Hello!
And welcome to One Care Medical Center, an international ortho hospital in Coimbatore. My name is Dr. Salam and I am a full time practicing orthopedic surgeon in Coimbatore.
In this post, we are going to discuss on the different types of arthritis. Lets briefly look at them below
Osteoarthritis
A large proportion of individuals end up developing osteoarthritis, it is caused by joint wear and tears due to overuse as well as increasing age.
Common joints that are affected include the hip, knee, and spine. The body loses cartilage (the shock absorbers of the body) with increasing age.
A good example would be the knee joint that undergoes progressive wear and tear, with increasing age. The cartilage is the lubrication cushion between the joints. With excess weight, this cartilage wears out leading to joint degeneration
A grating sound can be heard while attempting joint movement. Common symptoms include
- Aching pain that is deep
- Pain while walking
- Joint stiffness
- Joint warmth
- Joint swelling
- Restricted range of motion
Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)
In rheumatoid arthritis, the bodies immune system attacks the bodies joint. This results in inflammation and joint swelling. 1 out of 5 people also develop lumps in their skin and these are called rheumatoid nodules.
No one knows the exact cause of RA, all we do know is that, the bodies immune system gets confused and attacks the joints.
The symptoms of RA are however more severe than osteoarthritis. Common symptoms include
- Pain, swelling and stiffness that affects multiple joints
- Small joint involvement, especially the wrist and hands
- Symmetrical pattern of joint involvement
- Stiffness of the joints
Psoriatic Arthritis
In this condition, people have inflammation of the skin and the joints. Psoriasis causes patchy, red white inflamed areas of skin with scales. This type of arthritis affects individuals between the ages of 30 to 50.
Gout
Gout is a painful condition that is caused by a build-up of uric acid crystals in the joint. Often the individual can have severe sudden pain that is sharp that is often triggered after a night of drinking.
With increasing age, the attacks can also get more frequent. The difficult thing with gout is that the kidneys can also be affected in addition to the joint
Lupus
Lupus is an autoimmune condition that can affect the joints and many body organs. Here again, the body’s immune system malfunctions and attacks multiple parts of the body including the joints, organs, and brain. Women of childbearing age suffer more from these attacks. Common symptoms include
- Painful, swollen joints
- Headache and fatigue
- A classic ‘butterfly rash’ across the cheek
- Mouth sores
- Blue or white fingers under cold exposure
- Chest pain
- And low RBC or platelets count
I hope you enjoyed reading this short article on the 5 types of Rheumatoid arthritis. Do watch this space for more interesting reads!
References
https://www.webmd.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/guide/most-common-arthritis-types#3
