There are more than 100 various kinds of arthritis.
THE MOST WIDESPREAD KINDS OF ARITHRITIS ARE:
* Osteoarthritis
* Rheumatoid Arthritis
* Fibromyalgia
* Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
* Osteoporosis
* Paget’s disease
* Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
* Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis
* Gout
* Scleroderma
* Psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis
* Ankylosing spondylitis
* Reiter’s syndrome/Reactive arthritis
* Adult Still’s disease
* Tertiary Lyme disease
* Polymyalgia Rheumatica
* Pseudo gout
* Raynaud’s Phenomenon
* Repetitive Stress Injury
* Sjögren’s Syndrome
The two most widespread and often occurring kinds of arthritis are: Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis.
Osteoarthritis is also called ‘degenerative joint disease’. It is the most widespread kind of arthritis; it occurs when the cartilage present between the bones wears away and the bones start rubbing against each other. This causes friction between the bones and results in swelling and pain.
Degenerative joint disease usually occurs in the knees, hands, hip and facet joints (in the spine). The precise cause of the disease is unknown. Generally osteoarthritis results from ordinary wear and tear, however, doing sports like tennis, jogging or skiing may also increase the risk.
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that afflicts joints in any area of the body.
The synovial membrane gets inflamed and the joints become swollen, stiff and painful.
Then, the inflammation affects the enclosing tissues and can harm cartilage and bones.
Rheumatoid arthritis not only acts on the joints of the arms, legs, wrists and fingers, but in some patients it also afflicts the heart, lungs and eyes and results in a general feeling of fatigue and sickness as well as fever and drop of weight.
The precise cause of the disease remains unknown, as experts are not able to clarify why the body’s own immune system affects the joints and tissues. It is claimed that acute stress also causes rheumatoid arthritis.
Fibromyalgia is a weakening disease, which results in fatigue and deep muscular pain. After osteoarthritis, it is the most widespread arthritis-related disease.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is a disease that results in pain, numbness, tingling and weakness in the thumb and fingers. The median nerve situated in the wrist becomes compressed. This nerve supplies feeling to the thumb, index, middle and ring fingers.
Osteoporosis is a condition that weakens bones. Affected bones lose easily their fracture and mass.
Paget’s disease is a chronic disorder which speeds up bone formation. This changes their shape and strength, usually causing enlargement or deformity of bones.
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus is a rheumatic condition that not only strikes the joints and muscles but also afflicts kidneys, lungs, heart and the blood-forming organs as well as nervous system and the skin.
Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis differs from adult rheumatoid arthritis as sometimes children outgrow it, and it is also more difficult to diagnose. It results in inflammation in joints and starts before the age of 16 years.
Gout strikes when the body cannot get rid of uric acid. The excess amount of uric acid forms needle-shape crystals in the joints that result in acute pain and swelling.
Scleroderma is a chronic condition that results in hardening of the joints, skin, blood vessels as well as internal organs.
Psoriatic arthritis is a widespread kind of arthritis that attacks both joints and skin. It is connected with the psoriasis, a skin condition.
Ankylosing spondylitis is a chronic kind of arthritis that attacks the spine, resulting in stiffening and inflammation of spinal joints and ligaments.
Reiter’s syndrome/Reactive arthritis is a kind of arthritis that attack the joints of the spine as well as the sacroiliac joints resulting in swelling, redness, heat and pain. The sacroiliac joint is the region of the body where the spine is attached to the pelvis.
Adult Still’s disease is a kind of arthritis that results in severe impairment to the joints, especially the wrists. It can also damage the function of the lungs and heart.
Tertiary Lyme disease is an inflammatory condition caused by tick bites. It results in inflammation and affects mainly the joints but also heart and nervous system.
Polymyalgia Rheumatica is a disease that results in acute muscle stiffness and pain. It usually strikes people over the age of 50.
Pseudo gout is a kind of arthritis that causes abnormal formation of CPP (calcium pyrophosphate) crystals in the cartilage. Then, these crystals may be kept in the joint fluid and cause abrupt pain and inflammation.
In Raynaud’s phenomenon, the small blood vessels are narrowed and the blood flow
is reduced. It changes the color of the skin, fingers and toes due to emotional stress or during exposure to cold.
Repetitive Stress Injury takes place when the same joint receives too much stress over and over again. It results in pain and swelling of the joint.
Sjögren’s Syndrome is a disorder that attacks multiple areas of the body and occurs together with rheumatoid arthritis. The body’s own cells destroy the glands that make saliva and tears.
