What Are the Different Types of Arthritis?
Arthritis is a common condition that affects millions of people in the country. There are more than 100 different types of arthritis and each one of them require a different set of treatment plan, unlike the common belief. Diagnosing the correct type of arthritis is thus equally important in giving out the appropriate treatment to the patient. Understanding the type of arthritis helps to know the reason for the pain and the steps to be taken to keep oneself active. The most common types of arthritis are rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. Some other common types of this condition include gout, psoriatic arthritis, lupus, and septic arthritis. Here is a look at the three most common types of arthritis.
Osteoarthritis
This is a chronic condition affecting the joints and is also known as degenerative arthritis. Osteoarthritis is often caused by obesity, aging and overuse of the joints during demanding activities like sports. It is also common among people who have had injury early in life. This condition often affects hips, knees, feet and spine. This condition is characterized by symptoms including severe pain in the joints, difficulty in gripping objects, morning stiffness, swelling in the joints and loss of mobility in one of the joints.
Rheumatoid arthritis
This is a more severe form of arthritis and the pain and swelling can be seen in different locations including hands, elbows, knees, jaws and even neck. The symptoms often affect different joints at the same time. The most characteristic feature of this form of arthritis is that the symptoms often affect the joints on both parts of the body. Debilitating fatigue, inflammation and lack of appetite are also common. This is an autoimmune disease in which the body’s own immune system attacks the tissues.
Psoriatic arthritis
This type of arthritis is characterized by skin and joint inflammation. Skin will have raised, red patches with scales. The symptoms are usually seen on the tips of elbows and knees and the scalp. Along with the skin symptoms, people with psoriatic arthritis will also have inflammation of the joints. Fingers and toes may show swelling along with pitted and discolored nails. But in this form of arthritis, only joints of a single side may be affected. It is usually seen in people of the age group 30 to 50 years. In some cases, the skin and joint symptoms may be seen separately.
