How To Understand Arthritis - Howtouk

How To Understand Arthritis

There is a wide variety of arthritis, which has various causes and symptoms associated with each type. The primary types of arthritis include Ankylosing spondylitis, Gout, Juvenile idiopathic arthritis, Osteoarthritis, Rheumatoid arthritis, and Septic arthritis.

Ankylosing Spondylitis

Ankylosing Spondylitis is a chronic degenerative inflammatory arthritis that normally affects the spine and sacroiliac joints.
Symptoms include pain and stiffness in the lower back on the spine. Other symptoms include fatigue and mouth ulcers. Normally this type of arthritis is seen more often in males between the ages of 15 to 30 with some symptoms showing up as early as age three.Causes of Ankylosing spondylitis are still unknown but may be due to gene problems.

Gout

Gout is a disease that is created with uric acid builds up in the joints. The acid crystals build up on the articular cartilage of the joints, tissue surrounding the joints, and tendons.
Symptoms of gout include sudden burning pain, swelling, and stiffness. In some cases, a low-grade fever may be present. In the majority of cases, gout is noted in the big toe, but can also be seen in the heel, instep, ankle, knee, fingers, elbow, wrist, and spine. Gout is seen in individuals with high blood pressure, postmenopausal women, and is more common in men.
Causes of gout can be the overproduction of uric acid or the inability of the kidneys to rid the body of uric acid.

Juvenile idiopathic arthritis

Juvenile idiopathic arthritis once known as juvenile rheumatoid arthritis is an inflammation of the synovium of a joint or the lining tissues. This arthritis is the most common form in children and is a long-term disease that may lead to joint damage.
Symptoms of Juvenile idiopathic arthritis include joint stiffness in the mornings, slow rate of growth, swollen painful joints, limited range of motion, high fevers, rash, swollen lymph nodes, and back pain.

Causes of Juvenile idiopathic arthritis is not actually known however some cases of children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis have a positive rheumatoid factor and mainly in males they will have a gene marker known as HLA-B27 which is also associated with various autoimmune disorders.

Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is a joint disorder that results in pain in the joints. This type of arthritis is commonly seen in adults in middle age and by age 70; practically every adult has symptoms of osteoarthritis. After age 55, it is more common in women instead of men.
Symptoms of osteoarthritis include chronic pain, loss of mobility, joint pain in rainy weather, joint swelling, and stiffness. In some cases, a few individuals may not have any symptoms.
Causes of osteoarthritis are unknown but it is often recognized with aging, but can result from trauma. It is also noticed more in families therefore they may be a hereditary gene that causes the onset.

Rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis is is a long-term disease that causes inflammation of the joints and surrounding tissues and can affect other organs. Along with this, it is an autoimmune disorder that makes the immune system attack the joints.
Symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis are fatigue, muscle aches, morning stiffness, weakness, and loss of appetitie. Not only are these symptoms present but symptoms associated with the skin such as erythema nodosum and with the joints becoming red and swollen. Erosion of the joints often occur as the disease progresses.

Septic arthritis

Septic arthritis is a bacterial infection that invades the joint thus producing arthritis.
Symptoms of septic arthritis include joint pain, swollen joints, redness of the joints, immobility of the joint affected, and a low-grade fever. In children, the symptoms include irritability, fever, the inability to move the limb, and crying when the limb is moved.

Septic arthritis is caused by organisms like streptococcus pneumoniae, staphylococcus, and group B streptococcus. The bacteria spread through the bloodstream and attacks the joints. A few things can increase the chances of having septic arthritis such as a bacterial infection, artificial joint implants, joint trauma, and sickle cell disease.

Still’s disease

Still’s disease is another form of Juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Symptoms of this type of arthritis include spiking high fever and rashes. Along with the ones, you see with Juvenile idiopathic arthritis, which are joint stiffness in the morning, swollen joints, painful joints, limited range of motion, and back pain.
There is no known cause for Still’s disease.