Arthritis, or osteoarthritis, what's the difference? How to distinguish the arthritis is osteoarthritis?

Joint arthrosis disease, which the joints. Cause pain during movement, significantly reduces the quality of life. Arthritis, or osteoarthritis, what's the difference? In order to understand what is arthritis, other in osteoarthritis need to know the common traits, characteristics, and risk factors for each disease.

What happened to the arthritis?

The disease of the developed inflammatory process affecting the whole body. The reasons for the development of the disease can be infected (infectious), trauma (trauma), autoimmune diseases (rheumatoid).

Arthritis in the body is present, both signs of inflammation:

• The increased body temperature, fever;
• The increase in total blood proteins, immunoglobulins, C-reactive protein;
• May be accompanied by an inflammatory process, not previously identified.

What happens in osteoarthritis?

Osteoarthritis – a disease caused by degradation of the cartilage. The inflammatory process is localized only in the joint cavity, is a consequence of the deformation in the joint. The result is increased strain on the connection due to old age, after injury, can occur deformation of the bone parts, friction occurs on the surfaces between the joint. The result is a thinning and the deformation of the cartilage.

This is the disease of the body no obvious signs of inflammation:

• Increased local temperature (only in the area of the affected joint);
• Biochemical general blood tests is normal;
• Occurs when the deformation of the cartilage, is not accompanied by other inflammation.

The similarities and differences between diseases.

The two diseases have both similarities and differences. The most important similarity is the inflammation of the joints, and osteoarthritis, the symptoms:

• Crunching, creaking during movement;
• Pain;
• The restriction;
• Swelling, redness in the affected joint.

However, the difference between joint arthrosis is more important than the similarities.

1. Age. Arthritis – a disease that affects older people, older people. It is associated with the age-related degradation, the cartilage of the joints. Arthritis often affect the young, a consequence of the prolonged infection, inflammation in the body.
2. The localization process. Osteoarthritis develops only in the joint under the action of risk factors (age, frequent overload, overweight, etc.). Arthritis affects the whole body, can cause a rise in internal body temperature, fever.
3. Pain. If you have arthritis pain in the extremities occurs during movement acquires a permanent character in the development of the disease. Arthritis is a sharp, constant pain.
4. Deformity of the joint. Osteoarthritis, the bone connection components for deformed, to the degradation of cartilage. Arthritis does not cause changes in the articular surfaces of the bones.
5. Loss of motor function of joints. The development of osteoarthritis leads to limited movement gradually. Arthritis restricts the movement only in the acute phase of the disease.

The difference is caused by the arthritis or the osteoarthritis, a common cause.

In order to better understand the differences between the two disease – arthritis and osteoarthritis – you need to know the reasons.

Causes of arthritis are more likely to:

• Infection (viral, bacterial, fungal);
• Allergies, autoimmune diseases.

The main prerequisites for the development of osteoarthritis:

• Overload of the joint (activity, weight);
• Age-related degradation of cartilage.

In addition, many of the most common causes of both diseases:

• Injury;
• Diseases, metabolic processes in the body.
• Insufficient intake of vitamins, minerals;
• Congenital diseases of bone, cartilage.

The difference in the symptoms.

Signs of osteoarthritis of different nature, severity, duration of the event.

Symptoms	Arthritis	Osteoarthritis
1. Temperature rise	Increased body temperature to 38-39C	Maybe the local temperature rise in the region of the affected joint
2. Swelling	The soft tissues around the joint become swollen the	Swelling appears in the 3. stage of the disease
3. Stiffness in the morning	Occur in the body	Occurs only the affected connection
4. The loss of motor functions	Only during the acute stage of the disease	Develops gradually, which is ankylosis (complete absence of motion in the joint)
5. To change the shape of the joint	Not happening	Happens
6. The nature of the pain	Sharp, constant, worse at night	Grumpy, boring, occurs when the movements are stronger in the morning.

Because of the similarity of symptoms, the need arises in the differential diagnosis.

Diagnosis of diseases.

Correct, timely diagnosis will help distinguish arthritis the osteoarthritis and prescribe the appropriate treatment. Basic methods of diagnosis in diseases of the joints remain the same:

• X-ray;
• Ultrasound of the joints;
• Blood biochemical examination;
• Arthroscopy.

Disease	Diagnosis
	Ultrasound	X-ray	A blood test	Arthroscopy
Osteoarthritis	Reduction of the joint space, irregularities of the cartilage. The synovial fluid is the contaminated materials.	Change in the anatomical shape of the joint, the presence of synovial (outgrowths of bone), the cartilage is thin and uneven. Inside the joint space is narrowed.	In the absence of signs of inflammation – the main difference between osteoarthritis arthritis.	Joints, degradation of cartilage, reducing the difference between the bone structures of the compounds.
Arthritis	Sinovialnye cape, the cartilage is uneven, the presence of inflammatory exudate in the joint cavity (pus).	Mild osteoporosis, softening of the bone tissue.	The C-reactive protein, increased levels of alpha-, beta-globulin, the appearance in the blood antibodies, increased ESR. Increases the content of uric acid in some cases of anemia (decreased hemoglobin).	The appearance of erosion of the cartilage, bone tissue, protrusion of the synovium in the joint cavity.

Features of treatment of arthritis, and osteoarthritis.

Treatment of arthritis, or osteoarthritis, is a little different, consists in:

1. The pain and inflammation.
2. The maintenance of the cartilaginous tissue of joints.
3. The recovery of the motor function of the joint.
4. The recidivism (repeat).

The only difference in the treatment of arthritis with antibiotics, antiviral, and antifungal medicines, which are not required osteoarthritis. The doctors usually prescribe the penicillins, cephalosporins, and aminoglycosides.

The exacerbations of the disease need treatment in the hospital.The treatment of pain and inflammation are assigned non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (diclofenac, indomethacin). Ointments appointment on the basis of these medicinal products (Fastum gel, voltaren, deep relief). In the absence of results in the treatment of nsaids can replace corticosteroid injection of the capsule connection.

Supports cartilage, joints and help hyaluronic acid, hondroetina – hondroprotektory. They stop the degradation of joint tissues, stimulates the regeneration processes. Courses the admission lasts from 1 to 10 months, depending on the stage of the disease.

The results because of the lack of conservative treatment, therapy, because the goal of the operation. Most often, a second arthroscopy, during which the cavity of the joint and remove inflammatory exudate, pieces of cartilage, the blood clots. In the last stages of deformation units is carried out in the arthroplasty (joint replacement artificial), osteotomy (resection of the deformed bone structures).

In addition, doctors, physical therapy, and physical therapy.

• Laser, magnetic, ultrasonic treatment;
• Electrophoresis;
• Massage;
• Therapeutic baths (mud, salt);
• Reflexology (acupuncture).

Physiotherapy is exclusively performed in health institutions under the supervision of a doctor-physiotherapist. It controls the degree of stress on the joints, the correct execution of the exercises.

The prevention of arthritis, and osteoarthritis.

To protect joints is possible when following a few simple rules:

1. Load connections should be moderate. Overweight is a common training heavy weights creates a threat to the relationship overload. In addition, the probability of damage increases many times.
2. The correct, balanced diet. Daily diet should contain the necessary vitamins, minerals. Little food you have to buy the food additives, vitamin-mineral complexes.
3. The women must have frequent, prolonged wearing of high heeled shoes. Every inch heel increases the load on the spine per 10 kg of the sheet 20.
4. Joints protection from hypothermia. Arthritis, unlike osteoarthritis, the result of the infection, the low temperature contributed to the spread of the body.

Conclusion.

Joint arthrosis can be a serious problem in the life of an active person, regardless of age. Pain, stiffness of the limbs much reduced quality of life because of disability, or disability. It is important to understand what the differences between the diseases in time to the professionals – you will spend the differential diagnosis, like treatment, arthritis, or osteoarthritis.