Arthritis

Author:

Dr. Veena (Ayurvedic Physician)

The word "arthritis" comes from the Greek word "arthron," meaning "joint," and the Latin "inflammation," meaning "inflammation." Arthritis has many types. Here are the details of some common ones, along with their causes.

Arthritis: Inflammation of joints due to infectious, metabolic, or constitutional causes.

Rheumatoid Arthritis:

A chronic autoimmune disease characterized by pain, stiffness, inflammation, swelling, and destruction of joints. Rheumatoid arthritis can affect parts of the body other than joints, like the eyes, lungs, and heart. In this disease, bone, cartilage, tendons, and ligaments get damaged.

Osteoporosis:

A condition that affects esp. older women and is characterized by a decrease in bone mass with a decrease in Bone Density and enlargement of Bone spaces producing porosity and fragility.

Osteoarthritis :

Arthritis of middle age is characterized by degenerative and sometimes hypertrophic changes in the bone and cartilage of one or more joints and a progressive wearing down by opposing joint surfaces with consequent distortion of joint position without bone stiffening.

Gout :

Metabolic disease is marked by painful inflammation of the joint, deposits of urates in and around the joints, and an excessive amount of uric acid in the blood.

Now one by one we will discuss all the above conditions in detail.

Let us discuss Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid Arthritis: It is an autoimmune disease, which means the body's immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissues. Rheumatoid Arthritis can affect parts of the body other than joints like the eyes, lungs, and heart.

In this Disease bone, cartilage, tendons, and ligaments get damaged.

Causes:

Genetic factors
Lack of antioxidants in the diet
High consumption of coffee
Obesity
Loss of sleep
Hormonal factors (mostly affecting women)
Smoking
Infection
Stress and strain

Incidence Pattern:

Women: Men = 3:1
Most common in ages 35 to 50 years
Family history may be a factor

Symptoms Before Manifestation of the Disease:

Fatigue
Debility
Anorexia
Vague musculoskeletal symptoms

Symptoms After Manifestation of the Disease:

Joint pain and morning stiffness
Symmetrical involvement of both