People who have encountered joint diseases for the first time often require: arthritis and osteoarthritis - what is the difference.These pathologies have similar names and symptoms, so they are often confused.With self-medication, this confusion can cause negative consequences, because what helps osteoarthritis with arthritis can harm.
These two diseases are serious, resulting in handicap, therefore the treatment of joint diseases should be carried out by a specialist.
What is the nature of these diseases?
The difference between osteoarthritis and arthritis is already clear by their names.The suffix "IT" in the name of the disease indicates the inflammatory nature of the disease and "Oz" - the presence of pathological changes in the tissues.
Consequently, arthritis is an inflammation of the joint tissue, which can be caused by different causes.And osteoarthritis is degenerative changes in articular cartilage, developing after an injury or action of age -related factors.We will discover in more detail what arthritis and osteoarthritis are.
Osteoarthritis - What is it?
The articulated surfaces of the bones are covered with smooth and constantly lubricated synovial liquid cartilage fabric for light sliding.Osteoarthritis is characterized by pathological processes, leading to the fact that the surface of the cartilage loses softness, is ulcerated and sophisticated.
For this reason, during the friction of the coupling cartilage surfaces, they, accordingly, scratch degenerative processes are aggravated to the complete destruction of the cartilage.The growth appears along the edges of the bone - the osteophytes which hamper the mobility of the joint.
With rapid osteoarthritis detection, the cartilage destruction process can be slowed down for decades, using modern treatment and prevention methods.But, as a rule, in the end, osteoarthritis leads to the complete destruction of cartilage and the immobilization of the affected articulation.
The only way to turn around the lost features is the operation to replace the joint with an artificial endoprosthesis.
Arthritis - What is it?
Arthritis is an inflammation of the joints.We know that the inflammatory process is nothing more than the fight of immune blood cells (leukocytes) with foreign formations in the body.Most often, immune cells are hung on the infection that has dropped.
Instead of this fight, inflammation occurs, characterized by redness, an increase in local temperature, pain and swelling.The leukocytes that have died during body protection are nothing more than pus, often trained in the inflammation process.
Arthritis can have a different nature.Sometimes this happens when an infection enters the joint cavity.These types of arthritis are good for treating antibiotics and often pass without consequences.
Other types of this disease are worse for treatment and generally lead to a handicap.In particular, it is rheumatoid arthritis - an autoimmune disease in which immune cells lose their bearings and begin to fight against the tissues of their own body.
Gotrical arthritis occurs in the elderly due to a violation of metabolism and deposits in salt joints.
Psoriatic arthritis, which is found in around 10% of patients with psoriasis, as well as many other types of this dangerous disease.
Is there a relationship between these diseases?
Disappointment how osteoarthritis differs from osteoarthritis, we can only mention that these diseases are often accompanied.Thus, for example, with rheumatoid arthritis, joint tissues are subject to degenerative changes characteristic of osteoarthritis.Over time, the joints affected by rheumatoid arthritis are distorted and lose their functions, as with osteoarthritis.
You can say similar on goutuse arthritis.Net crystals of salts, which have been deposited in articular cartilage, on the one hand, cause their inflammation, and on the other hand, they stride the surfaces of cartilage, which causes its abrasion and progressive degeneration characteristic of osteoarthritis.
As you can see, the chronic forms of arthritis negatively affect the condition of joint cartilage and over time lead to the progression of the processes characteristic of osteoarthritis - deformation and loss of joint functions.
This rule works in the other direction.The course of osteoarthritis is rarely complete without concomitant arthritis.When the surfaces of articular cartilage, destroying due to degenerative processes, rub against each other, microtraumas appear on them, pieces of cartilage can be abandoned.This causes inflammatory processes, and we already know that inflammation in the joints is arthritis.
Thus, osteoarthritis occurs with periodic exacerbations, which are often accompanied by joint arthritis.
Due to the fact that these two diseases are so interconnected, it is sometimes difficult to understand: arthritis and osteoarthritis - what is the difference.To decide, you must examine the deep cause of the disease, that the pathological process is launched.If the impulse of the disease has become degenerative changes in cartilage, it is osteoarthritis, and if the cause of inflammation caused by infections, hormonal funds, immunity or metabolism, then it is arthritis.
What are the causes of these pathologies?
Osteoarthritis is a degenerative change of cartilage that develops for reasons:
- Insufficient tissue nutrition;
- Traumatic nature.
The lack of nutrition occurs, as a rule, due to age -related changes in the body.Consequently, osteoarthritis often appears in people over 50 to 60.At this age, the regeneration of tissues slows down, the violations of metabolic processes appear, which leads to many problems with the joints.
Traumatic osteoarthritis can develop at a younger age.Its cause is congenital as well as defects acquired on articular cartilage, which hurts the surface of the mating cartilage, which causes their other destruction.
The primordials of traumatic osteoarthritis can become:
- Congenital defects in joint cartilage;
- Injuries received;
- Surgical operations on joints;
- A great excess body weight.
Arthritis, unlike osteoarthritis, with the exception of gout, is more often in young people.His reasons are:
- Genetic predisposition to autoimmune and systemic diseases;
- Infections;
- Hormonal disorders.
What is the similarity and difference in symptoms?
Osteoarthritis is characterized by a gradual and slow increase in symptoms.The initial stage of the disease can last for years, without showing itself.A crunch in the joints can be felt, periodically occurring pain at a load above that usual.
Most often, the doctor is discussed when the disease has already reached stage II.Symptoms characteristic of osteoarthritis:
- Joint pain under load, calm at rest;
- Click when moving the problem of the problem;
- Morning stiffness, when, after waking up for the normal functioning of the joint, it is necessary to "develop" it;
- Most often, the joints of the brushes, the stops, the spine, the knee and the hip are sensitive to osteoarthritis;Less often - shoulder and ankle;
- The appearance of pain in rest, the night pain indicates an arthritis-inflammation attached due to the constant microtrauma of cartilage;
- In the last stages, a gradual decrease in the amplitude of the movements is joined, until the complete immobilization of the articulation, or, conversely, the appearance of "decomposing" non -natural mobility.
Not an example of osteoarthritis, arthritis begins with pronounced symptoms characteristic of inflammation processes:
- Intense pain in the joint, not even calmed at rest, feel a pulse, contractions;
- Night pain that does not fall asleep;
- Redness, swelling in the defeat area;
- High temperature at the inflammation site, often an increase in temperature of the whole body;
- Small joints are more sensitive to arthritis - wrists, fingers, sometimes ankle, knees;
- Several joints (polyarthritis) are often affected simultaneously;
- Arthritis often becomes a complication of diseases caused by bacterial and viral infections.
The rest of the symptoms of arthritis varies according to its species, of which there are many.Many types of arthritis are serious illnesses that affect other body systems in addition to the joints.
Diagnosis
For the doctor, the difference between arthritis and osteoarthritis is obvious by the clinical image.Often, in order to diagnose osteoarthritis and establish its stage, it is enough to make an X -ray of the problematic articulation in two projections.The image will show the value of the joint deviation, the presence or absence of bone growth - osteophytes, the degree of bone deformation.
The diagnosis of arthritis requires more studies, because for successful treatment, it is necessary to establish a type of pathology - if a systemic disease is a system, whether inflammation is caused by an infection or an exacerbation of osteoarthritis.
To establish a precise diagnosis, modern diagnostic methods such as ultrasound, CT, MRI, arthroscopy, joint puncture for the study of synovial fluid can be used.A blood test is of great importance in the diagnosis of arthritis.
Similarity and difference in therapy
Treatment of arthritis and osteoarthritis has more differences than similarities.Almost, the only thing that unites them is the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to eliminate pain and inflammation.Depending on the diagnosis and the patient's condition, these drugs can be used for local application, orally or in the form of injections, including joint cavity.
With the ineffectiveness of the treatment of NSAIDs, hormonal drugs are used - corticosteroids that have strong side effects, so they are only prescribed in extreme cases.
Otherwise, arthritis and osteoarthritis therapy varies.Each type of arthritis has its own treatment plan that takes into account the nature of the disease.In therapy of each type, in addition to NSAIDs, antibiotics, hormonal and immunobiological drugs and many other specific drugs, including physiotherapeutic drugs, can be used.
The main objective of the treatment of arthritis is to relieve inflammation, concomitant disease therapy and ensure a long period of remission.In the event of serious damage to the joints, surgical operations are indicated.
In the treatment of osteoarthritis, the main task is to slow down the pathological processes of destruction of the articular cartilage.For this, chondroprotectors are actively used - drugs that contribute to the regeneration of articular cartilage, as well as vitamins and minerals.At the stage of remission, patients are presented to physiotherapeutic procedures, physiotherapy exercises.
Great importance is attached to prevention measures:
- Weight normalization;
- Appropriate complete nutrition;
- Rejection of bad habits;
- Refusal to overload the painful joints;
- Motor activity achievable.
By reaching the serious stages of osteoarthritis due to the immobility of joint or vice-innatural mobility can be lost in the member's functionality.In such cases, the patient will help return to a full -fledged lifespan to replace the damaged joint with endoproshese.
Unfortunately, no therapeutic agent can restore the joints destroyed by osteoarthritis and arthritis.It is possible to stretch this pathological process as much as possible in time, and after the failure of the joint, resort to surgery.Therefore, it is very important not to delay the doctor's visit, noting the first signs of these diseases.
As you can see, the difference between arthritis and osteoarthritis determines the differences in their treatment.The treatment of arthritis focuses on the elimination of the inflammatory process and the treatment of concomitant diseases, and in the treatment of osteoarthritis, pain relief and the prevention of additional destruction of the joints are first in the treatment of osteoarthritis.
In this context, it becomes clear how to relate to the warming of the joints of these diseases.Heating the problematic area helps activate blood circulation in nearby tissues.
With degenerative-dystrophic processes in the cartilage fabric, blood flow improves the joint of oxygen and nutrients, accelerates metabolic processes.This helps improve joint tissue regeneration.Thus, with osteoarthritis, the warming of the joints is useful.
Heating pads and heating compresses for arthritis have a completely different effect.In the area of the inflammatory process, the temperature is already increased.Heating only exacerbates the inflammatory process and promotes the spread of infection outside the joint.Therefore, with arthritis, heating the painful joints with heating pads, tablets and baths is strictly prohibited.
Conclusion
Many people are interested: what is worse than arthritis or osteoarthritis.This question may seem strange, because it is impossible to choose an easier disease.The two diseases are associated with intense pain, restrictions on motor activity.Osteoarthritis and many types of arthritis lead to a handicap.
But if only the joints are affected by osteoarthritis, for example, for example, with rheumatoid arthritis, not only the joints suffer, but, practically, all the systems of the cardiovascular, nervous, respiratory, kidney, leather, hematopoiesis, vision organs.
With one of these diseases, it is important to recognize them in the initial steps and to start treatment as soon as possible in order to slow the progression of these pathologies, while the damage caused by the joints are not too large.