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Aches and pains in the muscles and bone after strenuous work is pretty common in old ages these days. But when you have swelling and chronic pain in the joints without any cause, this could be due to a type of arthritis and it needs medical attention.
Generally, arthritis means inflammation of the joints. This is one disease that affects millions of people world wide. It is one of the leading causes of chronic pain and disability. The stiffness and swelling in the joints is really hard to live with. More than 100 rheumatic diseases and other conditions are categorized under arthritis. This category includes all kinds of musculoskeletal diseases and conditions.
Joints, bones, muscles, internal organs, can be affected by arthritis. Some could be even life threatening. Arthritis can occur to anyone at any age. But most common types of arthritis generally surface as one ages. If left undiagnosed and untreated it could lead to irreversible damage to the joints, bones, skin etc.
There are three main types of arthritis like degenerative (osteoarthritis), inflammatory (rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis), crystal arthritis (gout) that is commonly seen in people all over the world.
Some arthritis types are inflammatory and some are non inflammatory. While there are also some that occur due to connective tissue disease – such as lupus, sclerosis, Sjogren’s syndrome. The most common forms of arthritis causes inflammation, it is the body’s natural response to any infection or injury. But whatever the kind of arthritis, each poses a unique problem for diagnosis and treatment.
The most common arthritis types include rheumatoid arthritis (RA), osteoarthritis, gout, scleroderma and juvenile arthritis. One of the most common type of inflammatory arthritis is rheumatoid arthritis. Here the body's immune system attacks cell lining inside the joint. This type of arthritis can only be diagnosed through a blood test. In the early stages small joints of the hands, wrist feet ankles etc are attacked. If not treated soon, it might cause irreparable damage.
Osteoarthritis is another type of arthritis that is very common. This mainly results from the wear and tear of joints. It is non-inflammatory and can be diagnosed through an X-Ray. Here, the joints and tissues surrounding it are damaged. Knee, hip joints are places where it strikes. This happens very gradually.
Gout is another very common and painful type of arthritis. The uric acid crystals that precipitate out of the blood get deposited in the joint and cause redness, tenderness, warmth and swelling in the joint.
Scleroderma is where the skin thickens and hardens due to the disease of the body's connective tissue. Juvenile arthritis is common among children. Sometimes it occurs only at a few joints and in some cases the whole body is affected.
