The Main Types of Arthritis
There are over 100 different types of arthritis and related diseases. Arthritis is a medical disease that causes symptoms such as joint pain, stiffness, swelling, warmth, redness, and issues with a joints range of motion.
This disorder makes one feel that their joints have been overused. The common causes are old age and joint injuries. And at times obesity, which leads to extra pressure on your joints.
The commonly affected joints are the ones that bear weight like your knees, spine, hips, and feet. Below is a vivid description of some of the main types of arthritis.
Osteoarthritis (OA)
This is the most common type of arthritis that attacks many people; young and old. Overuse of joints is one of the causes of osteoarthritis.
The bones tend to become less dense and consequently becoming susceptible to fracture. It is common among people who are obese and those who have undergone joint surgeries or are suffering from joint injuries.
With time, bones start rubbing directly against each other leading to very severe pain. The pain may also come from ligaments, bones, or synovial. The pain intensity of this type of arthritis varies from one person to another, and it starts as mild pain but turns out to be more severe with time.
Related: Osteoarthritis vs Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)
The body own immune system attacking itself is the cause of this type of arthritis. It involves pain in fingers, thumbs, wrists, elbows, shoulders, feet, knees, and ankles.
This autoimmune disease triggers when there is an overreaction of the immune system that starts to attack healthy tissues instead of fighting viruses, bacteria and pathogens.
The immune system goes after the joint linings called synovia and attacks them as well, and as the attack progresses, the inflammation breaks down your joints and destroys them permanently.
Related: Information on Rheumatoid Arthritis
Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA)
This is an inflammatory disease, caused by your immune system attacking some of your body parts, causing pains and inflammations. It causes patchy raised, red, and white areas on the inflamed skin.
When it affects the joints, it causes arthritis, and when it attacks your connective tissues, where tendons and ligaments attach to bones, it causes enthesis. When it attacks the skin, it causes psoriasis.
It usually starts between the age of 30 and 50 years. In most cases, it affects one or a few joints in some people; for example, it can only affect one knee only
Gout
This type of arthritis is caused when your body produces a lot of uric acids, and the kidneys fail to remove the excess uric fast enough. This scenario leads to a buildup of the acid in the blood, called hyperuricemia.
The condition causes extreme pain and inflammation on your joints, and often attacks the big toe though it may affect other joints.
Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia is usually considered as the central pain syndrome since both the brain and the spinal cord receives, and processes pain signals differently.
Widespread pains, which may come and go or may be constant, are the primary categorization for this type of arthritis. Fibromyalgia also causes fatigue, sleeping problems, changes in mood and lack of concentration.
Related: When to See an Arthritis Specialist for Your Symptoms
Lupus
Lupus is one of the less known types of arthritis which affects many organs of the body apart from joints. Your immune system starts causing inflammations and pains throughout the body from the brain, joints and other organs.
Women who are still at the age of childbearing are at a higher risk of being affected by lupus arthritis than men, and it usually appears between the ages of 15 years to 44 years.
It often causes painful and swollen joints, fatigue, constant and severe headaches, rashes, hair loss and swelling around the eyes, feet, legs and the hands.
