Arthritis is a broad term used to describe over 100 conditions that affect joints, tissues that surround joints, and other connective tissues. People of all ages, genders and races can and do have arthritis, and it is one of the leading causes of disability worldwide.

Generally, symptoms of arthritis develop over time, but they may also appear swiftly. Arthritis is most commonly seen in adults over the age of 65, but it can also develop in children, teens, and younger adults. The condition is more common in women than men and in people who are overweight.

THREE common types of arthritis:

Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis, affecting millions of people around the world. This condition occurs when the protective cartilage on the ends of your bones wears down over time. Even though osteoarthritis can damage any joint in your body, it most commonly affects the weight-bearing joints in your hands, knees, hips and spine.

Although osteoarthritis symptoms can effectively be managed, the underlying process cannot be reversed. Staying active, maintaining a healthy weight and medication can slow the progression of the disease, reducing pain and improving joint function.

What are the symptoms?

Osteoarthritis symptoms often develop slowly and worsen over time. Common signs and symptoms include:

• Pain – Joint may hurt during or after movement.
• Tenderness – Joint may feel tender when you apply light pressure to it.
• Stiffness – Joint stiffness may be most noticeable when you wake up in the morning or after a period of inactivity.
• Loss of Flexibility – You may not be able to move your joint through its full range of motion.
• Creaking Sensation – You may hear or feel a creaking sensation when you use the joint.
• Bone Spurs – These extra bits of bone, which feel like hard lumps, may form around the affected joint.

What are the Causes?

Osteoarthritis occurs when the cartilage that cushions the ends of bones in your joints deteriorates over time. Cartilage is a firm, slippery tissue that allows nearly frictionless joint motion. In osteoarthritis, the slick surface of the cartilage becomes rough. When the cartilage wears down completely, you may also be left with bone rubbing on bone.

What are the Risk Factors?

Common factors that can increase your risk of osteoarthritis include:

• Older Age – Men typically feel the onset earlier than women do. But after the age of 55, women will develop osteoarthritis than men and women often have it more severely.
• Gender – Women are more likely to develop osteoarthritis, though the reason is unknown.
• Overweight/Obesity – Increased body weight puts added stress on weight-bearing joints, such as your hips and knees. Additionally, fat tissue produces proteins that may cause harmful inflammation in and around your joints.
• Joint Injuries – Injuries that occur when playing sports or from an accident can increase the risk of osteoarthritis.
• Certain Jobs – If you do tasks that put repetitive stress on a specific joint, that joint may eventually develop osteoarthritis.
• Bone Deformities – Some people are born with malformed joints or defective cartilage, which can increase the risk of osteoarthritis.

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disease that primarily affects joints. In some cases, the condition damages several body systems, including the skin, eyes, lungs, heart and blood vessels. An autoimmune disorder, rheumatoid arthritis occurs when your immune system mistakenly attacks your own body’s tissues.

Unlike the wear and tear damage of osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis affects the lining of your joints, causing a painful swelling that can eventually result in bone erosion and joint deformity.

The inflammation associated with rheumatoid arthritis can damage other parts of your body. While new types of medications have improved treatment options, severe rheumatoid arthritis can still cause physical disabilities.

What are the Symptoms?

Early rheumatoid arthritis tends to affect your smaller joints first – particularly the joints that attach your fingers to your hands and your toes to your feet. As the disease progresses, symptoms often spread to the wrists, knees, ankles, elbows, hips and shoulders. In most cases, symptoms occur in the same joints on both sides of your body.

Common symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis include:

• Tender, warm and swollen joints
• Joint stiffness that is usually worse in the mornings and after inactivity
• Fatigue, fever and weight loss

What are the Causes?

Rheumatoid arthritis occurs when your immune system attacks the synovium (the lining of the membranes that surround your joints), resulting in an inflammation that thickens the synovium. The synovium may eventually destroy the cartilage and bone within the joint.

The tendons and ligaments that hold the joint together weaken and stretch, causing the joint loses its shape and alignment.

What are the Risk Factors?

• Gender – Women are more likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis than men.
• Age – Although rheumatoid arthritis can occur at any age, it most commonly begins between the ages of 40 and 60.
• Family History – You may have an increased risk of rheumatoid arthritis if a member of your family has or has had the disease.
• Overweight/Obesity – People who are overweight/obese appear to be at a higher risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis, especially in women diagnosed with the disease when they are 55 or younger.
• Smoking – Smokers have an increased risk of more-severe rheumatoid arthritis, particularly for people who have smoked 20 years or longer.

 Gout

Gout is a common and complex form of arthritis that can affect anyone. However, unlike the first two types of arthritis, gout only affects one joint at a time (typically the big toe) and is more common in men.

Repeated attacks of gout can result in a worse form of arthritis known as gouty arthritis which is usually characterized by sudden, severe attacks of pain, swelling, redness and tenderness in the joints (mostly the joint at the base of the big toe).

In most cases, gout occurs suddenly waking you up in the middle of the night with the sensation that your big toe is on fire. The affected joint is hot, swollen and so tender that even the weight of the bed sheet on it may seem intolerable.

What are the Symptoms?

Gout symptoms may come and go, but you can effectively manage them, preventing flares. Mostly, the signs and symptoms of gout occur suddenly at night and they include:

• Intense Joint Pain – Even though gout can occur in any joint, it usually affects the large joint of the big toe and the pain is more likely to be severe within the first four to 12 hours after it begins. Other commonly affected joints comprise the ankles, knees, elbows, wrists and fingers.
• Constant Discomfort – Some joint discomfort may last from a few days to a few weeks, and later attacks are likely to last longer, affecting more joints.
• Inflammation and Redness – The affected joint or joints become swollen, tender, warm and red.
• Limited Range of Motion – As the disease progresses, you may not be able to move your joints in a normal way.

What are the Causes?

Gout is caused by an excess amount of uric acid in the blood – a condition known as hyperuricemia. High levels of uric acid can lead to the formation of uric acid crystals in your body tissues, including your joints. When these sharp and small crystals – known as monosodium urate – are accumulated in and around your joints, they can cause severe pain and inflammation.

What are the Risk Factors?

You’re more likely to develop gout if you have high levels of uric acid in your body. Common factors that increase the uric acid levels in your body include:

• Diet – If you are following a diet rich in meat, seafood and beverages sweetened with fruit sugar (fructose), your chances of having increased levels of uric acid is high.
• Overweight or Obesity – If you are overweight or obese, your body produces more uric acid and makes your kidneys work harder to eliminate uric acid.
• Medical Conditions – Some diseases and conditions, including hypertension and chronic conditions such as diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and heart and kidney diseases, can increase your risk of gout.
• Medications – The use of thiazide diuretics (commonly used to treat hypertension) and low-dose aspirin can increase uric acid levels.
• Family History – If any of your family members has had gout, you are more likely to develop the disease.
• Age and Gender – Since women tend to have lower uric acid levels, gout occurs more often in men. But after menopause, women’s uric acid levels approach those of men. Men are more likely to develop gout between the ages of 30 and 50 and women after menopause.
• Surgery or Trauma – Having undergone surgery or trauma is associated with an increased risk of developing gout.

How to Manage Arthritis?

Besides prescribed medications and regular medical check-ups, lifestyle modifications play an important role in dealing with arthritis.

Here are some helpful tips to effectively manage arthritis:

• Avoid High-Purine Foods – Avoid foods that are high in purine (a substance that your body converts to uric acid), such as red meat, seafood and alcoholic beverages, to prevent gout flares.
• Do Regular, Moderate Exercise – Since arthritis limits your mobility, it can put you at risk of developing other lifestyle diseases like diabetes, heart disease and obesity.
• Maintain a Healthy Weight – Maintaining a normal, healthy weight can reduce the pressure on your weight-bearing joints, slowing the progression of osteoarthritis.
• Quit Smoking – Smoking can worsen arthritis and can lead to other chronic conditions. When you smoke, less oxygen is delivered to your lungs and this will limit your physical activity, which is important in managing rheumatoid arthritis.

Surgery is recommended by Orthopedic Specialists when non-surgical methods have provided minimal or no improvement of the symptoms.