Arthritis and osteoarthritis are complex diseases of the joints. Because of similar symptoms, many people think that these diseases are but not the same. Arthritis and osteoarthritis differ in the causes of the disease, how it develops, the area of the lesion, and require completely different treatment.
Suppose two people see a doctor who complains of joint pain. One was diagnosed with arthritis and the other was diagnosed with osteoarthritis. While both patients sat in line, they had time to discuss their health problems a little.
It turned out that their symptoms are very similar: the joints hurt, they don't bend at full strength, they don't rest at night or during the day. Even the diagnoses are consonant, but they are still different. What is the difference between arthritis and osteoarthritis when both diseases affect the joints?
What is arthritis?
Arthritis is an inflammatory disease of the joint. Damage to the bone or cartilage tissue always precedes it by a factor.
Biologically active substances are released from the destroyed cells, which trigger an inflammatory reaction. The vessels in the lesion expand and fill with blood. Because of this, immune cells are created in the joint tissue to fight the harmful factor.
At the same time, the liquid part of the blood leaves the vascular bed and edema forms, which restrict the area of inflammation. This protects the body from extensive damage caused by bacteria, foreign bodies and chemicals.
After complete or partial elimination of the pathogen, the healing mechanism begins. If the damage was minor, normal tissue function is restored. Deep defects heal through a scar - an area of rough connective tissue that does not perform the normal function of an organ.
Arthritis goes through all of the following stages:
- change - damage;
- Exudation - formation of edema;
- proliferation - healing.
reasons
The causes of the disease are great, we will list the most important ones:
- Streptococcal infections (tonsillitis, scarlet fever) often lead to complications - rheumatism;
- aggressive autoantibodies - proteins that the body produces to fight its own tissues; Such a situation develops with an error in the immune system, due to which it perceives the joints as a foreign element to the body - rheumatoid arthritis;
- Violation of the purine metabolism leads to the deposition of uric acid crystals in the joints - gout;
- allergic reactions can affect joint tissues with the development of an inflammatory reaction - allergic arthritis;
- Long-term use of certain drugs causes inflammation (isoniazid, D-penicillins, hydralazine, holes) - arthritis;
- bacteria are carried in the bloodstream or during an operation - infectious arthritis;
- A viral or bacterial infection of any location can indirectly affect the joint tissue - this is reactive arthritis;
- acute trauma - recent damage (impact, bruise, broken capsule).
Symptoms
The disease is characterized by an acute initial stage, that is, against the background of complete health, a person has severe joint pain. With autoimmune forms, symmetrical damage to small joints is characteristic - interphalangeal on the fingers, wrist, elbow.
In the vast majority of cases, gout begins with an inflammation of the joint between the thumb and foot. In bacterial and reactive arthritis, large joints are usually affected on one side: knee, hip, sacral (at the junction of the spine with the pelvic bones).
Rheumatism develops against a background of fever and general weakness, which is usually preceded by angina. Severe inflammation of the bone, cartilage and synovial membrane can occur with fever and general intoxication: headache, weakness, loss of appetite.
The skin over the joint turns red and feels hotter than other areas. Outwardly, it looks puffy and increases in volume. If the lesion only appeared on one side, the difference between a healthy and a diseased limb is visible.
Restrictions of movement are associated with swelling and pain. If the joint cavity is slightly inflamed, it works almost completely. With a pronounced pathological reaction, the entire synovial cavity can be filled with fluid - in this case, mobility is severely limited.
Treatment
The treatment is carried out by a general practitioner, rheumatologist or traumatologist - if the cause is mechanical damage. Therapy is aimed at eliminating the provoking factor and stopping inflammation.
Antibiotics are required for bacterial and reactive arthritis, autoimmune cytostatics or glucocorticoids, and allergic glucocorticoids and antihistamines.
Inflammatory fluid is removed during arthroscopy with a syringe or a special suction device. The joint is immobilized for the entire period of acute inflammation. After showing the patient therapeutic exercises to restore joint mobility.
Doctor's advice
From personal practice and professional experience of colleagues - compresses with gelatine have shown themselves to be good for inflammation in joints of any etiology. They are easy to implement and cheap. It is necessary to fold the gauze in several layers, the length and width should be such that there is enough for the painful joint. Dip the folded gauze in hot water, pinch it, and straighten it. Pour a thin layer of gelatin on top, roll it up so that it is inside like a bag and does not run out. Place on the joint, wrap the top with a polyethylene bag, secure with a bandage and / or adhesive tape. You can wear a compress for up to 3 hours, 2 times a day for 2 weeks. Usually the effect is on 4-5. Felt the day of application, but therapy must be continued to achieve the desired result. When the course is interrupted, the pain returns.
What is osteoarthritis?
Osteoarthritis (otherwise osteoarthritis) is a degenerative-dystrophic disease. It is due to a deterioration in the nutrition of the articular cartilage, a slowing down of its recovery and a gradual thinning.
Simply put, the cartilage layer wears out faster than it builds up again. Bone joint surfaces are exposed. They are not as smooth as cartilage and wearily rub against each other when moving. Bone plates are partially destroyed, and mild chronic inflammation develops.
As the disease progresses, bone spines grow in the joint - a protective response of the tissue to permanent damage. They interfere with the sliding of surfaces relative to one another and the mobility of the joint is impaired.
Osteoarthritis begins to progress in most people after 30-40 years, lasts for years, and its symptoms are mild or moderate.
Arthrosis of the vertebral joints is commonly referred to as osteochondrosis.
reasons
There are predisposing factors that cause the development of the pathology at an early age and complicate its course:
- vigorous physical activity in athletes;
- obesity;
- history of joint injuries;
- vascular disease;
- sedentary lifestyle;
- violation of the normal configuration of the joint, for example, with flat feet;
- longer exposure to vibration;
- in women - hormonal imbalance or menopause.
Symptoms
Large joints on one side are usually affected: knee, hip, sacral. The disease begins imperceptibly. Initially, pain is rare and involves considerable physical exertion.
Unpleasant sensations go away on the same day or in a few days if the person can rest. As the disease progresses, the intensity of the pain increases, it even occurs with normal everyday stress.
The mobility of the joint gradually decreases and is completely lost in the course of the disease. Movement in the diseased extremity causes severe pain. Osteoarthritis can be made worse by the type of arthritis - fluid builds up in the joint cavity, the skin over it turns red and becomes hot. After the inflammatory response subsides, the course of the disease returns to its previous course.
Treatment
Osteoarthritis is treated by a traumatologist, orthopedic surgeon, sometimes a surgeon. Therapy is aimed at restoring metabolic processes in cartilage, improving nutrition in the joints and eliminating the inflammatory response. Treatment is lifelong, can be continuous or medicinal.
Meanwhile, chondroprotectors are prescribed in the form of tablets and ointments, therapeutic exercises and massages. With an exacerbation, chondroprotectors are administered intravenously or intramuscularly, along with analgesics and anti-inflammatory drugs. A traumatologist may inject protectants directly into the joint every few months.
Advanced stages of the disease require surgical intervention in which the diseased joint is replaced with an artificial one.
Differences between diseases
| Feature | Arthritis | Osteoarthritis |
| Cause of illness | inflammation | Cartilage degeneration |
| Flow | Acute, chronic with exacerbations | Chronic |
| Pain | Intense from the start, more pronounced in the morning | Weak at the beginning of the disease, gradually rising. It intensifies in the evening and after exertion |
| movements | It is necessary to "disperse" - in the morning after sleep, the joints are the least mobile | Mobility gradually decreases, no morning stiffness |
| Affected joints | Small joints of the hands and feet are affected symmetrically. Major sufferers from bacterial infection | One or more large joints on different sides of the body |
| Blood test | Severe inflammatory changes in general blood tests, rheumatoid factor, C-reactive protein, antibodies against pathogens | No typical changes |
| X-ray | Staged changes, osteoporosis - bone loss, cysts in the bones | Gradual changes, deformation of the joint space, appearance of bone spikes and outgrowths. |
| Basic treatment | Anti-inflammatory agents | Chondroprotectors |
A similar feature of both diseases is a progressive course with a gradual loss of mobility. Autoimmune arthritis often manifests itself at a young age, when a person is still frivolous about their health.
It must be noted that joint pain that lasts for a long time occurs under certain conditions - this is a serious reason to seek medical attention. It is important to diagnose the disease in a timely manner and begin its treatment in order to slow down the development of the pathological process.