Difference Between Arthritis and Osteoarthritis

Difference Between Arthritis and Osteoarthritis

The rheumatic diseases comprise a large number of medical disorders of the musculoskeletal and connective tissue. The doctor who attends the specialty is the Rheumatologist in Delhi, who treats, above all, the pathologies related to the set of bones, muscles, and joints, as well as metabolic diseases that affect the bones, such as osteoporosis.

Arthritis, which involves actual joint inflammation and therefore pain and swelling thereof, is a manifestation of rheumatic diseases more complex, usually such autoimmune, such as systemic lupus or rheumatoid arthritis, although it can occur in metabolic diseases like gout. At present, about 100 diseases with arthritis have been defined, says arthritis specialist in Delhi.

Perhaps because of this complexity or because of its direct relationship with the joints, the population tends to confuse this pathology, arthritis, which always implies inflammation, with another very frequent rheumatic disease, osteoarthritis, which is a chronic disease that also affects the joints, but degenerative and often related to age.

According to the best rheumatologist in Delhi, osteoarthritis is the disease of the joints that most affect Indians. In addition, it is women who suffer most from this rheumatic disease.

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Symptoms and Causes of arthritis

The arthritis is a sign of inflammation, the presence of which leads to the doctor to a very specific group of diseases of various kinds, which are the inflammatory diseases.

An important group of them are autoimmune or systemic diseases, which are characterized by predominant women (often appear between the third and fourth decade of life) and can affect internal organs and cause manifestations according to the affected organ. Although, in general, there have been great advances in the knowledge of these diseases and in arthritis treatment in Delhi, especially with the new biological drugs.

Another group is that of arthritis by deposit, such as gout, which is characterized by deposition in the joints of monosodium urate or uric acid.

Arthritis can affect people of any age, including children (juvenile arthritis). Your symptoms include:

  • Continuous pain, even at rest
  • Joint stiffness of prolonged morning predominance (more than 1 hour)
  • Possible swelling, with inflammatory synovial effusion
  • Difficulties to move any joint
  • Other symptoms that vary according to the different types of arthritis, which may appear on the skin or organs.

Among its causes or risk factors, hereditary/genetic factors and defects in the immune system are important. But there are negative factors that patients should avoid:

  • Overweight, since fat can be a pro-inflammatory factor and alter the functioning of effective drugs.
  • Snuff. It has been shown to negatively influence the occurrence of some of these diseases, such as systemic lupus and rheumatoid arthritis and also affects the effectiveness of arthritis treatment in Delhi.

On the other hand, it is advisable to perform an adequate exercise, initially supervised, to avoid joint stiffness and muscle weakness.

Symptoms and causes of osteoarthritis

The osteoarthritis, unlike arthritis, is a degenerative disease, usually related to wearing and/or aging of the joints. The deterioration of the articular cartilage causes the bones to wear away and pain and deformations appear, explains arthritis doctor in Delhi.

Its symptoms are very diverse and progressively evolve over time:

  • Joint pain related to movements.
  • Limitation of movements.
  • Crunches
  • Morning stiffness (less than 1 hour).
  • Occasionally, joint effusion, mechanical or non-inflammatory.
  • Possible joint deformities, some features such as those located in the distal joint of the fingers.

In this case, knowledge of some of the risk factors for the disease can help prevent or reduce symptoms:

  • The age.
  • Sex (osteoarthritis affects women more)
  • Genetics.
  • Depending on the work activity (due to the need to perform very repetitive movements for a long time or the overload maintained).
  • The elite sport.
  • Obesity (may aggravate the disease, especially of the knee)
  • The fractures and injuries.

In summary, the main differences between arthritis and osteoarthritis lie in: the nature of the pathologies, arthritis is an inflammatory disease and degenerative osteoarthritis. In the case of osteoarthritis, some of its risk factors can be prevented; predominates in knees, hands, hip, and spine; But in both cases, in recent years there have been advances in best arthritis treatment in Delhi, which are improving the quality of life of these patients.

Therefore, it is advisable to visit the Rheumatologist in Delhi, for early diagnosis that starts the best available treatment as soon as possible, to try to stop the evolution of these diseases.

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