Osteoarthritis usually starts in late fourth decade but inflammatory arthritis appears earlier. Wearing out of the smooth lining of articular cartilage and exposure of bone underneath is arthritis. With progressive damage there is increased pain, stiffness, loss of range of motion, swelling and instability. Arthritis can develop because of old age, previous injury, birth defects, fracture, diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, etc.
In the majority of cases arthritis causes pain and swelling in the joints. Eventually a swollen and painful joint can suffer severe damage. In some cases, arthritis can cause problems in the patient’s eye, skin or other organs. Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis and generally affects elderly patients.
What causes arthritis?
In order to better understand what is going on when a person suffers from some form of arthritis, let us look at how a knee joint works. Basically, Knee joint is formed by lower end of thigh bone (femur) and upper end of leg bone (tibia).On anterior side it is covered by knee cap (patella). Ligaments hold the two bones together. The ligaments are like elastic bands, while they keep the bones in place your muscles relax or contract to make the joint move. Joint surface is lined by articular cartilage which acts as a smooth, frictionless bearing surface.
The covering of cartilage allows the joint to work smoothly and painlessly. A capsule surrounds the joint. The space within the joint – the joint cavity – has synovial fluid. Synovial fluid nourishes the joint and the cartilage. The synovial fluid is produced by the synovium (synovial membrane) which lines the joint cavity.. What goes wrong depends on what type of arthritis you have. It could be that the cartilage is wearing away, a lack of fluid, autoimmunity (your body attacking itself), infection, or a combination of many factors. Most common is wear of cartilage lining leading to osteoarthritis and others are types of arthritis caused by a combination of several factors working together.
The following factors may contribute towards a higher arthritis risk:
Symptoms
The most common signs and symptoms of arthritis involve the joints. Depending on the type of arthritis you have, your signs and symptoms may include:
Causes
Illustration comparing rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis vs. osteoarthritis
What are the signs and symptoms of arthritis?
The most commonly affected joints with osteoarthritis are in the knee, hands, and spine. The symptoms of arthritis depend on the type, for example:
Osteoarthritis:
This is most common type of arthritis and 10% of the population above age of 55 years is suffering from this disease making it one of the most common disabling condition of the mankind. The symptoms of osteoarthritis develop slowly and get worse as time goes by. There is pain in a joint, either during or after use, or after a period of inactivity. There will be tenderness when pressure is applied to the joint. The patient may find it harder to use the joint – it loses its flexibility. Some patients experience a grating sensation when they use the joint. Hard lumps, or bone spurs may appear around the joint. In some cases the joint might swell. The most commonly affected joints are in the hands, knees and spine.gradually the patient develops deformities.
Rheumatoid arthritis:
This is a systemic disease which affects most of the body parts and is a part of disease complex. The patient often finds the same joints in each side of the body are painfully swollen, inflamed, and stiff. The fingers, arms, legs and wrists are most commonly affected. The patients have morning stiffness and the joint is tender when touched. Hands may be red and puffy. There may be rheumatoid nodules (bumps of tissue under the skin of the patient’s arms). Many patients with rheumatoid arthritis feel tired most of the time. Weight loss is common. The smaller joints are usually noticeably affected first. Experts say patients with rheumatoid arthritis have problems with several joints at the same time. As the arthritis progresses it spreads from the smaller joints in your hands, wrists, ankles and feet to your elbows, knees, hips, neck, shoulders and jaw.
Infectious arthritis:
The patient commonly has a fever, joint inflammation and swelling with infectious arthritis. They will feel tenderness and/or a sharp pain. Often these symptoms are linked to an injury or another illness. Most commonly affected areas are the knee, shoulder, elbow, wrist and finger. In the majority of cases just one joint is affected
Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis:
The patient is a child and will experience intermittent fevers which tend to peak in the evening and then suddenly disappear. Appetite will be poor and weight may be lost. There may be blotchy rashes on arms and legs. Anemia is also common. The child may limp or have a sore wrist, finger, or knee. A joint may suddenly swell and stay larger than it usually is. The child may experience a stiff neck, hips or some other joint.
How will arthritis affect me?
Arthritis affects people in many different ways. How long the patient is affected and how severely it is depends on the type of arthritis. Arthritis sufferers will find there are good and bad days. Most patients with arthritis will suffer from discomfort, pain, stiffness and/or fatigue. There is gradual worsening of function and activities of daily living become difficult, It is important to remember that if you suffer from arthritis this does not mean you have to give up having an active lifestyle. With some changes to your way of life there is no reason why you cannot continue being active.With time the symptoms worsens and patient becomes home bound, he is not able to do outdoor activities and takes pain killers regularly. The side effects of analgesics still make the problem complicatied.
Does cracking knuckles cause arthritis?
Cracking one’s knuckles, also known as “popping”, is a kind of joint manipulation that produces a cracking sound. It is a deliberate action. In fact, humans are able to crack several joints, including the ankles, shoulders, feet, jaws, toes, neck and back vertebrae, elbows, wrists and hips. chronic knuckle cracking does not appear to increase the risk of hand osteoarthritis, but may reduce the strength of your grip.