Arthritis and joint diseases are often confused because of the similarity of the names. Yes, both diseases are affected by the joints (for example, there is arthritis and arthropathy of the knee joint). The affected joints become inflamed, swollen and sore. Otherwise, these are completely different diseases. Let's try to understand how arthritis is different from arthritis?
Difference between arthritis and arthritis
Arthritis is accompanied by inflammation of the joint joints, which, in turn, leads to disorders of motor function. The patient experiences discomfort, acid or pain, both during physical activity and during rest, especially in the morning. The skin around the joint swells, turns red and stretches. Body temperature often rises. Arthropathy is a disease in which degenerative processes occur in the articular cartilage. The altered cartilage stops dealing with the load that falls on them and is gradually destroyed. The pain caused by exercise usually disappears at rest. The tissues around the joint swell and become inflamed. Progressive disease leads to the destruction of cartilage and severe deformity of the joints. The difference between arthritis and arthritis lies in the causes of the diseases. Arthropathy occurs:
- primary, usually associated with aging.
- secondary, resulting from other diseases or genetically determined.
Predisposing factors for joint development are:
- overweight
- excessive physical activity (more often, in athletes) or very low physical activity.
- injuries in the past
- endocrine diseases.
Arthritis is inflammatory. There are such causes of the disease as:
- various infections
- joint damage and recurrent minor injuries.
- metabolic disorders
- allergy;
- Deficiency of trace elements and vitamins.
Tests for arthritis and arthritis
For early diagnosis of diseases affecting the support device, the specialist must collect complete recovery. The patient is required to pass the following examinations and perform the prescribed examinations:
- A clinical blood test to determine the level of ESR (with arthritis, the rate of erythrocyte sedimentation rate increases significantly, with arthropathy approaching normal).
- Biochemical blood test to detect macro- and micronutrient deficiencies characteristic of arthritis.
- X-ray to detect bone deformity inherent in arthropathy and to determine the width of the joint space.
- MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), which allows you to detect changes in cartilage tissue in the early stages of the disease.
Cause of the disease
The main difference between arthritis and arthritis is the origin of the diseases. Arthritis is an infectious disease that causes inflammation in the joints. Arthropathy is a degenerative process that occurs in the body as a result of the natural wear and tear of the joints and aging, which causes the destruction of the cartilage layer in the joint. Therefore, arthritis is mainly characteristic of the elderly and arthritis can affect 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.
In addition, arthritis often develops as a complication of the joint, but not the other way around. Osteoarthritis mainly results from:
- genetic predisposition?
- inadequate blood supply and bone nutrition.
- Excessive stress on the joints
- joint injuries
- hypothermia.
The symptoms of joint pain
Although both diseases are accompanied by painful sensations, these sensations occur under different conditions. With arthritis, the pain occurs both during exercise, as well as during sleep and in the morning. With arthritis, pain only worries a person during exercise.
Another characteristic difference between arthritis and joint pain is the nature of the pain. Arthritis is characterized by sharp, strong and contracting pains and arthritis is dull and aching, accompanied by seizures.
Arthritis most often affects the small joints and arthropathy - large joints (especially the knee and hip). Arthropathy only affects the joints. In arthritis, the inflammation can spread to several joints as well as other organs. In addition, arthritis is accompanied by fever, swelling and redness in the affected area. Sometimes with arthritis, subcutaneous rheumatic nodules appear. Over time, arthropathy leads to deformities of the joints, which can become thinner 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 seromuscular. With arthropathy, such an analysis will not detect discrepancies.
Treatment of arthritis and joints
Various specialists are involved in the treatment of diseases. Arthropathy is treated by an orthopedic surgeon and in case of arthritis the cause of the disease is first determined and then, depending on it, a specialist is selected. Diseases are treated with identical methods, using drugs and physiotherapy. If the disease is very advanced, then surgery is used - endoprosthetics or joint replacement. But there are some differences in the treatment of diseases. Arthritis requires immediate and active treatment and arthritis requires long-term and thorough treatment. Arthritis treatment begins with changes in diet and lifestyle. The patient is then prescribed anti-inflammatory drugs and antibiotics, as well as physiotherapy procedures. Osteoarthritis is treated with hormonal, anti-inflammatory and analgesic drugs. Arthritis is generally completely curable and arthropathy, which is a chronic disease, causes irreversible effects on joints that cannot be cured - it is only possible to slow down the degenerative processes.
These two diseases with synonymous names are similar in that they are symptoms of rheumatism. However, do not confuse: arthritis is a mechanical disease and with arthritis, the joints become inflamed. In simpler terms, if the toothache is swollen, the patient has arthritis. If the joint pain is weak, then it is arthropathy. In this article we will try to explain in an accessible language how they differ. For those unfamiliar with medicine, it is difficult to distinguish between the two. Since both diseases are directly related to rheumatism. Both diseases 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 different.
What is the difference between arthritis and arthritis?
The difference between arthritis and arthritis is that with arthritis, the joints become inflamed. As a result, enzymes are released, leading to their destruction. They form proteins that stick to each other. This is one of the causes of pain. Most often it happens when a person is asleep. With physical exercise, it subsides a bit. The weakness is felt in the morning. This disease affects the joints of the legs and arms.
Arthritis can have different causes. For example, septic arthritis is caused by infection and rheumatoid arthritis is caused by reduced immunity. Gout develops due to metabolic disorders.
Common changes occur along with normal changes. As a result, the skin may 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 that you try different methods. They can be combined if necessary. This will help you determine which works best. Also, with these diseases, the results of a blood test vary. With arthropathy, protein levels increase. If the patient has arthritis, there are no changes in blood composition. When choosing a medicine used to get rid of such problems, you need to consider the type of this disease. Commonly used for treatment:
- corticosteroids
- biological and anti-inflammatory drugs.
- analgesics?
- anti-irritant drugs
- antirheumatic drugs
- therapeutic methods.
Physical activity is required to heal. With specialized exercises, you can strengthen your joints and maintain your muscle tone. Clips or splints are sometimes used for this purpose. If other treatments do not help, doctors recommend removing the damaged joints. They are replaced by artificial ones. Most of the time, the knees are treated this way. Such an operation is done to relieve the discomfort and restore their activity. After this procedure, the destruction of the joints is slower. In addition, with surgical methods, it is common to perform surgery to cut the joint tissue. At the same time, foreign particles are removed from their shell. Patients undergo such surgeries to smooth rough surfaces and change the pressure angle.
How is arthritis treated?
To cure this disease, you need to reduce the risk factors. Those who are overweight are advised to eat properly. Patients should 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 by using anti-inflammatory drugs and analgesics. In order not to need to use a prosthesis, the patient should be prescribed hyaluronic acid. It will also help relieve discomfort.
You should not completely reduce physical activity. Exercise should be easy for your health. This will prevent weight gain. If you suspect a specific disease, do not panic and do not try to deal with it yourself. Early diagnosis and well-prescribed treatment increase the chances of a speedy recovery.
The main differences
As mentioned above, arthritis is a mechanical disease. With this, the articular cartilage shrinks periodically until it disappears. As a result, the rubbing bones are exposed. It occurs mainly in the elderly. In this case, patients note some features associated with the appearance of the joints. As a rule, it has the following reasons associated with injuries, abnormalities in bone structure, overweight. Most often, it affects the joints of the pelvis and knees. It often damages the joints of the neck and spine. Unlike arthritis, arthritis can cause significant discomfort while moving. The discomfort disappears between walking, running and so on. But apart from the unpleasant sensations, it is not able to manifest itself in the form of inflammation, so it is often called "cold" disease.