According to observations, more than 6, 000 search engine users are interested in the differences between osteoarthritis and arthritis each month. At first glance, the diseases are similar: in both cases there are painful injuries to the joints. Ignorance of the main differences from this defeat itself is a real trap, leading to irreparable complications. The nature of these diseases is different, which means that treatment and prevention will be different. Let's look at each of them in as much detail as possible and find all the similarities and differences.
What is arthritis?
Before dealing with the causes and symptoms of the disease, it is worth mentioning the numbers. Arthritis is a disease with more than 200 varieties, which manifests itself in different ways. Unlike osteoarthritis, which speaks for itself in old age, arthritis appears at the age of 25-40. According to the WHO, more than 19% of injuries are the result of its complications.
Arthritis is an inflammatory joint disease resulting from weakened immune processes or severe infections (intestinal or genitourinary). Metabolic disorders, stress, hypothermia often cause the development of inflammation.
The main symptoms of the disease are fever in the center of the lesion, redness, swelling and swelling. In addition, the patient may experience general hyperthermia, loss of strength, conjunctivitis, painful urination.
Arthritis begins with joint pain, but in advanced form affects the heart, liver, kidneys, eyes and more. Often the disease proceeds in a blurred asymptomatic form, but its first manifestations are standard:
- acute pain occurring both on the move and at rest;
- persistent or intermittent swelling that occurs at the site of the lesion;
- the painful joint is "violent" and this can be determined by touch;
- pain and stiffness movements disturbances in the early morning (4-5 in the morning).
Advanced arthritis can turn into osteoarthritis and that will be a whole other story.
What is osteoarthritis?
According to WHO observations, 70% of cases of this disease occur in people over 64 years. Osteoarthritis is called a disease of "pianists and athletes", because this category is subject to stress on the wrists, knees, ankles.
Osteoarthritis is a disease that provokes deformation of joint tissues to complete destruction. It develops due to a decrease in the amount of joint fluid and circulatory disorders. In the affected articular cartilage, nutrition is disrupted, causing it to "dry out" and "wear out. "
The main job of the joint is to prevent the adjacent bones from touching each other. This allows a person to move freely and painlessly. Dehydrated articular cartilage breaks down slowly but surely, leading to the same bone contacts. The more the disease progresses, the more a person experiences pain and stiffness of movements, to the point of injury.
The first symptoms of deformity have their own characteristics:
- joint stiffness after a long rest, giving way to movement;
- dull clicks, grinding and crushing;
- painful sensations when walking and exercise.
In osteoarthritis, only the joints are affected, without affecting other organs. Inflammatory processes in this case are absent.
Parallel comparison of diseases
To understand exactly how arthritis differs from osteoarthritis, it is worth drawing a parallel between the main differences, summarizing the above:
- Pain. It accompanies both the first and the second disease, but its manifestation is of a different nature. In osteoarthritis, the pain occurs exclusively during movement and exertion and is often mild. For this reason, a person is not aware of serious pathologies and does not start timely treatment. With each subsequent stage, however, the pain becomes more intense and begins to bother even at rest.
As for arthritis, here it does not always depend on physical activity and is eliminated only with painkillers. The disease is characterized by pain that occurs in the early morning hours.
- Crunch. Crunching and grinding are not always a cause for concern. However, in osteoarthritis, it has a special sound, rougher and drier, increasing with each subsequent stage. It becomes a signal for the destroyed cartilage layer and the beginning of bone friction. In arthritis, digestion is not common.
- Deformation. In osteoarthritis, the joint is deformed and inflammatory processes can also occur. In arthritis, seals appear, swelling, redness and hyperthermia appear, but deformity occurs only if one disease has spread to another.
- Immobilization. In osteoarthritis, the affected joint becomes stiff.
- Age threshold. Arthritis can develop even in children, but according to statistics, the average age of patients is 25-40 years. Osteoarthritis is considered a disease of "old age" and is the result of natural aging. Also at risk are people whose lives are associated with stress on the joints.
- Development of symptoms. The symptoms of arthritis are felt in the initial stage of inflammation. The second disease develops slowly and asymptomatically, which misleads the patient without giving cause for concern.
How is arthritis treated?
The disease is felt acutely in the first stage, which is why in most cases it is treated in a timely manner. If no lesions of the internal organs are found during the diagnosis, recovery proceeds smoothly. The course of treatment of the disease is carried out with the help of anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive drugs, as well as antibiotics. If the situation works, it is repeated until full recovery.
Recovery takes place in a complex way, which is why the patient is prescribed special therapeutic exercises, diet and abandonment of bad habits. During this period, all energy loads are switched off.
If arthritis is chronic, rheumatoid, it cannot be completely cured. For temporary improvement, powerful drugs are used - cytostatics, corticosteroids. Today, medicine makes it possible to achieve long-term remission in this disease, avoiding the abundance of hormonal agents. However, to prevent such a development, you should not self-medicate and delay a visit to the doctor.
How is osteoarthritis treated?
The effectiveness of treatment for osteoarthritis depends on the stage of the disease: the earlier it is detected, the sooner a person will recover. The patient's age also plays an important role. As a therapeutic measure, the patient is assigned to regulate the load on the affected joint, drugs for the liver.
The disease, which has acquired a chronic form, does not give way completely, but modern medicine is able to competently control the disease, preventing further deformation of the joint. In a neglected form, when it cannot be repaired, they resort to artificial endoprostheses.
Whichever of the two considered diseases a person faces, the treatment must be competent and timely. At the slightest suspicion of illness, seek the advice of an experienced specialist, because lost time is forever lost health. To get help from a qualified orthopedic traumatologist, contact the clinic.