What Is Arthritis?
The number of Americans with arthritis increased 60% from 1997 to 2002, encompassing over 70 million people. While an aging population warrants the increasingly high number of sufferers, doctors say that getting treatment early can help relieve many of the symptoms, even though no cure currently exists. There are more than 100 different types of arthritis but the basic premise is that they all involve joint inflammation.
How do you know if you have arthritis? While symptoms and severity vary from person to person, the most common symptoms are: pain, swelling, stiffness, tenderness, redness and warmth. Osteoarthritis is characterized by progressive stiffness without swelling, chills or fever. Rheumatoid arthritis is the painful swelling, inflammation and stiffness in the fingers, arms, legs and wrists, which are prevalent on both sides of the body and are usually worse in the morning. Children with on-off fever, loss of appetite, weight loss and a blotchy rash on the arms and legs might have juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. You should call the doctor if symptoms appear suddenly, or if they are accompanied by a fever or rash.
The most common types of arthritis are: osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia and systemic lupus erythematosus. Osteoporosis primarily affects the elderly because it is a degenerative disease resulting from a gradual loss of cartilage. As a result, bones and joints in the knees, hips, and spine rub together, causing pain and muscle/nerve damage. Rheumatoid arthritis primarily affects those between 25 and 55 years of age and is characterized by a burning, stiff sensation in the hands, knuckles, arms, legs and feet. Fibromyalgia is a widespread pain disorder that never really goes away and is believed to be a malfunctioning of the nervous system. Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) sufferers have fevers, fatigue, myalgias, joint pains and malaise. Approximately 30% of those with SLE also exhibit skin lesions and 10% suffer psychosis or seizures. While symptoms range from on-off pain to severe degenerative disease, this isn’t something that should just be “suffered through.”
Research has shown that early treatment prevents many arthritis sufferers from becoming deformed, long-term disabled or overwhelmed with pain. Treatment includes disease modifying drugs (DMARDs like Methotrexate, Azulfidine or Arava), NSAIDs and corticosteroids. While a complete cure isn’t yet available, these drugs help manage the pain symptoms and restore mobility. Physical therapy can give additional assistance for pain management as well.
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