Types Of Arthritis

Many people (in fact probably most of them) tend to take arthritis as a generic condition and associate pain with it, failing to realize that there are actually many types of arthritis, and that this is not a single disease. But the fact is that, there are actually more than 100 types of arthritis, and when we consider the huge number of people who are affected with it, the disease becomes one of the most varied types of medical problems the world over.

Among the various types of arthritis there are a few common points (since they belong to the same family) and a few dissimilarities. For example, all types of arthritis affect the seniors, the exception being juvenile arthritis that affects younger people. There is a commonality among the various types of arthritis when it comes to the signs and symptoms as well - the most common symptoms of the disease are seen in the joints of the body and they include swelling and pain, and this is true among all the types.

The Most Common Types Of Arthritis

As mentioned earlier, there are in excess of 100 types of arthritis - but here are some of the most common types, that are seen more often than others...

Osteoarthritis: The most common type of arthritis that affects a large section of the population. Due to pressure for many years over the tissues and the bones, the cartilage wears and tears and this leads to its damage and as a result there is swelling and pain in the joints of the hip, back, knees, fingers, feet and even the spine. Osteoarthritis, also known as degenerative arthritis, is also hereditary in nature and can so pass from one generation to the next.

Psoriatic Arthritis: Also known as arthropathic psoriasis, this can happen to all those who suffer from the psoriasis skin disease. In whom it develops into arthritis, the patients usually had the skin disease in the nail that is characterized by lesions and even the nail might fall off in severe conditions. Psoriatic arthritis is relatively rare though. Early diagnosis can prevent arthritis.

Ankylosing Spondylitis: This type of arthritis affects the sacroiliac joints and the spine. Low back pain is the most common symptom of this disease.

Juvenile Arthritis: Affects mostly children. The symptoms of this type of arthritis are markedly different than the other types. Loss of appetite, almost a complete absence of physical activity and a general lethargy are the most common symptoms. It can also come with flu and a slight fever. If the child is limping, and that too without much of a pain, then it might be a case of juvenile arthritis.

Rheumatoid Arthritis: This is another common type of arthritis. This disease happens slowly over many years, but once it begins to affect a person, it stays for a long time as well. The body's own immune system becomes a foe and mistakenly attacks the joints thinking that there has been an outside attack and so there is pain in the knees, wrists and the hands. The tissues and the cartilages become damaged leading to the pain.

Reactive Arthritis: This type of arthritis happens after an infection - that is due to a reaction. The infections that cause this include genitourinary and intestinal ones.