Arthritis

Below are some common forms of arthritis and related conditions:

• Osteoarthritis, sometimes called degenerative joint disease, results when the cushioning cartilage in the joints breaks down, causing pain and stiffness. It is the most common arthritis, affecting 20.7 million Americans, usually after age 45. Read more about osteoarthritis.
• Rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disease that inflames the lining of the joints, is one of the most serious and disabling types of arthritis, affecting more than 2.1 million Americans. Read more about rheumatoid arthritis.
• Fibromyalgia is a chronic pain disorder that causes fatigue, sleep disturbances, and widespread pain in the muscles and tendons, particularly in the neck, spine, shoulders, and hips. It affects about 3.7 million people, mostly women. Read more about fibromyalgia.
• Gout is a painful condition that may attack both small and large joints, often beginning in the big toe. It affects 2.1 million Americans, mostly men and postmenopausal women. Read more about gout.
• Lupus (full name: systemic lupus erythematosus, or SLE) is a serious autoimmune disorder that can inflame and damage joints and other connective tissues throughout the body. It affects 239,000 people, nearly all women. Read more about lupus.
• Juvenile arthritis refers to all types of arthritis that affect children, including juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (the most common) and childhood forms of lupus and ankylosing spondylitis. All told, an estimated 285,000 children under the age of 17 have some form of arthritis.
• Other types of arthritis include infections of the joints (infectious arthritis), fusing of the spine (ankylosing spondylitis), or a hardening of the skin and internal organs (scleroderma).

Researchers don’t know what causes most kinds of arthritis. However, there are known risk factors for some kinds of arthritis.

Known causes of Arthritis:

• Being a woman. Overall, nearly twice as many women as men get arthritis.
• Heredity. Some types of arthritis — including weakness in joints or bone — may be inherited.
• Repeated joint injuries or stresses. Sports or work activities can wear away cartilage in the joints

Signs and symptoms:

Arthritis symptoms vary, but if you notice any of the following for more than two weeks, see your doctor soon. Some kinds of arthritis need early and aggressive treatment to prevent or lessen irreversible joint damage.

• Swelling in one or more joints, especially with warmth and redness
• Stiffness around the joints that lasts for at least one hour in the early morning
• Constant or recurring pain or tenderness in a joint
• Sudden difficulty using or moving a joint normally