subject: Believe You Have Arthritis? Perhaps It Is One Of The Below Varieties [print this page] Arthritis is a condition that causes inflammation of one or more joints and there are approximately one hundred different known types of Arthritis. When there is a breakdown of cartilage in the joints, bones can begin to rub together causing inflammation and stiffness. The cartilage, located between bones, is nature's way of providing shock absorption when the body is in motion.
Joint inflammation can be a result of broken bones, an autoimmune disease, infections by bacteria's or viruses, and general wear and tear on exhausted, overworked joints. Often the inflammation will disappear over time or if treated, but if it continues to reoccur, you may be diagnosed with chronic arthritis. Both men and women can become afflicted with debilitating cases of chronic arthritis.
Common Types of Arthritis
Some of the more common types of arthritis being treated by medial professionals today include:
Osteoarthritis
Is usually related to aging and symptoms can appear in middle age, though everyone has some symptoms by age seventy. OA appears equally in men and women before the age of fifty-five, but after fifty-five, it's more common in women. Weight gain can increase the risk of OA in the hips, knees, ankles and foot joints. Long term overuse involving work or athletic activities can also lead to Osteoarthritis.
Gout
This type of arthritis is caused when there is a build-up of uric acid in the body. This build up in the blood and fluid around the joints causes uric acid crystals to form. These crystals begin to cause the joint to swell and become inflamed. Gout is known to run in families. Though Gout is more common in men, it can affect women after menopause. It is also more common in people who drink alcohol.
Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis
Affecting children sixteen years and younger, this disease causes joint swelling, stiffness, as well as reduced motion. It affects individual joints and can also affect internal organs. Children can experience relatively few symptoms or flare-ups, or be affected by symptoms that never go away. Science confirms this as an autoimmune disorder, meaning the immune system which normally fights infection, begins to attack your body's own tissues. Medicine and Physical Therapy are usually prescribed to manage the pain and swelling, and promote range of motion.
Scleroderma
The cause is unknown, but it is known to run in families. This chronic autoimmune disease is known for causing a hardening of the skin and vascular alterations. It occurs in two major forms, Limited Systemic Sclerosis which mainly affects the arms hands and face, and Diffuse Systemic Sclerosis which affects a large portion of the skin and may include one or more organs, such as the kidneys, heart and lungs.
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
Systemic lupus erythematosus is far more common in women that in men, and while it can occur at any age, it most often afflicts people between the ages of ten and fifty. This disease is most often found in Asians and African Americans.
