Arthritis simply means
inflammation in any joint, usually with
swelling, redness and pain. The pain may
occur particularly with movement, which
may be badly affected by the condition.
Not everyone who suffers the odd episode
of joint pain and stiffness has arthritis,
or has a significant problem. The two main
kinds are: Osteoarthritis
Rheumatoid
arthritis.
However, arthritis
can be caused by many other related conditions.
These include gout, Reiter's syndrome, Ankylosing
spondylitis, Psoriasis and some infections.
Osteoarthritis is
the most common t form of arthritis and
its cause is unknown. It most frequently
affects the spine, the knee and hip joints,
and damages the cartilage-covered bearing
surfaces of the affected joint. Although
it can affect younger people, about 20 per
cent of people at age 65 have some symptoms
of it, and women tend to be more severely
affected than men
Rheumatoid arthritis
is a l disease of unknown cause that affects
one to three per cent of the population.
It usually starts between the ages of 30
and 40, and women are affected three times
as often as men are.
Symptoms
The main symptoms
of arthritis are pain, swelling and limited
mobility of joints. The pain of osteoarthritis
tends to get worse as the day goes on.Rheumatoid
arthritis is often worse in th rning,
getting better as you use your joints.
Causes
Osteoarthritis is
often associated with an injury such as
a fracture, which changes the way the joint
surfaces come together. Rheumatoid arthritis
may to some extent the condition may run
in families, and there is considerable overlap
with some other conditions that can damage
the eyes, bowel and skin.
Treatment
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Arthritis
