In the meantime, these diseases have a completely different nature and a different treatment.Knowing these differences means not giving an illness a chance to sit down about them.
Difference 1. Source of the problem
Osteoarthritis is a degenerative process, accompanied by deformation and abrasion of the joint capsule, which means that the joints can move lightly and freely.In addition to older people, arthrosis often suffers from athletes who, due to constant overcharge, cartilage, the covering of the surface of the joints, cracks and thinning.
Arthritis is an inflammatory disease that is either associated with a failure in the immune system (rheumatoid arthritis) or with an infection - intestine (reactive arthritis, ankylosinus spondylitis)).
Difference 2. Symptoms
Osteoarthritis is not always explained by pain that occurs during movement or morning stiffness that disappears after several movements.The joints affected by arthrosis on the first click and crunch, the potential victim of the disease do not pay attention and continue to charge the worn joint.
Arthritis begins with sharp pain, swelling, reddening of the skin around the sick joint, fever.But first it can occur in a hidden form.The impulse for the development of the disease can give stress, overload, hypothermia, infection - a cold, cystitis.
Difference 3. The type of joint damage
Osteoarthritis most often affects the joints of the legs (hip, knee, ankle) that make up the maximum load.
With rheumatoid arthritis, the joints of brushes or feet suffer.Then the elbow and knee joints (normally symmetrical) are affected, and sometimes the disease influences internal organs (liver, kidneys).
In reactive arthritis, the inflammation of the joints is more common asymmetrical in nature: not both joints suffer, but one.The pain runs from foot to toe as in the steps.
Difference 4. Treatment
Osteoarthritis, especially in a neglected state, is impossible to finally heal.With a competent and constant absorption of oral drugs that stimulate cartilage regeneration, however, it is possible to slow down its development and to improve the quality of the patient's life.Inhibitory medication with osteoarthritis plays an auxiliary role due to their negative effect on the mucous membrane of the gastrointestinal tract.
Arthritis infectious origin is completely healed when the treatment begins in good time with medication that affects immunity and antibiotics.In particularly serious, advanced cases, the course of treatment is repeated several times.
It will be necessary to treat rheumatoid arthritis for lifelong doses of corticosteroids, anti -inflammatory medication and cytostatics.But other drugs appear.In the mid-1990s, the era of genetic-technical biological medication began, which enabled it to achieve a long time to achieve the disease and to reduce the dose of hormonal means.