Arthritis is a general term for several chronic and painful joint disorders. It affects people in different ways, depending on the type. The two most common forms are rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) affects about 1% of the population. People of any age can get it, but the condition most often strikes around the age of 30 to 50, affecting women 3 times as often as men. Rheumatoid arthritis is considered to be an autoimmune disorder because the body attacks its own joints, starting with the tissues that line and cushion them. This causes inflammation and, eventually, scarring as the cartilage, bone, and ligaments slowly erode.
This type of arthritis usually first shows up in the hands and feet, and then moves into other joints like the elbow, knees, shoulders, or hips. As the joints become inflamed, scar-like tissue forms, resulting in joint stiffness. As arthritis progresses, joints, especially those of the fingers and toes, may become bent and distorted.
Some of the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis include:
- fatigue
- joint pain
- joint swelling, usually affecting the same areas on both sides of the body
- low-grade fever
- morning joint stiffness lasting at least one hour
- round, painless nodules (bumps) under the skin
- weight loss
Osteoarthritis is the type many of us think of when we hear "arthritis"
and it's the most common form. It has been called degenerative arthritis because it was thought to be the result of years of wear and tear, excess weight, or prior injuries to the joint. However, there is also an imbalance of cartilage breakdown and repair, resulting in joint pain.
Unlike rheumatoid arthritis, in which swelling occurs and scar tissue forms, osteoarthritis attacks the cartilage (the cushioning that acts as shock absorbers in the joints) and breaks it down, resulting in pain as the bones rub against each other. In the past, we believed that even normal, healthy amounts of exercise could cause osteoarthritis. New research has shown that normal amounts of exercise are good for your joints. Talk to your doctor about how much exercise you should be getting and which types are best for you.
Osteoarthritis appears in men and women equally before the age of 55. After age 55, however, more women than men develop it. Most people over 65 have some form of this disorder, but only a third actually experience symptoms.
Osteoarthritis generally affects the hands, knees, hips, and feet. It may show up in the spine as well; doctors think there may be a genetic link to arthritis in the spine, especially when it also develops in the hands.
Some of the symptoms of osteoarthritis include:
- pain that seems to come from deep within the joint
- grating or crunching sounds from a joint during movement
- bumps or swelling on the fingers
- stiffness in the joints, especially after resting
Other, less common types of arthritis include:
- psoriatic arthritis, which affects people who have psoriasis
- gout, which generally occurs in men, results from a build-up of uric acid that accumulates around certain joints, particularly the big toe