Health Conditions

What are the symptoms?

Symptoms of arthritis include:

• tenderness

• pain

• stiffness

• decreased range of motion

• uncomfortable joint sensations

In some cases, fever or skin rash can accompany joint symptoms.

The two most common types of arthritis are:

1. Osteoarthritis - a degenerative disease causing your body's cartilage to deteriorate, leaving bone to rub against bone. Our bodies are like any other machine: the moving parts, that is, our joints, need some kind of cushioning and lubrication so that the bones do not grate against each other every time we move. In normal joints, bones are supported by muscle, tendons, and bursa, which are sacs containing lubricating fluid. The joint's inner lining, called its synovial membrane, lubricates the joint by releasing a slippery fluid known as hyaluronic acid. Cartilage cushions the ends of the bones and keeps them from rubbing together during normal movement.

   In osteoarthritis, the cartilage breaks down and the bones rub together. Bone ends may thicken and form growths called spurs. The joint then loses its normal shape, joint alignment changes, and pieces of cartilage or bone may float in the joint space. The causes of this cartilage breakdown may be normal wear and tear, birth defects, genetics, infection, or injury.
   
   

2. Rheumatoid Arthritis-inflammation of the joint lining, called synovium, which leads to joint deterioration. Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic disease characterized by general ill health and chronic inflammation of the tissues around the joints and tendons. It is a relatively common disease, affecting 2% of the population. It appears to have genetic origins. However, environmental factors may play a role. It has been found, for example, that its incidence changes in a particular population group with changes in their environment, like moving from the country into the city.

   This serious disease can be fatal when vital body organs are affected. In the absence of effective treatment, many patients experience significantly reduced mobility and function after they have had the disease for 10 years.

   Rheumatoid arthritis is believed to be the result of an autoimmune response. Elements of the body's immune system, the white blood cells known as T-cells, fail to recognize natural body chemicals as normal and attack these chemicals as if they were invaders, or antigens. When rheumatoid arthritis affects the joints, the immune system first attacks the synovium. This is the tissue lining the joint. The joint lining thickens as it becomes inflamed and damages cartilage and bone. Enzymes released during the inflammatory process damage the joint further.

   Our immune system is a complex organization of cells and signaling chemicals known as cytokines that are designed to target and destroy invaders, like bacteria, viruses and foreign bodies. To defend the body, our immune system has to learn to recognize self and non-self. It does so by learning to recognize pieces of the foreign invader, known as antigens. If for some reason, the body loses its ability to differentiate self from non-self, then the immune system attacks its own tissue in addition to outside invaders. This is known as an auto-immune reaction.

   When the immune system mistakes natural body chemicals for foreign substances, it may attack normal body tissues.

   Scientists do not yet understand how this happens. For an immune reaction to occur, the tissue must be sending out a chemical signal that identifies it as an invader. Some scientists theorize that this signal could be the result of a genetic defect. Others believe that the body may have had an unknown viral or retroviral infection that left antigens in the tissue which identify it as foreign.

   Rheumatoid arthritis causes disease both in the joints and other body organs. The joint disease first manifests itself as an inflammatory disease that is characterized by pain, morning stiffness, fever, and swelling of the joints. With time, the disease becomes chronic, and the underlying cartilage and bone in the joints are damaged. The bone becomes thinner, and the cartilage becomes narrow and worn away. Once cartilage has been lost, the damage is irreversible. Over time, the inflammation starts to subside, but by this time the joints are deformed and function deteriorates.

   Other organs can be involved. Some patients can suffer from anemia, either from the disease, or from side effects of drug therapy. Other patients develop pericarditis, or inflammation of the lining around the heart. When nerve tissue is compressed as a result of joint damage, patients experience conditions like carpal tunnel syndrome. Some patients develop nodules under their skin, usually behind the elbow and at the back of their forearms. These nodules are sometimes a sign of more serious disease.

Other types of arthritis include:

• Gout-a recurrent inflammation of the joints, frequently the big toe. The patient most often recognizes gout because it commonly manifests itself with pain and inflammation of the big toe. It can, however, be found in other joints. Gout occurs when the kidneys are unable to eliminate uric acid from the body. This results in the build-up of uric acid crystals that concentrate in the joints. Gout has traditionally been identified as the arthritis of rich living, because it is associated with over-indulgence in alcohol and rich foods. This assumption may be incorrect; nevertheless, doctors advise their patients to drink a lot of liquids, avoid alcoholic beverages, and eat smaller amounts of protein-rich foods. Gout is usually treated with anti-inflammatory medications.
  
  

• Psoriatic arthritis-a type of joint inflammation that occurs in patients with psoriasis, a skin condition characterized by red, scaly or itchy patches of skin
  
  

• Spondyloarthritis-inflammation of the spine
  
  

• Viral or post-viral arthritis-joint inflammation related to a virus
  
  

• Septic arthritis-arthritis caused by bacterial infection