Arthritis is a common condition that is found in a large number of people across the world. This disease is usually characterized by pain, inflammation, swelling, etc. in the joints. There are more than a hundred forms of arthritis, and they have different causes and symptoms. Some of the most common forms of arthritis include rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and osteoarthritis (OA). It is important for you to know about different arthritis symptoms and its medications for effectively dealing with this disease. Hence, we are listing some of the important information you want to know about arthritis.
What Is Arthritis?
Arthritis is a common disease that usually affects the elder people. However, some forms of arthritis can also affect younger people. As mentioned above, there are different types of arthritis and their causes can vary widely. Arthritis does not have a complete cure, but controlling different symptoms associated with this disease can be helpful in preventing it from getting worse.
Arthritis can result in a variety of symptoms. Some of the common arthritis symptoms include pain, swelling, inflammation, etc. in your joints and the reduced range of motions of the affected joints. These arthritis symptoms can vary based on the type of arthritis you have. Most arthritis patients will experience their symptoms getting worse in the morning and the intensity of these symptoms might reduce as the day progresses.
Rheumatoid arthritis, which is one of the most common types of arthritis, can make you feel tired and you may also lose your appetite because of the inflammation caused by the activity of the immune system. You might experience slight fever and can become anaemic, meaning that the count of your red blood cells has decreased. If left untreated, rheumatoid arthritis can cause joint deformity.
What Is The Cause Of Arthritis
The cause of different forms of arthritis will be different too. Some forms of arthritis are formed by the destruction of your cartilage tissues. These are connective tissues found in your joints and they protect your joints by absorbing the shock and pressure created when you move your joints or put stress on them. Hence, the destruction of these tissues can damage your joints, thereby resulting in arthritis.
Osteoarthritis (OA), which is a common form of arthritis, is caused by the normal wear and tear issues. In addition to this, an injury or infection in the joints can make the condition worse by accelerating the breakdown of cartilage tissues, thereby resulting in OA. Also, if your ancestors hadosteoarthritis, you are at a greater risk of developing this disease.
Another common form of arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, is formed as a result of autoimmune disorder. Here, a defective immune system will attack your own healthy tissues, resulting in their destruction. These attacks often affects the synovium, which is a soft tissue present in your joints that is responsible for producing a fluid that lubricates the joints and nourishes the cartilage. RA is a disease that affects the synovium thereby causing the destruction of the joints. It will eventually destroy the bones and the cartilages situated inside the affected joints.
How Is Arthritis Diagnosed?
If you experience any of the symptoms associated with arthritis, it is better to consult a doctor for diagnosing whether it is arthritis. If you don’t know which doctor to consult, you can see your primary care physician. He canperform a physical exam for checking the presence of red, warm, or swollen joints, a reduced range of motions, etc. He will also check for fluid around your joints and will refer to a specialist if needed.
If you are experiencing severe symptoms, you can see a rheumatologist, so that the diagnosis will be faster. A rheumatologist can diagnose your condition and suggest the needed arthritis medications.
Extracting your joint fluids and blood for analyzing the levels of inflammation can help your doctor to find out which type of arthritis you have. Different blood tests that are used for checking the presence of certain antibodies such as anti-CCP (anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide), ANA (antinuclear antibody) and RF (rheumatoid factor) are also used for determining the specific condition you have.
Doctors also use imaging scans including MRI, X-ray, CT scans, etc. for producing the image of your cartilages and bones. This will help them to rule out the presence of other diseases and symptoms such as bone spurs.
What Are The Natural Remedies For Arthritis?
In addition to arthritis medication, you can also adopt some natural remedies for controlling arthritis. It will help you to reduce differentarthritis symptoms. Some of such measures include reducing weight, performing exercises, hot and cold therapies, massage, sticking to a healthy diet, etc. All these measures can help you to effectively control arthritis.
What Are The Medications Used For Arthritis?
Doctors can prescribe different medications for controlling arthritis and its symptoms. They include analgesics, Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), immunosuppressants, etc. In addition to this, surgery or physical therapy will be needed in certain circumstances. Therefore, based on the severity and the type of arthritis you have, your doctor can prescribe the right medication for you.
