The problem of joint diseases is always relevant. After forty years, about a third of all people begin to feel pain when moving, and after fifty, more than half of the population begins to feel pain. The gradual destruction of the cartilage, ligaments, bones and soft tissues around the joints is called by doctors the general term "osteoarthritis".
How can this situation be prevented? And what treatments will help relieve pain when the disease has already developed? To answer these questions, you must first understand the difference between arthritis and arthritis - the most common pathologies of the joints.
What is arthritis?
What is the main difference between arthritis and arthritis can be seen from the names: acute, sudden diseases end with "-itis". with "-from" – diseases with a slow course, chronic processes.
Arthritis is an inflammatory joint damage that occurs due to dysfunction of the immune system due to infection (for example, sore throat or otitis media), trauma, metabolic disorders, hypothermia, stress or other reasons (even autoimmune).
The first signs appear as follows:
- sharp pain in one or more joints (often not only during movement), especially early in the morning.
- enlargement, swelling, edema, redness of the painful joint.
- a noticeable increase in temperature at the point of inflammation.
The inflammatory processes caused by arthritis can affect the entire body. In this case, the patient feels high temperature, chills, loses strength and may experience inflammation of other organs (eyes, genitourinary system, even heart, lungs, liver and kidneys).
Arthritis has many dozens of forms. The most common of these are:
- rheumatism– inflammation of the connective tissue of large and medium-sized joints that occurs after infections.
- rheumatoid arthritis– an autoimmune slow process that symmetrically affects many joints at the same time. causes the appearance of "nodules", pain, loss of mobility. can cause inflammation of many organs.
- arthritis– caused by the accumulation of uric acid in the blood and salts in the joints. more often it starts with sharp pain in the joint of the big toe.
- reactive arthritis– occurs against a background of damage to the body from infections (chlamydia, streptococci, etc. )
- infectious arthritis– starts due to bacterial infection of the joint itself.
What is arthropathy?
Unlike arthritis, arthritis is not accompanied by inflammatory processes. It causes poor circulation in the joint, which causes the cartilaginous parts to begin to dry out.
Arthritis is a disease that deforms and destroys joint tissue. With this, the connective layers become dehydrated, thinner and "worn". The bones begin to touch each other, which causes pain and makes it difficult for the person to move.
The signs of osteoarthritis of the joints are:
- after a long period of immobility (for example, a night's rest), the joint "freezes", but then grows rapidly when activity is resumed.
- the operation of the joint is accompanied by strange sounds (clicking, creaking, grinding).
- Physical activity causes pain.
What are the differences between arthritis and arthritis?
Both of these diseases affect the joints. But they are caused by different reasons, proceed differently and can lead to very different consequences. Only the correct diagnosis, based on the difference between arthritis and arthritis, can prevent irreparable damage to the body.
It takes time for cartilage tissue degeneration to develop sufficiently and bone deformation to begin. Therefore, chronic arthropathy usually manifests itself in old age (after 60 years, less often after 50). The most prone to changes are the joints that constantly work under load: the fingers of musicians, the knees of athletes and loaders, the ankles of people who walk a lot or work standing, etc.
Conversely, arthritis can occur even in a child. The inflammatory process causes pathology of the synovial membrane, saturated with blood vessels and synovial fluid (while with arthropathy it is simply produced in insufficient quantities). Unfortunately, almost one in five cases of disability in the world is caused by various forms and complications of arthritis.
Inflammation can affect not only the joints, but also other tissues with active blood circulation: blood vessels and heart, lungs, abdominal organs, eyes, urinary system, etc. On the other hand, arthropathy is limited by local mechanical bone damage and osteophyte formation in areas of joint deformity. Although in late stages and advanced forms, the disease can also lead to disability, completely immobilizing a person's limbs.
How does arthritis and arthritis manifest?
Let's compare the external manifestations to clearly explain the difference between the symptoms of arthritis and arthritis.
- Pain. In the initial stages of arthropathy (lasting for years), joint pain occurs during physical activity and subsides after rest. It is rarely sharp and forceful. Even when the disease progresses, when pain can occur even with small movements and even at rest, it is usually enough to give the body a comfortable position for the pain to subside. With arthritis, the patient is disturbed by sharp pain attacks of great strength, which can only be extinguished with special drugs. A typical symptom is pain at rest, especially early in the morning.
- Clicking, grinding, cracking joints. In joints affected by arthrosis, the layers of cartilage are destroyed. They stop protecting the heads of the bones from touching each other. Therefore, when they move, the bones touch and rub, producing rough, dry sounds. The more the disease progresses, the louder and louder the knocks in the joints. Arthritis is usually not accompanied by such symptoms.
- Deformation of the joint and surrounding tissues. The development of arthropathy over time causes a change in the shape of the bones: their heads begin to crumble and wear away, and osteophytes may appear. Sometimes in the acute stages there is swelling and pain, but these symptoms are not permanent. But a joint affected by arthritis becomes inflamed and swollen. Forms of swelling and compression appear. The skin becomes red and warm.
- Limited mobility. Osteoarthritis causes stiffness in a particular joint that subsides with movement. In deeper stages, stiffness increases, range of flexion decreases, eventually leading to immobility. With arthritis, you may feel stiff throughout your body and attempts to move will cause sharp pain.
- Changes in blood composition. Arthritis is not an inflammatory disease, so it is not reflected in the analysis. Arthritis causes a significant increase in the erythrocyte sedimentation rate, which indicates an active infectious and inflammatory process.
Thus, the symptoms of arthropathy in the initial stages can rarely cause severe anxiety and discomfort. This leads to a careless attitude and late diagnosis of the disease, which means that it complicates further treatment.
Causes of osteoarthritis
There are several factors that increase the risk of pathological changes in the joints and surrounding tissues: constant overload, imbalance of the immune and hormonal systems, poor physical condition. Therefore, to prevent the disease, you must regularly follow these recommendations:
- Maintain moderate physical activity with simple exercises, walking, swimming, etc. This will help you get rid of excess weight, improve blood circulation, strengthen muscles - and thus relieve stress on your joints.
- Try to eat healthy foods. Fatty foods, red meat and alcohol can be harmful. On the contrary, seafood, fruits and vegetables and dishes containing cartilage and gelatin will be beneficial for the body. It is important to drink plenty of clean water (2-3 liters per day).
- Choose appropriate clothes and shoes: comfortable heels, warm enough, that do not restrict movement.
- If possible, avoid stress, disturbances and other "shocks" to the body.
However, if a person has already been diagnosed with arthritis or arthritis, before performing even such simple actions, you should consult a doctor. In some cases, conventional prevention can also cause harm and worsen the condition.
But how are arthritis and gout treated? What's the difference? The causes of these pathologies differ: immune processes, fighting infection in the first case versus cartilage malnutrition in the second. Therefore, the ways to deal with them will be different. To choose the right course of action, you must first make an accurate diagnosis.
To do this, it is best to undergo X-ray and MRI in combination with laboratory tests of blood and urine. After studying the results, the doctor will prescribe the appropriate recommendations.
Treatment of arthritis
If the acute form of the disease is caused by an infection, then it can be treated with antibiotics. But in this case, it is important to choose the drug accurately: it is necessary to neutralize the pathogenic bacteria before the pathology of the joint becomes irreversible. The course is supplemented with anti-inflammatory and immune-supporting drugs.
In the case of chronic arthritis (for example, rheumatoid), treatment must be carried out regularly throughout life. The most commonly used are corticosteroids, cytostatics and modern biological products. These are quite powerful drugs, so to ensure that they do not cause harm to the body, the correct calculation of doses, frequency and duration of use is critical.
For severe pain, your doctor may also prescribe a range of pain relievers. And accompanying support methods are necessarily recommended: diet, physical therapy and a course of physical therapy. If the inflammation has spread to other organs, the patient should be referred for additional specialized tests.
Treatment of arthritis
Modern methods make it possible to almost completely get rid of the manifestations of the disease if the diagnosis was made at an early stage and the patient's age does not reach forty years. To do this, in addition to the standard monitoring of stress on the joint and a series of drugs (they start regeneration, restore nutrition and hydration of the cartilage), the patient may be prescribed mud wraps, electrophoresis and acoustic therapy (which affects thediseased tissue with low-frequency sounds).
In older people or in advanced forms, arthropathy cannot be completely cured, although it is possible to achieve a significant improvement in the condition and slow down the destructive processes in the joint. This requires strict adherence to the doctor's recommendations: regular use of drugs (for example, chondroprotectors), maintaining a healthy lifestyle, timely completion of prescribed procedures, monitoring the load on the joints.
In arthropathy, the main focus is on restoring the cartilage layer. If there are simultaneous symptoms of inflammatory processes, antibiotics or corticosteroids may be prescribed to alleviate the acute stage and transition to the main treatment regimen. In some severe cases, surgery may be required, even the implantation of an artificial joint.