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Arthritis - Types, Symptoms, and Preventive Measures

by Wayne Wargo (PenWay.org)

Second only to heart disease, arthritis is a main cause of work disability. Everyday activities such as walking, dressing, cooking, brushing your teeth, etc., limit what a person can accomplish. It is hard to believe, but there are more than 100 types of arthritis.

Strictly speaking, Arthritis means inflammation of a joint, which often leads to some combination of pain, swelling, redness and limited motion.

Arthritis is the leading cause of disability among individuals over 55 years of age. Together with other associated conditions, it is the major cause of disability in America.

Weight is very important when it comes to having arthritis. If you are more than 30 pounds overweight, having this extra stress can affect your joints and create arthritis pain.

The most common form of arthritis, Osteoarthritis (degenerative joint disease) is a result of trauma to the joint, infection of the joint, or age. Other arthritis forms are Rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis, autoimmune diseases in which the body attacks itself. Septic arthritis is caused by joint infection. Osteoarthritis can occur alone or together with another type of arthritis. Osteoarthritis generally does not cause any symptoms outside the joint. The symptoms of this type of arthritis occur gradually. It is estimated that there are over 20 million Americans with Osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis may first appear between ages 30 and 40, and is present in almost everyone by age 70 but is not caused by old age. Before age 55, it affects men and women equally, but after age 55 the incidence is higher in women.

The second most common type of arthritis is Rheumatoid arthritis. Unlike Osteoarthritis, however, Rheumatoid arthritis is caused when the body's immune system turns against the body and begins to attack the joints. It is a chronic inflammatory disease that results in swelling and destruction of both cartilage and bone. About 1% of the world's population is afflicted by Rheumatoid arthritis.

As it progresses, Rheumatoid arthritis symptoms may feel like the flu, with achiness, muscle aches, and loss of appetite. Rheumatoid arthritis is caused by a breakdown in the body's immune system. It is not known why this occurs, but may have a genetic basis. Other systemic symptoms of Rheumatoid arthritis include anemia, osteoporosis, fatigue, and usually shortened life expectancy. Both incidence and prevalence of Rheumatoid arthritis are two to three times greater in women than in men. Rheumatoid arthritis is a more severe, but less common condition than Osteoarthritis.

Having a healthy lifestyle by eating right and exercising well is going to keep you at a lower risk. Even though arthritis can be difficult to deal with, you can prevent it from happening.

Arthritis cannot be treated as a disease, because simply taking medications or performing surgeries cannot reverse it.

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