These two words are quite similar in listening comprehension, so many people who say the words "arthritis" and "arthrosis" do not even suspect that these are completely different diseases, although they are associated with joint problems. In fact, both of these diseases are very serious and it is worth knowing what is the difference between arthritis and arthrosis, if only in order not to get into an awkward position in a conversation, because the topic of health is one of the "eternal" topics when one person communicates with another.
What is arthritis
Arthritis is a disease that affects most people in middle age (under 40), although there may be exceptions. According to statistics, few people suffer from arthritis, no more than 2% of the total population. However, in essence, arthritis is a severe inflammatory process in which joint problems are only the visible part of widespread inflammation.
In arthritis, the main cause of the disease is hidden much deeper than swelling of the joints, as well as pain that does not leave the patient even during the rest period at night (sometimes these pains only intensify). The cause of this inflammation can be either infection or a malfunction of the immune system. Joints aren't the only organs that get hit by inflammation. Often a powerful blow falls on such internal organs of a person as the liver, heart and kidneys. If the problem of arthritis is ignored, then it is very dangerous not only for human health, but even for his life.
What is arthrosis
Arthrosis, by and large, is an age-related change that a person undergoes, most often closer to the middle of the second half of life. Quite often, the mechanism of development of arthrosis is provoked by severe injuries in the form of fractures and damage to joints in people over 45 years old.
Medical statistics say that arthrosis affects every third over the age of 50 and every second over the age of seventy. In general, about 10% of the inhabitants of our planet suffer from arthrosis. Most often, arthrosis affects the knees and hip joints in the elderly. In addition, the joints of the fingers and the ankle can be subjected to arthrosis.
The reasons for the development of diseases
It is clear that the causes of each of the diseases are completely different.
For arthritis, these may be:
- Injuries of various origins, to a greater extent, recurrent recurrent injuries associated with professional activities can provoke the disease;
- Infections such as tuberculosis, fungal infection, SARS, flu;
- Lack of vitamins and the resulting imbalance in metabolism;
- Body overload;
- Disorders in the nervous system;
- Malfunctions of your own immune system;
- Having a genetic inherited tendency to arthritis.
Arthritis are frequent companions of people in such professions as seamstress, hairdresser, masseur, loader, construction worker.
As for arthrosis, here the factors for the development of the disease are:
- Excess weight that affects the functioning of the joints;
- Poor nutrition;
- Prolonged hypothermia;
- Previously suffered (perhaps even a very long time ago) various kinds of injuries;
- Intoxication of the body;
- Metabolic disorders;
- Past infectious diseases;
- Manifestations of autoimmune disruptions;
- Perthes disease, manifested in altered blood supply to the femoral head;
- Disorders in the thyroid gland;
Hereditary tendency to develop arthrosis, transmitted at the genetic level.
Bothersome Symptoms in Arthritis
With arthritis, there is severe joint pain, especially when walking or other physical activity. The joint itself swells up noticeably and the skin around the joint becomes hot to the touch. Also, the skin may turn red. The patient develops a feeling of weakness, it is very difficult for him to make any movements with the affected arm or leg. It is especially difficult in the morning after a night's rest. When pressing on the joint, the patient feels severe pain. When performing movements, joints affected by arthritis can crunch severely. The patient may have an increased body temperature, and the patient himself may have chills at this time. In acute arthritis, all symptoms appear simultaneously and abruptly. With chronic arthritis, symptoms increase slowly and gradually.
Symptoms for arthrosis
With arthrosis, doctors distinguish four main symptoms of the disease:
- Joint pain.The pain is severe and sharp. It starts at the moment the movement starts and subsides with the transition to a state of rest. At night, the person has practically no pain, and having chosen a comfortable position, the patient can sleep peacefully. Pain sensations increase as the disease progresses. The pain is also worse in cold and rainy weather;
- Crunching joints.Due to the reduced freedom and softness of bone rotation, a strong crunch is heard in the joint. Experts distinguish arthritic crunching by a kind of "dry" sound. The more the disease develops, the stronger the crunch in the joints. A feature of the crunch in arthrosis is that the crunch is almost always accompanied by pain;
- Restriction of mobility of the joint itself.With arthrosis, in many cases the limb is immobilized. This is due to the fact that bone growth occurs and the joint space narrows, which leads first to a limitation of mobility, and then to a complete immobilization of the joint;
- Deformation of the joints.As a rule, this symptom is characteristic of the late stages of arthrosis development, when osteophytes grow.
The difference between arthritis and arthrosis according to the clinical picture
It is quite clear that arthritis and arthrosis have different genesis as diseases. If arthritis is the result of a malfunction of the immune system or an infectious disease, then arthrosis refers more to diseases arising from the aging process of the body. Accordingly, based on this, the clinical picture of manifestations of arthritis and arthrosis will also differ.
Arthritis of the fingers
So with arthritis of the fingers, the patient has severe pains that do not subside during rest and at rest. In addition, the skin around the affected joints turns red.
Arthritis can affect a different number of joints from one (monoarthritis) to several (polyarthritis). The joints are swollen. The reaction to pressing the joint can be sharp pain.
As for the crunch in the joint, it may or may not be present.
Arthrosis of fingers
It occurs most often in the elderly, and in women, arthrosis appears about 10 times more often than in the stronger sex. The main site of localization is the joints between the phalanges of the fingers.
Any movement of the fingers causes uncomfortable pain in the patient. However, at rest, pain is practically absent. The joints are swollen and there may be reddening of the skin around the affected joint. Arthrosis is always accompanied by "dry" crunching in the joints.
The same picture is observed in cases of arthritis and arthrosis of the joints of the toes.
Treatment with chondreoprotectors
In arthritis and arthrosis, cartilage is destroyed due to contact with the rough and rough surface of the bone. As a result, the process of production of synovial fluid is disrupted, the cartilage is deprived of nutrition, and the joint is deprived of the lubrication necessary for its normal operation.
Chondroprotector prevents these pathological processes. The active substance of chondoprotectors is glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate. The dosage forms for the release of these substances are different and can be used by doctors depending on the situation.
Today, chondroprotectors are produced in the form:
- Solutions for injection;
- Tablets;
- Creams, ointments and gels.
Chondroprotective treatment should begin before the cartilage has completely collapsed. Unfortunately, such treatment is absolutely useless when cartilage is destroyed. The next thing to remember when treating with chondroprotectors is the duration of the course of treatment. The fact is that the process of cartilage restoration is rather long and the minimum course of treatment should be six months, but practice shows that treatment with chondroprotectors takes on average one and a half to two years. If the restoration is not complete, the destruction of the cartilage resumes. As a rule, chondroprotectors do not have any side effects on the patient's body, the maximum that is observed in practice is mild intestinal disorders. The only complication may arise in the treatment of chondroprotectors in persons suffering from diabetes mellitus. When treating them, the dose of insulin should be correctly calculated, since chondreoprotectors contain glucose. And it is also not recommended to use chondreoprotector during pregnancy, as well as for the treatment of children.
Today in the arsenal of doctors dealing with the treatment of problems of arthritis and arthrosis, there is a number of effective drugs for treatment.
Treatment with chondroprotectors should be started under the supervision of a physician, otherwise the treatment may be ineffective.
Treatment with folk remedies
For arthritis, traditional medicine recommends several effective recipes:
- Apple cider vinegar.This substance is added to water (1 teaspoon for one glass of water). The resulting solution is drunk before meals;
- Potato compress.Take green tubers for the compress.
Wash, cut into pieces without peeling. Potatoes are heated in water at a temperature of 38 degrees. Then a compress is applied to the sore spot. The potato layer should be 1. 5 - 2 centimeters. It is necessary to bet at night. The course of treatment in this way is seven to ten days.
Ointments in the treatment of arthritis and arthrosis
At the initial stages of the development of arthritis, as well as arthrosis, the use of ointments for external use can help in the treatment of the patient. A specialist will select the appropriate drug based on the results of the examination.