Many people don't always understand the difference between arthritis and osteoarthritis because of the similarity of the names.Both diseases are associated with the joints, but the causes, symptoms, diagnosis and therefore treatment are fundamentally different.It is very important to determine the nature of the disease at the initial stage in order to begin appropriate treatment.
Arthritis, osteoarthritis and their effects on the joints
To begin proper treatment of a joint, you must first determine what type of disease it is susceptible to.And to do this, you need to understand for yourself what the difference is between arthritis and osteoarthritis.
Both diseases affect the joints, but have different symptoms and causes.
What is osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis sooner or later affects around 10% of the population, appearing most often with age.Osteoarthritis is a deformation of the joints and a reduction in their mobility.Its correct name should be considered osteoarthritis.
The main symptoms are pain when moving and loss of mobility, the range of motion of the affected joint decreases and an unpleasant, dry, sharp cracking sound appears when moving.Deformities can also be observed in cases of osteoarthritis.For example, it is very easy to notice a change in the shape of the knee joint.
Osteoarthritis can be detected at the initial stage.The diagnosis is complicated only by the negligent attitude towards the health of the patients themselves.Pain in the initial stage appears only during exertion, therefore many do not attach importance to it, which aggravates the disease and complicates treatment.
Arthritis and its symptoms
Although osteoarthritis is a disease of the joints only, arthritis is often contagious and affects the entire body.These diseases are one of the manifestations of the general condition of the body.It is much more difficult to treat and diagnose.Joint pain is accompanied by swelling and inflammation;the pain does not disappear, but only intensifies, much more quickly than in cases of osteoarthritis.Infectious arthritis not only affects cartilage tissue, it also negatively affects the heart, kidneys and liver.Although arthritis is approximately 5 times less common than osteoarthritis, it is much more difficult to treat, it represents a great danger to the patient's life and its causes can be varied.
The main symptoms of arthritis are:
- high temperature;
- skin inflammation, psoriasis;
- general weakness of the body;
- discomfort in the eyes;
- discharge from the genitals;
- chills, increased sweating.
The skin around the joints is particularly hot and swollen.
How does arthritis differ from osteoarthritis in the nature of the disease?
To better understand the causes of these diseases, you need to understand their nature and classify them.
All joint diseases can be divided into two groups: inflammatory processes and dystrophic processes.
To determine the nature of a disease whose symptoms are similar to another, it is important to diagnose and determine the cause of a particular process in the body.
The main problem in both diseases is the imbalance in the joints between the processes of destruction and repair.The stronger the imbalance, the faster bone tissue is destroyed, which manifests itself at the cellular level as a lack of oxygen and nutrition, as well as poor production of healthy bone tissue components.
Most often, the process goes unnoticed, and when the number of dead cells exceeds the norm, pain appears.So the body tries to “complain” about excessive stress and asks for help.
Dystrophic diseases
Most often, these diseases have characteristic names that have the same endings: osteoarthritis, osteochondrosis, ligamentosis, arthrosis.Such diseases appear with age or with constant physical activity.Football players, for example, often suffer from knee osteoarthritis, even at a young age.Most athletes are susceptible to knee joint diseases.
Joints experience painful symptoms due to thinning of cartilage tissue, called degeneration.Such diseases develop due to the general aging of the body, a sedentary lifestyle and the infectious nature of diseases that can accompany the development of osteoarthritis, osteochondrosis and similar diseases only accelerate the process of degeneration.The body does not have time to replace dead cells, that is, to regenerate, and the opposite process occurs.The hardest thing to stop is the widespread degeneration of knee joint tissue.
Inflammatory diseases
Such diseases also have similar endings and often end in -it.Often infectious in nature, bacteria or viruses can cause inflammation of one or more joints, which will present the corresponding symptoms:
- high temperature;
- swelling;
- sweating
They can also be autoimmune or allergic-infectious in nature, when the body fights its own cells.In this case, pain and swelling in the knee joint may indicate serious problems with the immune system.If you experience knee or joint pain, you should immediately consult a doctor for a complete body diagnosis.
Joint pain can often be caused by salt deposits in the cavities and periarticular tissues.In this case, there is a possibility of metabolic disorders.
Osteoarthritis and arthritis - treatment
Since the causes of the diseases are completely different (with osteoarthritis, the joint wears out mechanically, and arthritis is infectious), the treatment will be completely different.This is why it is so important to separate these two diseases.
Let's consider the treatment using the example of the knee joint.In both cases, the load must be reduced as much as possible.Osteoarthritis of the knee joint or any other joint cannot be cured, since the process is irreversible.However, regular use of chondroprotectors can slow down the process, stimulate cartilage regeneration and reduce pain in the knee joint.
Infectious arthritis can be treated with antibiotics and medications that affect the immune system.In some cases, treatment will have to be repeated, but the disease itself is completely curable.
If the diagnosis reveals rheumatoid arthritis, then it will have to be treated for a very long time with small doses of cytostatics and corticosteroids.All this is used in combination with anti-inflammatory drugs.Modern treatment makes it possible to achieve long-term remission and minimize the use of hormonal drugs.