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Arthritis

Written by Robert A Wilson

Friday, 16 February 2007

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Arthritis, a word that means, "joint inflammation", affects the structure and/or function of the joints. Joints are the point of connection between bones. The causes of most forms of arthritis are not completely understood. Arthritis is a general term that, along with rheumatic diseases that damage soft tissues, includes over 100 distinct conditions. Taken together, they are one of the leading causes of physical disability in the US. Arthritis is seen in all age groups, cultures, climates, and throughout history. It is seen not just in the human population but is common in other warm-blooded animals as well. Risk increases with age, overuse of a joint, a family history, joint infection, joint surgery, and injections in the joint, obesity, severe or frequent injury of a joint; and with multiple other diseases.

Two main types of arthritis are representative:

Degenerative joint disease, also referred to as osteoarthritis (OA), is seen most frequently in older people. It is the most widespread form of arthritis. As people live longer, this type of arthritis will affect more of the population. The term degenerative refers to a process of breaking down. In the case of OA, the cartilage, a type of tissue that is found at the joint and provides cushioning, becomes rougher and thinner. This in turn causes pain.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), an inflammatory arthritis and arguably the most destructive, represents another major category of arthritis. It can affect any joint, and is characterized by inflammation of the synovial membrane, a sac that contains synovial fluid that serves to "lubricate" the joint. RA is seen at all ages, typically in the same joints on both sides of the body. The cause of RA is not known but it is thought to be due to either infection or an autoimmune disorder, in which the body's defense system attacks tissues of the body as if they were foreign materials.

Symptoms may include:

Persistent joint pain, pain and stiffness of a joint that is worse in the morning; and mild to severe inflammation (redness, tenderness, swelling, warmth).
You may hear "crackles" in the joint with movement.
Symptoms may tend to come and go and fatigue, weight loss, lack of appetite, spleen enlargement; and lung, brain, and heart abnormalities may be seen.
Arthritis caused by infection can produce chills and fever.

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