Although it disproportionately affects older people, it can also affect younger people depending on various facts such as their lifestyles. If you think you are at risk or predisposed to arthritis due to your family history, you might have some questions about the condition. This article will focus on answering the most common questions asked about arthritis.
7 Simple Questions About Having Arthritis That You Might Have
What is Arthritis?
Arthritis is actually an umbrella term for about 100 identified conditions that all cause stiffness, pain and swelling in various joints around the body. Each of these types of arthritis has different symptoms and treatments, although they overlap in most cases.
What Puts Me at Risk of Developing Arthritis?
It is true that a person can be predisposed to arthritis and this usually has to do with their genes. These hereditary genes are passed from the parent to their children, and they are often mutated. These mutated genes are often responsible for the production of collagen and thus having them mutated means you are more susceptible to certain types of arthritis. In many cases, these genes also make the symptoms of arthritis worse if you do get it.
What Are the Different Types of Arthritis?
There are several types of arthritis, classified according to their cause and presentation. By far the most common type of arthritis is osteoarthritis. This is also called wear-and-tear arthritis as it is caused by wear in the cartilage that sits between where two bones meet. If you are unable to produce more collagen, you cannot make more cartilage and the bones end up running on each other causing pain and swelling.
Next, we have inflammatory or autoimmune arthritis. This typically occurs when the body’s immune system starts attacking the joints. This happens when the cells that are supposed to fight pathogens to ensure you do not get sick get confused and start attacking healthy cells.
Lastly, we have crystalline arthritis. This type occurs when sharp crystals form at the joint sites due to too much uric acid in the body. This can cause swelling and painful episodes. The most common type of crystalline arthritis is gout.
How is Arthritis Treated?
There are several interventions and options depending on what type of arthritis you have and how far it has progressed. For many people with osteoarthritis, prescription medications, over-the-counter medication, cortisone injections and physical therapy do help. Here, surgery is also an option and you can speak to the experts at Circle Health Group to see what orthopaedic services their various experts offer. They connect patients to a network of private hospitals in the UK ensuring they are treated and taken care of by the right expert regardless of the conditions and depending on the outcome of their consultations.
The treatment for autoimmune arthritis is different because the underlying cause is a compromised immune system and so this is where the doctors focus. Various medications are used to reduce the overreaction of the immune system and have made a profound difference in the lives of numerous people.
If your arthritis is caused by gout, the treatment is controlling the uric acid levels in the blood. This can include consuming less alcohol or quitting altogether and eating less red meat. There are also medications that are used to reduce uric acid in the blood.
Which Parts of the Body Are Affected?
Osteoarthritis mainly affects the joints that are used a lot and that bear the most weight. You will see it in the joints in the hand, knees and sometimes feet. This is because this is where most movement in the body happens. Rheumatoid arthritis and autoimmune conditions that cause arthritis like lupus are systemic. This means these conditions do not just affect the joints; they also affect the organs. Lupus, for example, can involve the kidneys and lungs.
Are There Differences in Presentation Between Men and Women?
Yes, there are differences. For example, women are more likely to develop autoimmune diseases including rheumatoid arthritis and lupus. Crystalline arthritis, on the other hand, affects more men than women. The reasons for these differences are not clearly understood.
Does Arthritis Only Affect Older People?
To a certain degree, yes. Remember that osteoarthritis is caused by tear and wear. The longer you live, the more you use your joints and the more tear and wear you have. The result is this type of arthritis which mainly affects older people. Also, most people do get some osteoarthritis as they get older. Autoimmune arthritic conditions, on the other hand, can affect anyone. Inflammatory autoimmune conditions that cause arthritis have been reported in very young children.
With that, we hope you have a better understanding of this condition. Arthritis can be quite terrible depending on how it presents and has progressed, but medicine has come such a long way that there are numerous interventions to give those with the condition some relief.
