It is observed that more than 6, 000 search engine users per month are interested in the differences between arthrosis and arthritis. At first glance, the diseases are similar: in both cases, painful damage to the joints occurs. However, ignorance of the main differences of this defeat is a real trap that leads to irreparable complications. The nature of these diseases is different, which means that treatment and prevention are different. Examine each of them in as much detail as possible and find all the similarities and differences.
What is arthritis?
Before addressing the causes and symptoms of the disease, it is worth mentioning the numbers. Arthritis is a disease with more than 200 types manifested in a variety of ways. Unlike arthrosis, which speaks for itself with the onset of old age, arthritis appears as early as 25-40 years of age. According to the WHO, more than 19% of cases of disability are the result of complications.
Arthritis is an inflammatory joint disease that results from weakened immune processes or severe infections (intestinal or genitourinary). Metabolic disorders, stress, hypothermia often become the cause of inflammation.
The main symptoms of the disease are a lesion in the middle of the lesion, redness, swelling and swelling. In addition, the patient may experience general hyperthermia, loss of strength, conjunctivitis, and painful urination.
Arthritis begins with joint pain, but in its advanced form, it affects the heart, liver, kidneys, eyes, and so on.
- sharp pains that occur both in motion and in complete rest;
- persistent or intermittent edema that occurs at the site of injury;
- the painful joint is "stormy", this can be defined by touch;
- pain and stiffness worries the early morning hours (4-5 hours).
Advanced arthritis can develop into osteoarthritis, and it will be a completely different story.
What is arthrosis?
The WHO estimates that 70% of cases occur in people over 64 years of age. Osteoarthritis is a disease of "pianists and athletes" because this category burdens the wrists, knees, and ankles.
Arthrosis is a disease that provokes deformation of joint tissue until complete destruction. It is caused by a decrease in the amount of joint fluid and circulatory disorders. In the cartilage of the affected joint, nutrition is disturbed, causing it to "dry out" and "wear out. "
The main function of the joint is to keep the adjacent bones from touching each other. This allows the person to move freely and painlessly. Dehydrated articular cartilage is slowly but surely destroyed, leading to the same bone contacts. The more the disease progresses, the more one experiences pain and stiffness of movement, all the way to disability.
The first symptoms of deformity have their own characteristics:
- joint stiffness after long rest, receding with movement;
- blunt clicks, grinding and crunching;
- painful feelings when walking and exercising.
In arthrosis, only the joints are affected without affecting other organs. Inflammatory processes are absent in this case.
Side-by-side comparison of diseases
In order to understand exactly how arthritis differs from arthrosis, it is worth drawing a parallel between the main differences, summarizing the above:
- Pain. It is accompanied by both the first and the second disease, but its manifestations are of a different nature. In arthrosis, the pain occurs only during movement and exertion and is often mild. Because of this, a person is unaware of severe pathologies and does not begin treatment in a timely manner. However, at each subsequent stage, the pain becomes more intense and begins to interfere even at rest.
As for arthritis, here it does not always depend on physical activity and only disappears with painkillers. The disease is characterized by pain in the early morning hours.
- Crunch. Crunching and grinding is not always a concern. However, in the case of arthrosis, it has a strange voice, coarser and drier, increasing with each subsequent stage. The beginning of the friction of the destroyed cartilage layer and the bone becomes a signal. In arthritis, grinding is uncommon.
- Deformation. In arthrosis, the joint deforms and inflammatory processes can occur. In arthritis, seals appear, edema, redness, and hyperthermia appear, but deformity occurs only when one disease has flowed into another.
- Immobility. In arthrosis, the affected joint will be stiff.
- Age limit. Arthritis can develop even in children, but statistics show that the average age of patients is 25 to 40 years. Arthrosis is a disease of "old age" and is the result of natural aging. People whose lives are stressed by joints are also at risk.
- Development of symptoms. Symptoms of arthritis are felt in the early stages of inflammation. The second disease develops slowly and asymptomatically, so it misleads the patient without causing concern.
How is arthritis treated?
The disease feels sharp already in the first stage, so in most cases it is treated in time. If no changes in the internal organs are detected during the diagnosis, healing goes smoothly. The disease is treated with anti-inflammatory and immune-boosting drugs as well as antibiotics. If the situation runs, it will be repeated until full recovery.
Healing occurs in a complex way, so the patient is prescribed special therapeutic practices, a diet, and rejection of bad habits. All loads are excluded during this period.
If the arthritis is chronic, rheumatic, it cannot be completely cured. Strong medications are used for temporary improvement - cytostatics, corticosteroids. Today, medicine makes it possible to achieve long-term remission in this disease by avoiding excessive amounts of hormonal agents. However, to prevent such events from developing, a visit to the doctor should not be self-healed and postponed.
How is arthrosis treated?
The effectiveness of treating arthrosis depends on the stage of the disease: the earlier it is detected, the sooner a person recovers. The age of the patient also plays an important role. As a therapeutic measure, the patient is prescribed to control the load on the affected joint and to treat the liver with medication.
The chronic form of the disease does not eventually recede, however, modern medicine is able to competently manage the disease, preventing further deformity of the joint. In neglected form, when they cannot be restored, they resort to artificial endoprosthetics.
Whatever disease a person is considered, treatment should be competent and timely. If you have the slightest suspicion of the disease, seek the advice of an experienced professional because the lost time will permanently lose your health. Contact a clinic for assistance from a qualified orthopedic traumatologist.