In medical terms, Arthritis generally means the inflammation of joints. The general symptom or sign of arthritis is pain but there are three major symptoms that are usually seen. If looked at in detail, there are about hundred types of arthritis, but in terms of causes there are five types of arthritis. The symptoms seen in all of the different types of the ailment are similar, however, the factors that cause the pain vary from one another.

The 5 major types of arthritis in terms of causes are as follows: 

Osteoarthritis, is a degenerative disease--usually causing bone decay. It affects the big joints of the body and mainly affects the knee joints, followed by hip and neck. It is a type of senile disease, affecting people following the ages of 40 and upwards. 

Rheumatoid Arthritis, is an autoimmune disorder which affects the small joints and cause pain and swelling. It turns your body’s immune system against you and causes pain in the joints. It can affect people from any age group, meaning people are prone to this disease from early ages to adulthood. It starts from the phalanges--the finger and toe joints-and slowly attacks the big joints--knee joints, jaw--of the body. It slowly affects the entire immune system. 

Gouty Arthritis, caused due to gout! When the level of uric acid reaches exceeding amounts, it cannot be properly metabolised and starts flowing into the bloodstream. Once that happens, it starts causing inflammation and swelling in the joints. It generally affects middle aged people but is also seen in senior ages. People who eat a lot of red meat and have a high intake of protein are prone to gouty arthritis. The first attack of this disease can be unexpected and abrupt. It is known to attack the big toe first, but may attack any other joint in the body. If that happens, one might be unable to move due to the immensity of the pain. This usually shows a few symptoms such as: redness of the affected area; immense, unbearable pain, and stiffness of the area.

Rheumatic Fever Arthritis, generally affects children and youngsters. This is usually caused due to negligent care of upper respiratory infections such as tonsillitis. It slowly attacks the joints and might affect the heart valves as well. This disease is usually seen in children of ages 5-6 and youngsters of ages 15-16.

Infective Arthritis, is caused due to various types of infections. It is majorly seen in people affected by infection of open wounds and sexually transmitted diseases like gonorrhea. 

Precautions and Avoiding Arthritis

The major and common symptoms seen in all the different types of the disease are pain, swelling and difficulty in movements, however, other symptoms may vary depending on the type of arthritis that has affected the person. However, depending on the type of the disease, the pain, and involvement in the body may vary. 

As means of precaution, it should be easier if the type of arthritis is defined. In case of osteoarthritis, it is easier one if limits joints movements and does proper exercises to reduce the weight on the joints and ease motion. For rheumatoid arthritis, it is best to avoid being cold and paying attention to one’s diet. Similarly, for gouty arthritis one should limit the consumption of red meat and protein. 

In case of rheumatic fever arthritis, it is best to get proper treatments for any respiratory ailments. Since it affects children and especially may affect the heart, so if any symptoms are seen it is recommended to immediately consult the doctor. Should it affect the heart, for precautionary measures, the rheumatologist and cardiologist may have to consult together. 

However, most joint pains are seen due to the effects of cold weather, food and a high intake of proteins. So it is best to stay warm and avoid partaking in cold foods like yogurt, gundruk, achaars, and food items high in protein content.

Does arthritis affect people who tend to walk and run more? Does it affect people who have limited movements or have desk jobs?

People who walk and run more make use of their joints more, which means they are prone to osteoarthritis but might be less affected by gouty arthritis. On the other hand, the other types of arthritis may easily affect anyone. 

General Remedy at Home

It would be ideal to get a thorough check-up and determine what type of the disease has affected oneself. Consulting the doctor should be the most ideal step one can take. However, people who have swollen joints can apply ice and ice pack on the swollen area. In case there is no swelling or redness and only pain, one can apply heat compression on the area. Moving the swollen or aching joints can further speed up the inflammation, which makes it imperative to keep the joints rested with minimal movements. 

How to know if the arthritis has already gotten serious? 

When the cases start getting more serious, the shape of the joints start to deteriorate, the swelling increases and it can create more complications. If the knee joint is affected, the shape and size of the joint may start to change and deteriorate and it will be harder to bend your knee. 

Rheumatoid arthritis affects the majority of the joints and deteriorates the shape quickly, so proper treatment should be done. In the long run, it affects a large number of bodily systems so there will be major complications. Gouty arthritis usually affects the kidney because the uric acid is stored in the kidney. It can cause kidney stones and ultimately kidney failure. Among most cause, diabetes has been seen as a major cause recently, with high levels of uric acid following suit. 

In case of rheumatic fever arthritis, people should not waste any time and immediately get treatments. Since it affects children, it doesn’t take a long time to create massive heart complications. 

Treatments available at Sushwastha

Sushwastha offers complete treatments of Osteoarthritis, Rheumatoid Arthritis and Gouty Arthritis. At Sushwasthat Hospital we treat these ailments with Physiotherapy, Naturopathy and Ayurveda. There are naturopathy packs and massages that ease the pain and various ayurvedic methods that are done as treatments. For rheumatoid arthritis, medications go hand in hand with therapy, so relief medications are also prescribed.