Different Types of Arthritis

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Different Types of Arthritis
In the United States alone, 58.5 million people are affected by arthritis, making it the leading cause of work disability. Globally, more than 350 million people are affected. What is arthritis and how does it affect people everyday?
Arthritis is inflammation and swelling around the joints, tissue around the joints and the connective tissue. In general symptoms include stiffness and pain but can vary depending on the type of arthritis the individual has. There are 100+ different types of arthritis each affecting different joints and parts of the body.
The most common type is Osteoarthritis, this disease affects the whole joint. Eventually the outer cartilage and fluid will break down, making it painful and difficult to move the joint. Inflammation and rubbing of the bones is common and is known to cause immense pain, this is common in the knees, spine, hips and hands. Treatments that are available for osteoarthritis are pain medications like tylenol and NSAIDs (Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), physical therapy, and hot and cold therapy.
The next type of arthritis affects 1.3 million Americans, with 75% being women, this is Rheumatoid Arthritis. When an individual has Rheumatoid Arthritis, their immune system isn’t working properly and will eventually attack the tissue of the body’s organs and joints. When someone has RA instead of their immune system creating inflammation to protect them from bacterias and invaders, their immune system becomes overactive and attacks healthy tissue as well, such as the synovium (lining) of the joints. Over time this causes permanent damage to joints and organ tissues, along with increasing pain. RA is commonly known to affect the hand, knees and internal organs such as the liver, heart and eyes. We can compare RA to another type of arthritis, such as Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis, as it is much alike, instead JIA is in kids and teens. JIA is the same as RA in a way it is also an autoimmune disease that causes the inflammatory system to attack healthy tissues. There is no cure for either Rheumatoid or Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis, but medications such as disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARs).
Gout is the next type of arthritis we will talk about today, this form of arthritis is also an inflammatory arthritis, but is different then others like RA, as Gout does not cause whole body inflammation. Instead, Gout is an imbalance of uric acid levels. If your body is unable to remove excess uric acid, the levels become too high as it begins to build up in the blood, this is known as hyperuricemia. Next is where the inflammation comes in, this uric acid then crystallizes around the joints causing painful inflammation. This crizalation causes lumps called tophi in the joints and affected tissues. A common term with Gout Arthritis, is Gout Flares, this means one minute you could feel fine, and the next you can be in immense pain. Treatment options for Gout are medications such as colchicine, corticosteroids, and uric- acid reducing drugs.
The last type of arthritis we are going to discuss today is Lupus Arthritis. Lupus is another autoimmune inflammatory disease and is common in ages 15-45. . The cause of Lupus is unknown, but results include joint pain, rashes, headaches and mouth sores. Lupus is also known to affect internal organs such as lungs, kidneys and the brain. Treatment medications for Lupus include DMARs, Corticosteroids, and NSAIDs.
25.7 million adults in the United States are limited from their daily activities because of arthritis. According to the CDC, 8 million adults have reported that arthritis has affected their ability to work. The CDC is also continuing to conduct research every day in order to better treat and support individuals with arthritis.

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