Arthritis is a prevalent condition that often leads to disability and can affect anyone. Arthritis is an inflammatory process affecting the joints and commonly occurs in the knees, hands, and feet. While there are several contributing factors to arthritis, such as heredity, age, and obesity, the most common cause is general inflammation. Other causes include joint damage, infection, and sugar and alcohol intake.
While this might sound like arthritis is an inevitable consequence of aging, this is farther from the truth. The power to prevent and manage arthritis is in your hands due to the power to control your diet and inflammation in your body. If you want to learn more about the specific types of arthritis and what causes them, keep reading.
3 Common Types of Arthritis
Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis is the type of arthritis most commonly seen. It most often occurs in the elderly population. Some of the contributing factors to osteoarthritis are wear and tear, infection, and blood hormonal level issues. Osteoarthritis affects the elderly most of all, and it’s often seen in several joints. It leads to bony degeneration over time. The bones become deformed, and the cartilage which supports the bones breaks down.
Rheumatoid Arthritis in Joints
Another common type of arthritis is an autoimmune type called rheumatoid arthritis, which affects the lining of the joints. It’s seen more often in people over 50 years of age, and it usually follows a previous injury or illness. Medical testing of the blood for factors that are produced in this inflammatory process is one of the primary methods utilized to make the diagnosis.
Psoriatic Arthritis
The other common type of arthritis is psoriatic arthritis, which is often a complication of the skin disease psoriasis. Psoriatic arthritis is a chronic disease for which there is no current cure. It is also characterized by the autoimmune phenomenon where the immune system abnormally attacks normal cells in your body and causes inflammation of the joints.
Does Lyme Disease Cause Arthritis?
Infections can also be the cause of arthritis. An example of this would be Lyme disease, an infectious complication of the bacteria carried on ticks. Lyme disease can typically lead to joint inflammation of the knees. A bad infection in the blood called sepsis can also lead to the complication of septic arthritis which can be seen in the hands, hips, and knees.
How Does Joint Inflammation Cause Arthritis?
The primary issue in arthritis cases is the inflammation of joints. Common injuries are often the root cause of this inflammation and swelling. In addition, an infection, foreign body, or toxins in the system can also trigger arthritis. There are also certain foods, environmental factors, and genetics that can result in the inflammation of joints.
When you have an inflammation of the joints, this can lead to damage of the joint tissue, including the cartilage. If the cartilage is damaged, it may not be able to properly regenerate, leading to stiffness and loss of mobility. Treatment for arthritis focuses on addressing any underlying causes of inflammation, restoring mobility, and relieving pain.
What Arthritis Treatments Are Available?
Unfortunately, arthritis progression increases the likelihood of joint replacement surgery becoming necessary. If other treatment options fail to alleviate symptoms, there are different types of surgery that can replace a joint. These surgeries have been quite successful in knees, hips, and shoulders, with patients often seeing a significant improvement in their condition post-surgery. Though the surgery and subsequent recovery can be difficult, modern advances in equipment and technique have made the process much less daunting than it once was.
The treatment for each form of arthritis varies. Arthritis can be managed with medication and physical therapy. Medications like steroids can help control arthritis symptoms, often with severe side effects, but often cannot cure the disease completely. There have also been promising results with natural remedies like CBD oil or kratom powder and maintaining good nutrition.
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