ARTHRITIS
There are several kinds of arthritis; the following are the most common:
Osteoarthritis: Also called degenerative arthritis. It occurs when the cushioning cartilage in a joint breaks down. It commonly affects the feet, knees, hips, and fingers. It involves an estimated four crore Indians, mostly 45 years and older. About half of those 65 years and older have this form.
Rheumatoid Arthritis: The body’s immune system attacks the lining or synovial membrane of the joints. Joint damage can become severe and deformed. It involves the whole body and may also cause fatigue, weight loss, anaemia, and affect the lungs, heart and eyes. Affects about 50 lakh Indians, thrice as many women as men.
Gout: Sudden, severe attacks, usually in the big toe, but any joint can be affected. A metabolic disorder in which uric acid builds up in the blood and crystals form in joints and other places. Drugs and attention to diet can control gout. It affects about 30 lakh Indians (almost 80 per cent of them men), with the first attack starting between 40 and 50 years of age.
Ankylosing Spondylitis is a chronic spine disease that can result in fused vertebrae and a rigid spine. Often milder and more complex to diagnose in women. It usually affects men between the ages of 16 and 35.
Juvenile Arthritis: The most common form is juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. Its characteristics are different from those seen in adults. Some children recover entirely; others remain affected throughout their lives.
Psoriatic Arthritis: The bone and other joint tissues become inflamed, and like rheumatoid arthritis, it can affect the whole body. Affects about 5 per cent of people with psoriasis, a chronic skin disease. Likely to affect the fingers or spine. Symptoms are mild in most people but can be pretty severe.
Rheumatic Fever: In this fever, fleeting joint pains, malaise, sore throat and affliction of the heart are caused by streptococcus infection.
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: Involves skin, joints, muscles, and sometimes internal organs. Symptoms usually appear in women of childbearing age but can occur in anyone at any age. Also called lupus or SLE, it can be mild or life-threatening. It affects nine to ten times as many women as men.
Other Conditions: Arthritis can develop as a result of an infection. For example, bacteria that cause gonorrhoea can cause arthritis. Infectious arthritis can cause severe damage but usually clears up completely with antibiotics. Tubercular arthritis can affect any joint in the body and will require anti-tubercular medication.
Scleroderma is a systemic disease that involves the skin but may include problems with blood vessels, joints and internal organs.
Fibromyalgia syndrome is soft-tissue rheumatism that doesn’t lead to joint deformity.
Fibrositis usually occurs mainly in women after childbearing, though it is known to affect teenagers as well. Symptoms worsen with cold and humidity.
Bursitis is a painful inflammation of the bursa—tiny sacs with fluid that are shock absorbers between bones, muscles and joints. The area surrounding the joint rather than the joint itself is affected.
ARE ALL JOINT PAINS SIGNS OF ARTHRITIS?
Tennis elbow or epicondylitis of the elbow joint is often confused with arthritis. It is caused by overuse of arms, weight lifting, etc. Frozen shoulder or pericapsulitis leads to a loss of motion and causes general pain and tenderness. The same is true with Achilles Tendinitis, a painful foot condition caused by athletic overactivity. These are passing pains and usually disappear after due rest has been afforded to the exerted joint. For example, stiffness in the neck may be of muscular origin and not necessarily arthritis and may result from sleeping in an awkward position. Many such discomforts disappear after a while, but if pain persists or occurs more frequently, arthritis may be suspected. In children, growing pains—which often interfere with children’s sleep—may also be mistaken for arthritis, but these require no specific treatment as they shall soon pass.
WARNING SIGNS OF ARTHRITIS
The main warning signs to look out for in case of arthritis are:
• Persistent pain and stiffness arising.
• Pain, tenderness or swelling in one or more joints.
• Recurrence of these symptoms, especially when involving multiple joints.
• Recurrent or persistent pain and stiffness in the neck, lower back, knees and other joints.
DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT
A common misconception about arthritis is that it is a non-curable disease, and the best one can do is manage it by reducing the pain. But new research into the mechanism of arthritis and the introduction of path-breaking new drugs is fast changing all that. Arthritis can be successfully combated, and people can get on with their lives without too much hindrance from the disease. Proper treatment depends on the diagnosis of the specific illness and varies with severity and location and from person to person. Diagnosis depends on integrating a host of factors, including the possibility that a person may have two forms of the disease. But treatment need not wait for a final diagnosis because initial treatment options, such as anti-inflammatory drugs and exercise, are similar for many forms of the disease. Treatment should begin early to reduce joint damage.
Generally, arthritis is a disease that has days of ups and downs. A worsening or reappearance of the disease is called a flare. Remissions bring welcome relief but can also obscure whether symptoms decreased on their own or due to treatment. This leads to mistaken beliefs in unproven quack cures and poor drug compliance by the patient, worsening the condition in the long run.