The Meaning of Arthritis The meaning of arthritis is joint inflammation. What a lot of people don't understand is that arthritis is not just one disease but a wide variety of diseases Today there are many rheumatic diseases and other conditions that are called arthritis. In fact there are over a 100 and all of them will cause pain, stiffness and swelling of the joints. Some of these conditions will actually damaged the joints of the body. When this happens this is often referred to as arthritis. This happens to be the leading cause for disability of our elderly population, as well as those of age 65 and greater. Now with arthritis, there are many different forms and each of these forms will have its own cause. The common thread between all arthritis What you are going to find that all the different forms of arthritis have in common is that pain is the number one answer. This pain is going to be located in different areas as well as feeling different to all of the individuals. Warning signs and some symptoms of arthritis Stiffness swelling pain difficulty in moving one or more joints Are you feeling stiffness and swelling in one or more of your joints and have you been feeling this for a couple weeks or more? If you answered yes to the above then you need to visit your physician and have these warning signs diagnosed and treated. Listing all the different types of arthritis would become quite extensive and I am not about to do that here. I will do another article explaining them, but for now here is a list of some of the most common types and the symptoms that are associated with each type of arthritis. Osteoarthritis - this disease happens to be a degenerative joint disease. You are going to feel the worst pain at night time or after rest. This happens from wear and tear on the body, but there are other reasons. Here are some symptoms of osteo arthritis: decreased function in the affected joint tenderness to the touch pain in the affected area swelling around the joint where pain is being felt When you are suffering from osteo arthritis, to tell initially may be tough. The onset is subtle and a gradual type thing. This is going to be one joint or several joints that can become affected and those joints may be the following: tough on the knees sore hands hips become sore and stiff spine area is affected Rheumatoid - pain is felt in the morning. Sometimes in the elderly and children the pain may not be as pronounced, but some limbs may not want to function. Rheumatoid arthritis is an auto immune disease. This occurs when the body's own immune system basically starts to attack itself. Rheumatoid arthritis can be a chronic and potentially disabling disease which can cause: Rheumatoid arthritis symptoms are similar to the other types of arthritis you can possibly lose function of a joint there is going to be pain in the joint swelling will be evident the joint will become stiff Why rheumatoid arthritis occurs is still not known. Why the body attacks itself is a mystery. Doctors are wondering if this is genetic? It can be hard at first to tell if a person is suffering from rheumatiod arthritis, since it occurs so gradually. Some of the other types of arthritis and by no means is this a complete list are the following. Gout and pseudogout, you have septic, as mentioned rheumatiod arthritis and don't forget juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and also mentioned osteoarthritis, bursitis and there are many others that have not been mentioned. With the technology today and the advances in medicine, treating arthritis symptoms have become many. Drugs, either over the counter or stronger drugs prescribed by your doctor is one way and then there is also arthroplasty. This is just a couple ways to treat the symptoms. There are times when joint pain become so severe that it may be time to try prosthetic joint replacement. This treatment has become highly effective and the patient's are very satisfied. You have to understand that arthritis has been around for a long time. Arthritis dates back to 4500 B.C.. It was then the first traces were noticed in humans. It was noticed that the Native American's of Tennessee had arthritis. In fact ankle osteo arthritis was noticed in dinosaur remains. Today all we can do is to treat the pain and stiffness that is associated with the symptoms of arthritis. Maybe in the future as studies continue on this disease, a cure may come. But for now all we can do is to treat the symptoms. There are other ways to treat arthritis, other than the couple of ways that were mentioned in this article. I will write another one detailing some of the other methods that are available. Today many people suffer from some form of arthritis, so learn of some Arthritis Prevention Tips right now and you can also discover how some of the Celebrities with Rheumatoid Arthritis get by.
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