| Home Angina/Chest Pain Acne Allergy Alzheimer's Anemia Anxiety Arthritis Alcoholism Alopecia (Hair Loss) Asthma Amenorrhea Athlete's Foot Back Pain Boils Bronchitis Bursitis Candida Cataract Cellulitis Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Cirrhosis Colitis Spastic Colon Conjunctivitis Cough Cramps Constipation Crohn's Disease Cystitis Dementia Dental Problems Depression Detoxification Diabetes Diarrhea Dysentery Digestive Disorders Dysfunctional Uterine Bleeding Dysmenorrhea Eczema Edema Epilepsy Erectile Dysfunction Fibromyalgia Gall Stones GERD Genital Warts Gonorrhea Gout Hemorrhoids Herpes Hepatitis Hiatus Hernia Human Papilloma Virus(HPV) Hypertension Infertility Infectious Mononucleosis Insomnia Irritable Bowel Syndrome Kidney Disease Kidney Stone Laryngitis Leucorrhea Lyme Disease Menopause Menorrhagia Migraine Nocturnal Enurisis Obesity Osteoporosis Pancreatitis Parkinson's Peptic Ulcers Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) Premature Ejaculation Polysystic Ovaries Psoriasis Sciatica scoliosis Sinusitis Smoking Stress Syphilis Tendonitis Thyroid Disorder Tinnitus Tonsillitis Urticaria Urinary Tract Infection Varicose Veins Vertigo Vitiligo Worms Privacy Policy and Disclaimer Other Resources |
What is Arthritis? Arthritis is a group of conditions involving damage to the joints of the body. Arthritis is the leading cause of disability in people older than fifty-five years. There are different forms of arthritis; each has a different cause. The most common form of arthritis, osteoarthritis (degenerative joint disease) is a result of trauma to the joint, infection of the joint, or age. Emerging evidence suggests that abnormal anatomy might contribute to the early development of osteoarthritis. Other arthritis forms are rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis, autoimmune diseases in which the body attacks itself. Septic arthritis is caused by joint infection. Gouty arthritis is caused by deposition of uric acid crystals in the joint, causing inflammation. There is also an uncommon form of gout caused by the formation of rhomboid crystals of calcium pyrophosphate. This gout is known as pseudogout. All arthritides feature pain. Pain patterns may differ depending on the arthritides and the location. Rheumatoid arthritis is generally worse in the morning and associated with stiffness; in the early stages, patients often have no symptoms after a morning shower. In the aged and children, pain might not be the main feature; the aged patient simply moves less, the infantile patient refuses to use the affected limb. Elements of the history of the disorder guide diagnosis. Important features are speed and time of onset, pattern of joint involvement, symmetry of symptoms, early morning stiffness, tenderness, gelling or locking with inactivity, aggravating and relieving factors, and other systemic symptoms. Physical examination may confirm the diagnosis, or may indicate systemic disease. Radiographs are often used to follow progression or assess severity in a more quantitative manner.
|
- Fennel |
