People who first encounter common illnesses often ask: arthritis and arthrosis - what is the difference.These pathologies have similar names and symptoms, so they are often confused.This confusion can have negative consequences in self -medication, since what helps with osteoarthritis with arthritis can harm.
Both diseases are serious, lead to disability, so that the treatment of joint diseases should be carried out by a specialist.
What is the nature of these diseases?
The difference between osteoarthritis and arthritis is already clear under their names.The suffix "IT" in the name of the disease shows the inflammatory nature of the disease and "oz" - the presence of pathological changes in the tissues.
Accordingly, arthritis is inflammation of the joint tissue, which can be caused by different causes.And osteoarthritis are degenerative changes in the articular cartilage that develop after an injury or from the effect of age -related factors.We will find out in more detail what arthritis and arthrosis are.
Arthrosis - what is it?
The articulated surfaces of the bones are covered with smooth cartilage tissue and constantly slipped with synovial fluid for light sliding.Osteoarthritis is characterized by pathological processes, which means that the surface of the cartilage loses smoothness, ulcerated and refined.
For this reason, they scratch each other during the friction of the pairing cartilage surfaces, with degenerative processes worsened to the full destruction of the cartilage.Growth appear along the edges of the bone - osteophytes that captivate the mobility of the joint.
In timely detection of osteoarthritis, the process of destroying cartilage can be slowed down with modern treatment and prevention methods for decades.In the end, however, arthrosis usually leads to the complete destruction of cartilage and immobilization of the affected joint.
The only way to return to lost functionality is the operation to replace the joint with artificial endoprosthesis.
Arthritis - what is it?
Arthritis is an inflammation of the joints.It is known that the inflammatory process is nothing more than the struggle of the immune blood cells (leukocytes) with foreign formations in the body.Most of the time, immune cells are hung against an infection that has fallen.
Instead of this struggle, inflammation occurs, which is characterized by redness, an increase in local temperature, pain and swelling.Leukocytes that died during the protection of the body are nothing more than pus, which are often formed in the inflammatory process.
Arthritis can have a different nature.Sometimes it occurs when an infection enters the articular cavity.Such types of arthritis are good to treat antibiotics and often exist without consequences.
Other types of this disease are worse for treatment and usually lead to disabilities.In particular, it is rheumatoid arthritis - an autoimmune disease in which immune cells lose their landmarks and fight against tissue of their own body.
Gothric arthritis occurs in older people due to a violation of the metabolism and the deposits in the joints of salts.
Psoriatic arthritis, which occurs in about 10% of patients with psoriasis and many other types of this dangerous disease.
Is there a relationship between these diseases?
Disassembly of how arthrosis differs from osteoarthritis, one can only mention that these diseases often accompany each other.For example, with rheumatoid arthritis, articular tissue is subjected to degenerative changes that are characteristic of osteoarthritis.Over time, the joints affected by rheumatoid arthritis are deformed and lose their functions such as osteoarthritis.
Similarly, it can be said about gout arthritis.Sharp salt crystals, which were deposited in joint cartilage on the one hand, cause their inflammation and scraped the surfaces of the cartilage on the other hand, causing the abrasion and the gradual degeneration leads characteristic of osteoarthritis.
As you can see, the chronic forms of arthritis have a negative impact on the condition of the articular cartilage and over time lead to the progression of processes that are characteristic of arthrosis - deformation - and to the loss of joint functions.
This rule works differently.The course of osteoarthritis is rarely completely without accompanying arthritis.If the surfaces of the articular cartilage, which destroy them due to degenerative processes, destroy them against each other, occur on them, cartilage can be abandoned.This provokes inflammatory processes, and we already know that inflammation in the arthritis joints is.
This means that osteoarthritis occurs with periodic exacerbations, which are often accompanied by merged arthritis.
Due to the fact that these two diseases are so connected, it is sometimes difficult to understand: arthritis and arthrosis what is the difference.To make a decision, you have to see the basic cause of the disease, what the pathological process is started.If the impulse of the disease has become degenerative changes in the cartilage, then this is arthrosis, and if the cause in inflammation caused by infections is problems with hormonal background, immunity or metabolism, this is arthritis.
What are the causes of these pathologies?
Osteoarthritis is a degenerative-dystrophic change in the cartilage that develops for reasons:
- Inadequate tissue nutrition;
- Traumatic nature.
The lack of nutrition is usually due to age -related changes in the body.Therefore, osteoarthritis often occurs in humans over 50 to 60 years.At this age, tissue regeneration slows down, violations of metabolic processes occur, which leads to problems with the joints in many problems.
Traumatic arthrosis can develop at a younger age.Its cause is innate and acquired defects in the articular cartilage that violate the surface of the pairing cartilage, which causes its further destruction.
The causes of traumatic arthrosis can:
- Congenital defects of the articular cartilage;
- Received injuries;
- Surgical operations on the joints;
- A big surplus of body weight.
In contrast to arthrosis, arthritis can be found more often in young people with the exception of the gout.His reasons are:
- Genetic predisposition to autoimmune and systemic diseases;
- Infections;
- Hormonal disorders.
What is the similarity and the difference in the symptoms?
Osteoarthritis is characterized by a gradual, slow increase in symptoms.The original stage of the disease can take years without showing itself.Crunchy in the joints can be felt, the regular pain occurring with a load above the usual.
Most of the time, the doctor is addressed when the disease has already reached the II stage.Characteristic symptoms of arthrosis:
- Joint pain under load, subsides in peace;
- Click when moving the problem;
- Morning stiffness if after waking up for the normal operation of the connection it is necessary to "develop" it.
- The joints of the brushes, the stop, the spine, the knee and the hip are most common for osteoarthritis;Rare - shoulder and ankle;
- The occurrence of pain in rest pain indicates connected arthritis due to the constant microtrauma of the cartilage.
- In the later stages there is a progressive decrease in the amplitude of movements until the joint immobilization of the joint or vice versa the appearance of "decay" unnatural mobility.
No example of osteoarthritis, arthritis begins with pronounced symptoms that are characteristic of inflammatory processes:
- Severe pain in the joint, not even left in peace, feel pulsation, twitch;
- Night pain who do not allow to fall asleep;
- Reddening, swelling in the defeat zone;
- High temperature at the scene of the inflammation, often a temperature increase of the entire body;
- Small joints are more susceptible to arthritis - wrists, fingers, sometimes ankles, knees;
- Several joints (polyarthritis) are often affected at the same time;
- Arthritis often becomes a complication of diseases caused by bacterial and viral infections.
The rest of arthritis symptoms varies depending on the species, of which there are many.Many types of arthritis are serious diseases that affect other body systems in addition to the joints.
Diagnosis
For the doctor, the difference between arthritis and osteoarthritis due to the clinical image is obvious.In order to diagnose arthrosis and establish its stage, it is often sufficient to make an X beam of the problematic joint in two projections.The picture shows the value of the joint gap, the presence or lack of bone growth - osteophytes, the degree of bone formation.
The diagnosis of arthritis requires more studies because it is necessary for successful treatment to determine a kind of pathology - whether a systemic disease is a system, regardless of whether inflammation is caused by infection or exacerbation of osteoarthritis.
In order to create a precise diagnosis, modern diagnostic methods such as ultrasound, CT, MRI, arthroscopy and joint puncture can be used for examining the synovial fluid.A blood test for rheumen is of great importance in diagnosis of arthritis.
Similarity and difference in therapy
The treatment of arthritis and arthrosis has more differences than similarities.Almost only what it combines is the use of non -steroidal anti -inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) to remove pain and inflammation.Depending on the diagnosis and the condition of the patient, these medication can be used for local use orally or in the form of injections, including the joint cavity.
With the ineffectiveness of the treatment of NSAIDs, hormonal drugs are used - corticosteroids with strong side effects, so that they are only prescribed in extreme cases.
Otherwise, the therapy of arthritis and arthrosis varies.Every type of arthritis has its own treatment scheme that takes into account the type of disease.In the therapy of each type, antibiotics, hormonal, immunobiological medication and many other specific drugs, including physiotherapeutic, can be used in addition to NSAIDS.
The main goal of the treatment of arthritis is to relieve inflammation, therapy of accompanying diseases and to ensure a long remission period.Surgical operations are displayed in the event of serious damage to the joints.
When treating osteoarthritis, the main task is to slow down the pathological processes of destruction of the articular cartilage.Chondroprotectors are actively used for this - medication that contributes to regeneration of articular cartilage as well as vitamins and minerals.In the remission stage, patients are shown physiotherapeutic methods, physiotherapy exercises.
Prevention measures are of great importance:
- Normalization of the weight;
- Real full nutrition;
- Rejection of bad habits;
- Rejection of the overload of pain joints;
- Realizable motor activity.
After reaching severe arthrosis stages due to the immobility of the joint or the reverse unnatural mobility, the functionality of the limb can be lost.In such cases, the patient will help to return to a complete lifespan of life in order to replace the damaged joint with an endoprosthesis.
Unfortunately, there are no therapeutic active ingredients that can restore the joints destroyed by arthrosis and arthritis.It is only possible to stretch this pathological process as far as possible and to use surgical interventions after failure of the joint.It is therefore very important not to delay the visit to the doctor and determine the first signs of these diseases.
As you can see, the difference between arthritis and arthrosis determines the differences in your treatment.Arthritis therapy focuses on eliminating the inflammatory process and the treatment of simultaneous diseases as well as in the treatment of osteoarthritis, relieving pain and preventing the joints in the treatment of osteoarthritis.
In this context, it becomes clear how one refers to the warming of the joints in these diseases.Heating the problem area helps to activate blood circulation in nearby tissues.
In degenerative-dystrophic processes in cartilage tissue, blood flow improves the joint of oxygen and nutrients and accelerates metabolic processes.This contributes to improving the common tissue regeneration.The heating of the joints is useful for osteoarthritis.
Heating pillows and heating compresses for arthritis have a completely different effect.The temperature is already increased in the zone of the inflammatory process.Heating only tightens the inflammatory process and promotes the spread of the infection outside the joint.Therefore, the heating of pain with heating pillows, compresses and bathrooms is strictly prohibited in arthritis.
Diploma
Many people are interested in: what is worse than arthritis or arthrosis.This question may seem strange because it is impossible to choose a easier disease.Both diseases are associated with severe pain and restrictions on motor activity.Arthrosis and many types of arthritis lead to disabilities.
However, if only joints are affected by arthrosis, for example, for example, rheumatoid arthritis not only joints, but practically all systems of body cardiovascular, nervous, respiratory tract, kidneys, leather, hematopoies, organs of seeing.
With one of these diseases, it is important to recognize them in the initial phases and to start treatment as soon as possible in order to slow down the progression of these pathologies, while the damage caused by the joints is not too great.