Diseases of arthritis and osteoarthritis are often confused due to the similarity of the names. Yes, and both ailments are affected by the joints (for example, there is arthritis and osteoarthritis of the knee joint). The affected joints become inflamed, swollen and painful. Otherwise, these are completely different diseases. Let's try to understand how arthritis differs from osteoarthritis?
Difference between arthritis and osteoarthritis
Arthritis is accompanied by inflammation of the joint joints, which in turn leads to impaired motor functions. The patient feels discomfort, has sharp or aching pain, both during physical activity and during rest, especially in the morning. The skin around the joint swells, turns red, and becomes tight. Body temperature often rises. Osteoarthritis is a disease in which degenerative processes occur in the joint cartilage. The modified cartilage ceases to cope with the load falling on them and is gradually destroyed. Pain caused by exertion usually subsides at rest. The tissues around the joint swell and become inflamed. Progressive disease leads to cartilage destruction and severe joint deformity. The difference between osteoarthritis and arthritis lies in the causes of the diseases. Osteoarthritis occurs:
- primary, usually associated with old age;
- secondary, resulting from other diseases or genetically determined.
The predisposing factors for the development of arthrosis are:
- overweight;
- excessive physical activity (most often, in athletes) or very low physical activity;
- past injuries;
- endocrine diseases.
Arthritis is inflammatory. There are causes of the disease such as:
- various infections;
- joint damage and repeated minor injuries;
- metabolic disorders;
- allergy;
- deficiency of trace elements and vitamins.
Analysis for arthritis and osteoarthritis
For the early diagnosis of diseases affecting the support system, the specialist must collect a complete medical history. The patient is invited to pass the following tests and conduct the specified examinations:
- A clinical blood test to determine the level of ESR (with arthritis, the erythrocyte sedimentation rate increases significantly, with osteoarthritis it is close to normal).
- Biochemical blood test to identify the lack of macro and micronutrients, characteristic of arthritis.
- Radiography to help detect bone deformity inherent in osteoarthritis and determine the width of the joint space.
- MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), which allows you to identify changes in cartilage tissue in the early stages of the disease.
Cause of the disease
The main difference between arthritis and osteoarthritis is the origin of the diseases. Arthritis is an infectious disease that causes joint inflammation. Osteoarthritis is a degenerative process that occurs in the body due to the natural wear and tear of the joints and aging, which causes the destruction of the cartilage layer in the joint. Therefore, osteoarthritis is mainly characteristic of the elderly, and arthritis can be contracted at any age, even in childhood. Women are more likely to have arthritis. Osteoarthritis affects both women and men who have reached old age. Most often, arthritis is caused by:
- various infections;
- allergic reactions;
- joint damage;
- frequent minor injuries;
- physical stress;
- metabolic disorders;
- deficiency of vitamins and minerals;
- autoimmune disorders;
- diseases of the nervous system.
Also, arthritis often develops as a complication of osteoarthritis, but not vice versa. Osteoarthritis mainly results from:
- genetic predisposition;
- insufficient blood supply and bone nutrition;
- excessive stress on the joints;
- joint injuries;
- hypothermia.
Symptoms of joint diseases
Despite the fact that both diseases are accompanied by painful sensations, these sensations arise in different conditions. With arthritis, pain appears both during physical exertion, and during sleep and in the morning. With osteoarthritis, pain worries a person only during physical exertion.
Another characteristic difference between arthritis and osteoarthritis is the nature of the pain. Arthritis is characterized by sharp, severe pains and spasms, and osteoarthritis is dull and aching, accompanied by a creak.
Arthritis most often affects small joints, and osteoarthritis - large joints (especially the knee and hip). Osteoarthritis affects only the joints. In arthritis, inflammation can spread to several joints and other organs. Also, arthritis is accompanied by fever, swelling and redness in the affected area. Sometimes subcutaneous rheumatic nodules appear with arthritis. Over time, osteoarthritis leads to deformations of the joints, which can thin and take on strange shapes.
Diagnostics
Similar methods are used for diagnosis (X-rays, computed tomography, laboratory tests), but their results will be different. In arthritis, a complete blood count will show an increase in erythrocyte sedimentation rate and a high concentration of C-reactive protein, leukocytes, and seromukoids. With osteoarthritis, such an analysis will not detect any deviations.
Arthritis and treatment of osteoarthritis
Various specialists are engaged in the treatment of diseases. Arthrosis is treated by an orthopedic traumatologist, and in case of arthritis, the cause of the disease is first established and then, depending on it, a specialist is selected. Diseases are treated with identical methods, using drugs and physiotherapy. If the disease has gone too far, surgery is used - endoprosthesis or joint replacement. But there are also some differences in the treatment of diseases. Arthritis requires immediate and active therapy, and osteoarthritis requires comprehensive, long-term treatment. Arthritis treatment begins with diet and lifestyle changes. Then the patient is prescribed anti-inflammatory drugs and antibiotics, as well as physiotherapy procedures. Osteoarthritis is treated with hormonal, anti-inflammatory and analgesic drugs. Arthritis is usually completely cured and osteoarthritis, which is a chronic disease, causes irreversible consequences in the joints that cannot be cured: it is only possible to slow down the degenerative processes.
These two diseases with consonant names are similar in that they are symptoms of rheumatism. However, don't be confused: Osteoarthritis is a mechanical disease, and with arthritis the joints become inflamed. In simpler terms, if the aching joints are swollen, the patient has arthritis. If the pain in the joints is weak, then it is osteoarthritis. In this article we will try to explain in accessible language how they differ. For those unfamiliar with medicine, it is difficult to differentiate between the two. Since both diseases are directly related to rheumatism. Both disorders cause pain and discomfort in the joints, which become immobile. The symptoms of these diseases, as well as the ways to treat them, are very diverse.
What is the difference between arthritis and osteoarthritis?
The difference between arthritis and osteoarthritis is that with arthritis the joints become inflamed. As a result, enzymes are released, leading to their destruction. They form proteins that bind them together. This is one of the causes of pain. Most often it occurs when a person sleeps. With physical exertion, it subsides a little. Weakness makes itself felt in the morning. This disorder affects the joints of the legs and arms.
Arthritis can have several causes. For example, septic arthritis is caused by an infection and rheumatoid arthritis is caused by a decrease in immunity. Gout develops due to metabolic disorders.
Joint changes occur along with physiological changes. As a result, the skin can become hot or red.
How is arthritis treated?
To cure it, it is necessary to relieve the symptoms and restore the mobility of the joints. To do this, it is recommended to try several methods. They can be combined if necessary. This will help determine which one works best. Also, with these ailments, the results of a blood test differ. With osteoarthritis, protein levels rise. If the patient has arthritis, there are no changes in the composition of the blood. When choosing a remedy used to get rid of such problems, it is necessary to take into account the type of this disease. Most often used for healing:
- corticosteroids;
- biological and anti-inflammatory drugs;
- analgesics;
- anti-irritant drugs;
- antirheumatic drugs;
- therapeutic methods.
Physical activity is necessary to heal. With specialized exercises you can strengthen your joints and keep your muscles toned. Sometimes staples or battens are used for this purpose. If other methods of therapy do not help, doctors suggest removing the damaged joints. They are replaced by artificial ones. Most often, the knees are treated in this way. Such an operation is performed to relieve discomfort and restore their activity. After this procedure, the destruction of the joints is slower. Also, with surgical methods, it is customary to perform an operation to cut the joint tissue. At the same time, foreign particles are removed from their shell. Patients undergo such operations to smooth rough surfaces and change the pressure angle.
How is osteoarthritis treated?
To cure this disease, it is necessary to reduce the risk factors. Those who are overweight are advised to eat right. Patients need to monitor their diet. This is especially true for those who have undergone surgery for bone structure pathology.
If the patient's condition does not improve, you can get rid of the problems using anti-inflammatory and analgesic drugs. In order not to have to use a prosthesis, the patient must be prescribed hyaluronic acid. It will also help relieve discomfort.
You shouldn't completely cut down on physical activity. Exercise should be easy for your health. This should prevent weight gain. If you suspect a particular disease, don't panic and don't try to treat it yourself. Prompt diagnosis and properly prescribed treatment increase the chances of a quick recovery.
The main differences
As mentioned above, osteoarthritis is a mechanical disorder. With it, the articular cartilage periodically shrinks until it disappears. As a result, the rubbing bones are exposed. It occurs mainly in the elderly. In this case, patients note some characteristic features associated with the appearance of the joints. As a rule, it has the following reasons associated with injuries, abnormalities in the structure of the bones, excess weight. Most often, it affects the joints of the pelvis and knees. It often damages the joints in the neck and spine. Unlike arthritis, osteoarthritis can cause significant discomfort when moving. The inconvenience disappears between walking, running and so on. But apart from unpleasant sensations, it is unable to manifest itself in the form of inflammation, so it is often called "cold" disease.