Arthritis is an inflammation, swelling and tenderness of one or more of your joints. The main symptoms of arthritis are joint pain and stiffness, which typically worsen with age. The most common types of arthritis are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
CAUSES OF ARTHRITIS
Arthritis can be caused by a variety of factors ranging from infections, tissue trauma, inflamed ligament and tendons, degenerative changes or metabolic disorders etc.
TYPES OF ARTHRITIS
Ankylosing spondylitis
Gout
Juvenile idiopathic arthritis
Osteoarthritis
Psoriatic arthritis
Reactive arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis
Septic arthritis
Thumb arthritis
There are various types of arthritis but only the commonly and predominant types will be mention here:
1) OSTEOARTHRITIS (OA)
Osteoarthritis is a predominant type of arthritis. It affects joints that bear weight like your knee hip feet and spine. It usually happens with age but can also occur due to a joint injury or obesity.
The most common type of arthritis, osteoarthritis involves wear-and-tear damage to your joint’s cartilage — the hard, slick coating on the ends of bones where they form a joint. Cartilage cushions the ends of the bones and allows nearly frictionless joint motion, but enough damage can result in bone grinding directly on bone, which causes pain and restricted movement. This wear and tear can occur over many years, or it can be hastened by a joint injury or infection.
Osteoarthritis also affects the entire joint. It causes changes in the bones and deterioration of the connective tissues that attach muscle to bone and hold the joint together. It also causes inflammation of the joint lining.
2) RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease i.e. the immune system attack parts of the body especially joints. This leads to inflammation causing severe joint damage if not treated on time.
The exact cause of what makes the immune system attack the body is still idiopathic as many health practitioner believed
The immune system becomes confused due to infection with a bacteria or virus attacking the joints which in turn affect the whole body.
3) PSORIATIC ARTHRITIS
This is an inflammation of the skin and joint. It usually affects the tips of the elbows and knee, scalp, navel and skin around the genital area and Anus.
4) GOUTY ARTHRITIS
Gouty arthritis is an accumulation of uric acid in the joint usually the toe or other parts of foot.
Gout arthritis occurs due to…
I) your body making more uric acid
II) You are consuming too many food that contain uric acid
III) Your kidney can’t process the uric acid your body makes.
5) LUPUS ARTHRITIS
Lupus arthritis is also an autoimmune disease which can affect your joint and many parts of the body.
Apart from relating lupus to an immune system disorder, other cause has been termed idiopathic.
The most common signs and symptoms of arthritis involve the joints. Depending on the type of arthritis you have, your signs and symptoms may include:
Pain
Stiffness
Swelling
Redness
Decreased range of motion
Note
The two main types of arthritis — osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis — damage joints in different ways.