What is the difference between arthritis from arthrosis, you need to know not only doctors.Often they are involved in suicide, people are at great risk by taking on one disease for another.Such a mistake can lead to serious complications, so in the article we analyze in detail the differences in symptoms, characteristics of treatment and prevention of pathologies.Knowing the symptoms will help to take the necessary measures in a timely manner.With arthritis or arthrosis, all our movable compounds at the site of the bone joint, cartilage, ie.The joints of the skeleton.Often, diseases are confused with each other because of the names of consonants, but the difference between them is not only in the symptoms, but also in the causes of the onset, the characteristics of the course, the specifics of therapy.
What is the difference between arthritis and arthrosis: a common concept
The names have a common root of "Artro", translated from Greek means, has become, which is subjected to major disorders.However, arthrosis is not inflammatory, the base is degenerative processes, ie.The wear and proper designation of the disease is osteoarthrosis as bone formations are undergoing changes.
Arthrosis is a chronic disease in which the "wiping" of the joint surfaces and capsules occurs, which is why deformation begins.In advanced cases - complete immobilization of the limb.The changes affect the entire complex - bone surfaces, connections, meniscus, cartilage, synovial sheath, all structures located nearby.
Pathologies are subjected to the elderly.In addition, the more jewelry, the more the spread of the disease is increased.In rare cases, young people can affect young people with hereditary signs or after injury.According to statistics, about 10% of the population suffers, and the main threshold is observed in people over 65 (85% of all patients).
Arthritis, on the contrary, is an acute disease that is based on inflammation.Often the disease is only a symptom of the underlying disease (rheumatism), but it can continue as a disorder.The neglected stages are transferred to chronic flow.Unlike arthrosis, young people are most often subjected to inflammatory damage.It can occur after 40 if a person has suffered a serious cold or infection.The spread among the population of the globe is only 2%.
Reasons
Due to various etiologies, various causes and factors lead to the onset of diseases.In addition, arthrosis is common in the background of purulent arthritis or rheumatism.
The main factors of arthritis.
- Trauma and surgical joint interventions.
- Congenital dysplasia (underdevelopment) of the joints.
- Depthrophic deep processes.
- Excess weight.
- Old age.
- Heredity.
- KLIMAX.
With this disease, the joints suffer exclusively, while with arthritis there is a general inflammatory process.Often it is accompanied by damage to the kidneys, heart and liver.
Several types of diseases are distinguished:
- rheumatoid;
- reactive;
- infectious;
- gout.
Very often arthritis occurs against the background of the transmitted influenza, frequent sore throat.The development of tuberculosis, gonorrhea, dysentery, psoriasis is not excluded.
Arthritis rarely affects single joints, usually the whole group is subjected to inflammation, which depends on the etiology - with rheumatism, small compounds of the hands and feet suffer, with psoriasis - phalanges of the fingers.
Symptoms
Despite such signs - pain, movement restriction, deformity, there are a number of symptoms that help to distinguish the name of the disease.
- Pain is a leading sign of arthrosis, but it does not appear immediately.Initially, it is a crunch and cracking of the joints and then the pain is joined, which increases as progress progresses.They usually appear with physical exertion, change of time at night (starting pain - immediately after waking up and attempts to get out of bed).Arthritis is characterized by constant pain in the pain that can be exacerbated at night as well as in the morning.Often with inflammation there is a decrease in unpleasant symptoms during active movements.
- Krista is a specific sign of arthrosis.There is a special sound - dry and rough, often accompanied by acute pain.
- Deformation - With degenerative changes, the joints change in the short stages when adjacent bone surfaces are included in the process.With inflammation, the deformity begins in the most early stages as they increase in size due to swelling.
- Redness, fever - is characteristic only of arthritis, as degenerative diseases occur according to the type of aseptic (without infectious) necrosis.
- Movement restriction - Arthrosis often "blocks" the joint when an acute crisis is distributed when moving, followed by acute pain and a block of the joints.Arthritis tends to be stiffness not only in the joints but also throughout the body.
- General malaise - inflammation, always continues with a change in the condition of the whole body, there is an increase in body temperature, weakness.
Almost all joints can affect the localization of diseases, but knee and hip damage is more characteristic of degenerative processes.Arthritis tends to include small joints of the hands and feet in inflammation, often symmetrically.
Important: Do not confuse the squeezing of healthy joints with arthrosis.In the first case, it is absolutely painless and is associated with the characteristics of the ligamentary apparatus (excessive mobility, weak connections).Then, as in arthrosis, crunching is accompanied by severe pain and restriction on movement.
Diagnostics
An important diagnostic criterion is a general blood test.Inflammation of the joints always leads to an increase in ESR (more than 25 mm/h), and in the case of infectious arthritis are still leukocytes.Blood change is not characteristic of arthrosis.
By the way, there is a special protein, belongs to the class of immunoglobulins, responds to damage from each factor in your own cells-rheumatoid factor, which allows you to determine the presence of rheumatoid arthritis.The C-reactive protein, which is a sign of inflammation, is also determined.Gout is characterized by an increase in uric acid in the blood, urine.
For both diseases, first of all, it is necessary to pass not only a blood test, always X -Ray picture of the joint.With arthrosis there is a narrowing of the gap between the joints, osteophytes (bone growth), deformities and osteoporosis occur.It is possible to appoint CT, MRI to clarify changes in soft tissues and bone structures.
Arthrosis is also characterized by narrowing of the gap and periarticular osteoporosis, but they appear in the early stages (then, as in degeneration, such changes start only 3 and 4 stages).If the process is infectious, sequesters are often formed - areas of necrosis surrounded by healthy tissue.In a chronic course, dislocations are observed, subluxation of hinged structures.
It is advisable to have an ultrasound to determine the presence of fluid or pus in the joint bag (most characteristic of arthritis), as well as diagnostic punctuation - allows you to identify the pathogen and nature of the effusion.
Be sure to prescribe general examinations - ECG, urine analysis, blood biochemistry, to learn about their possible inflammation.
Treatment
Important: The most dangerous thing for both diseases is self -self -self.Without an accurate diagnosis, this approach to his health worsens only the situation, which leads to significant destruction of the joints, damage to the heart and kidneys.
How arthritis differs from arthrosis in therapy.The basis for the first is the suspension of destruction, the degeneration of cartilage tissue, and in the treatment of arthritis, the main role is dedicated to the elimination of inflammation and blocking the infectious process.
The approach to eliminating pathologies should include not only medicines but also a change in lifestyle - healthy eating, weight loss, physical activity control.
Drug therapy includes non -steroidal anti -inflammatory (necessary for both diseases), muscle relaxants and chondroprotectors (more often with arthrosis).
The treatment of arthritis often requires the introduction of glucocorticosteroids into the intersection space, the use of antibiotic therapy and plasma function (blood purification) to eliminate auto (the reaction of the body to its cells, as to a foreign agent).In severe cases, stem cells are introduced - it relieves inflammation, reduces sensitivity to infection, improves metabolism and tissue nutrition.
Important: Arthritis cannot apply warming compresses and ointments, they will only increase the spread of infection and inflammation, especially with the purulent course of the disease.
All physiotherapy is prescribed only after the elimination of acute pain and inflammation.
Despite all the innovations and the rapid development of medicine, arthrosis is an incurable disease.It is simply not possible to correct the degenerative changes that have begun.Arthritis succumbs well to therapy, especially when looking for a doctor.
Conclusion in the table
| Differences |
Arthritis |
Arthrosis |
| Age | Unlimited | Mainly after 45 |
| The development of pathology | Suddenly | Gradually |
| Reasons | Infectious | Degenerative (age, menopause, injuries, genetics) |
| Flow | Sharp, with moments of remission | Chronic, with periods of exacerbation |
| Defeat | From small to large.Symmetry is characteristic. Included are connections, meniscus with severe inflammation, swelling. The internal organs suffer. |
More often a large single.The risk of your thumb phalanx.It spreads into cartilage, meniscus, connections, but without edema. |
| Deformation | External increase due to swelling. | In the late stages, the formation of necrotic fragments is subsequently destroyed |
| Signs | In the acute period - discomfort with fever, sharp crunch with pain and locking, swollen hot surface, pronounced difficulty in movement. | It's a dumb pain.Weight, stiffness after charging retreats. |
| Diagnostics | General blood test, urine.Biochemical - blood. X -ray testimonies is a sharp change in structures at the onset of the disease. |
Minor changes in the blood.X -ray shows the pathology in the short stages. |
| Treatment | Anti -inflammatory, painkillers.Heal with timely work. | Anesthesis, ointments, compresses, physiotherapy, exercise, chondroprotectors. With exacerbation - anti -inflammatory. |
What is worse than arthritis or arthrosis cannot be said for sure, but inflammation is well blocked by medicines that cannot be said about degenerative processes.Often, both diseases should be treated throughout your life, with the ability to achieve long -term remission.Arthrosis often needs surgical correction to restore the function of the joint and eliminate the restriction in movements.
Arthritis can be accompanied by the development of cardiac defects (rheumatoid damage to the valves) and diseases of other organs and systems, since the inflammation of the joints is only the "tip of the iceberg".Successful treatment begins with the definition of etiology.
It is important to prevent late stages of bone tissue destruction and the chronic inflammatory process.Timely appeal of a specialist will help to learn exactly his own diagnosis, as well as to obtain the necessary assistance in treatment and rehabilitation.Now you know what the differences are between arthrosis and arthritis.