Arthritis, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid symptoms
Arthritis, Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid
What is it? Arthritis is inflammation of a joint. The term has been applied to many types of joint disease, not always correctly because with some types there is no real inflammation. The common factors are pain - ranging from an occasional dull ache with oasteoarthritis to the sharp stab of gout - and restriction of movement.
The common cause of inflammation in most parts of the body, infection, is no longer among the leading causes of arthritis, since the two infections most likely to settle in joints, tuberculosis and gonorrhoea, are prevented from doing so by treatment with antibiotics. Similarly rheumatic fever, where arthritis follows infection though not directly caused by it, has become rare since the discovery that streptococcal sore throats were quickly cured by penicillin.
Rheumatoid arthritis - A chronic disease of connective tissue, commoner in women than in men. In the western world at least one person in 20 has it at some time, the figure however may be much higher as mild cases generally go unreported.
The characterisitc feature is a small knot or nodule of inflammed fibrous tiissue, these tender nodules are often just under the skin. Any organ may be affected but most of the symtoms arise from inflammation of the fibrous connective tissue arounfd the joints. Any joint mat be affected but the knuckle-joints and wrists tend to suffer most.
Osteoarthritis - Degeneration of joints, with some loss of the almost frictionless cartilage linings and formation of rough deposits of bone. Since there is no inflammation osteoarthritis is also called osteoarthrosis. Conventional thinking says that it is one of the seemingly inevitable processes of ageing, affecting mainly the joints subject to most wear and tear from weight-bearing, legs and spine. Joints that have been subjected to abnormal stresses by faulty posture, injury, or deformity are especially vulneravble and may develop osteoarthritis before middle age.
For more information on arthritis please visit the CockUp.com resource on this illness where it is further discussed as are our latst research findings, drugs, cures and remedies.