Most Common Forms of Arthritis!!

Arthritis means “joint inflammation”. There are over 100 different types of arthritis including rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, pseudogout, fibromyalgia, and psoriatic arthritis and a lot more. Arthritis is mainly caused by inflammation of joints but in some cases reason may be different.

Inflammation is defined as the natural body’s response to injury or infection. Normally when injury or scratch occurs, human body releases chemicals that cause white blood cells and fluids to accumulate around the area of the injury or scratch. Now when your body fights foreign substances and bacteria, redness, heat, swelling, pain and inflammation occurs at the sight of the injury. However In arthritis, this natural defense mechanism doesn’t work properly. Thus elements from blood instead of fighting with foreign substances attacks body itself.

The types of arthritis which are mainly found in individuals are:-

Rheumatoid Arthritis: - It is the prototypical autoimmune form of arthritis which causes serious inflammation. RA when left untreated may shorten life expectancy.

Psoriatic Arthritis: - It involves serious inflammation and found in association with psoriasis. It requires early diagnosis and proper medication.
Osteoarthritis: - People associate this type of arthritis with age. Osteoarthritis mainly affects weight bearing areas such as hips, knees, base of the thumbs, spine and feet.

Polymyalgia rheumatica: - It is characterized by severe stiffness, and aching in the neck, shoulder and hips. Polymyalgia rheumatica affects people of age group above 50.

Ankylosing spondylitis: - It involves pain in lower back, spine and sacroiliac joints.

Reactive arthritis: - It mainly occurs after infection i.e. intestinal or genitourinary infections. It is often found in young people and adults.

Gout: - This type of arthritis occurs due to the deposition of monosodium urate (MSU) crystals. It mainly affects joints and kidneys.

Pseudogout: - It is similar to gout and rheumatoid arthritis. Pseudogout involves the deposition of calcium pyrophosphate or hydroxyapatite crystals.

Systemic lupus erythematosus: - It is an autoimmune disease which affects many internal organ systems. It is most commonly found in women during their child-bearing years.

Polymyositis: - It involves inflammation of muscles responsible for the functioning of lungs, heart etc.

Fibromyalgia: - It occurs due to defective functioning of neurotransmitters in the brain which are responsible for many sensory functions.

Lyme disease: - It occurs due to an organism “Borrelia burgdorferi” which is transmitted by a deer tick bite.