Although we generally think of arthritis as one single disease, it is in fact a complex disorder comprised of several distinct conditions and characterized by a common symptom: pain and inflammation of the joints. One of the most common forms of arthritis is osteoarthritis (OA), otherwise known as degenerative arthritis.
Psoriatic arthritis is a form of arthritic joint disease associated with the chronic skin scaling and fingernail changes seen in psoriasis. Psoriatic arthritis is connected to the skin condition psoriasis and can also cause problems with other parts of the body, such as the scalp, elbows and knees.
Juvenile arthritis is a chronic condition that causes inflammation in one or more joints and begins before the age of 16. Juvenile arthritis can be genetic disease, affecting children whose immune system is prone to viral attack. In fact Juvenile Arthritis is actually a group of diseases which affect children
Degenerative arthritis is another name for osteoarthritis, a type of arthritis characterized by inflammation, breakdown, and eventual loss of the cartilage found in the joints.
The term arthritis exactly means inflammation of a joint, but is commonly used to describe any condition in which there is damage to the cartilage. Hip arthritis is a main problem for many people; it arises as a result of deterioration, whether normal or accelerated, by rheumatoid arthritis, trauma, or joint collapse caused by a fault of blood supply to the femoral head.
Gouty arthritis or more commonly called gout is a form of arthritis that is characterized by sudden, severe attacks of pain, redness and tenderness in joints. It is caused by deposits of needle-like crystals of uric acid, and is a complex disorder. Luckily this disorder is treatable and there are ways of keeping it from recurring.
The most common knee arthritis is osteoarthritis, a degenerative disease where cartilage in joint gradually wears away. Another is rheumatoid arthritis, which can also affect the knees, where the joint becomes inflamed and the cartilage may be destroyed.
Septic arthritis poses the biggest threat to young children and the elderly as their immune systems can be compromised due to their age. This disease should not be taken lightly as it has a tendency to damage bone cartilage as well as creating septic shock which can be fatal.
Reactive arthritis also known as Reiter’s Syndrome, is an inflammatory condition that develops in response to an infection in another part of the body. Though inflammation of the joints is a defining feature of reactive arthritis, this form of arthritis can also be connected with inflammation in other parts of the body including the skin, the eyes, the bladder, the genitals, and the mucus membranes.
