Arthrosis or arthritis?Why is their knowledge of their differences important

Joint pain in the elderlyAt the same time, these diseases have a completely different nature and a different treatment.Knowledge of these differences means not to give the disease a chance of prevailing you.

Difference 1. The source of the problem

Arthrosis is a degenerative process accompanied by deformity of the joint capsule and abrasion, allowing the joints to move easily and freely.In addition to the elderly, arthrosis often suffers from athletes who, due to constant overload, cartilage, covers the surface of the joints, cracks, and fatigue.

Arthritis is an inflammatory disease associated with a failure in the immune system (rheumatoid arthritis), or infection - genitalinar, intestine (reactive arthritis, anklotic spondylitis).

Difference 2. Symptoms

Arthrosis does not always report the pain that occurs during movement or morning severity, which disappears after a few movements.Arthrosis -affected joints, primarily by pressing and crisis, which the potential victims of the disease do not pay attention, continue to load the worn.

Arthritis begins with severe pain, swelling, skin redness around the joint, fever.But at first it can happen in a hidden form.Disease development impulse can have stress, excessive work, hypothermia, infection - cold, cystitis.

Difference 3. The nature of the joints of damage

Arthrosis most often affects the joints of the legs (thigh, knee, ankle), which is the maximum load.

With rheumatoid arthritis, brush or leg joints, the wrists are affected.Then the elbow and knee joints are affected (usually symmetrically), sometimes the disease affects the internal organs (liver, kidneys).

With reactive arthritis, inflammation of the joints is more often asymmetric in nature: both joints are not affected, but one.The pain passes as the steps on the foot.

Difference 4. Treatment

Arthrosis, especially in a neglected state, is impossible to finally cure.But with the competent and constant administration of oral drugs that stimulate cartilage regeneration, it can significantly slow down its development and improve the quality of life of the patient.Anti-inflammatory agents play an adjunctive role due to their adverse effects on the mucous membrane of the gastrointestinal tract.

Arthritis of infectious origin is completely cured if treatment begins in a timely manner with medications that affect immunity, antibiotics.In particularly severe, advanced cases, the course of treatment is repeated several times.

Rheumatoid arthritis will be required for continuous doses of corticosteroids, anti -phlammatic medications, cytostatics.But other medicines appear.So, in the mid-1990s, the era of biological medications of engineering began genetically, which allows to achieve prolonged remission of the disease, as well as reduce the dose of hormonal agents.