Arthritis is the inflammation of the joints as a result of trauma or infection. People who have this condition may lose their ability to use their hands and feet due to severe pain and sometimes deformation. To date, there are over a hundred types of arthritis and most of them have no known cure.
The most popular type of arthritis is osteoarthritis where the joint gradually wears due to constant use. Osteoarthritis is also called degenerative joint disease. It usually occurs in the hands, feet and knee joints. Risk factors for this kind of arthritis include old age, obesity and a sedentary lifestyle or lack of exercise.
Not like osteoarthritis, septic arthritis is a result of bacterial, viral or fungal infection. It usually affects a single joint but can also spread to other parts of the body (called seeding arthritis) depending on the kind of bacteria that caused it. Septic arthritis is difficult to diagnose making it a more dreadful condition since it can destroy joints easily when left untreated.
Other types of arthritis include rheumatoid arthritis, gout and lupus. Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease which means it is a result of the immune system attacking the body’s tissues. Lupus is a collagen vascular disorder that can be an accompanying symptom of other severe cases of arthritis while gout is a result of crystallization of uric acid in the joint and can also be very damaging.
A common way to treat arthritis is through medication. A quality one can help alleviate the pain caused by joint inflammation and can even decelerate damage in affected locations. Specialists only advise that safety measures be observed when using medications since some have been reported to have negative side-effects.
Arthritis has no cure but that doesn’t make it inevitable. Through regular exercise or simply daily activity, arthritis can be prevented. And while it cannot be totally gotten rid of, the pain and damage it bring can at least be managed and minimized.
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