Arthritis and degenerative joint diseases are often confused by the same name. Yes, and both diseases are affected by the joint (for example, there is arthritis and dryness of the knee joint). Affected joints will become inflamed, swollen, and painful. If not, these are completely different diseases. Let's try to find out how arthritis is different from dry arthritis?
The Difference Between Arthritis And Dry Arthritis
Arthritis is accompanied by inflammation of the joints, which in turn leads to impaired motor functions. Patients feel discomfort, acute pain or soreness during physical activity and at rest, especially in the morning. The skin around the joint swells, turns red, and becomes tight. Body temperature is constantly rising. Arthritis is a disease in which degenerative processes occur in joint cartilage. The changed cartilage is no longer able to withstand the load on them and is gradually destroyed. Exertion pain usually goes away with rest. The tissues around the joints become swollen and inflamed. The disease progresses seriously, leading to the destruction of joint cartilage and severe deformity. The difference between osteoarthritis and arthritis lies in the cause of the disease. Arthritis occurs:
- primary, often related to old age;
- secondary, arising from other diseases or determined by genetics.
Factors that easily lead to the development of joint disease are:
- excessive weight;
- extreme physical activity (most often, in athletes) or very low physical activity;
- trauma in the past;
- endocrine diseases.
Arthritis has an inflammatory nature. There are causes of the disease such as:
- various infections;
- joint damage and minor repeated trauma;
- metabolic disorder;
- allergy;
- deficiency of trace elements and vitamins.
Analysis for arthritis and dry joints
In order to early diagnose diseases affecting support apparatus, specialists need to collect a complete medical history. Patients are invited to pass the following tests and to conduct specific tests:
- Clinical blood test to determine the level of ESR (with arthritis, the rate of erythrocyte sedimentation increases significantly, with arthritis, the rate is almost normal).
- Biochemical blood test to determine the deficiency of micronutrients and micronutrients characteristic of arthritis.
- X-rays to help detect the deformation inherent in joint disease and determine the width of the joint cavity.
- MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), which allows you to identify changes in cartilage tissue in the early stages of the disease.
The cause of the disease
The main difference between arthritis and dry joints is the source of the disease. Arthritis is an infectious disease that causes arthritis. Osteoarthritis is a degenerative process that occurs in the body due to the natural wear and tear of the joints and the aging process that causes the cartilage layer in the joint to be destroyed. As a result, joint disease is primarily characteristic of the elderly, and arthritis can be acquired at any age, even as a child. Women are more likely to suffer from arthritis. Osteoarthritis affects both women and men who reach old age. Usually, arthritis is caused by:
- various infections;
- allergic reaction;
- joint damage;
- frequent minor injuries;
- physical stress;
- metabolic disorder;
- vitamin and mineral deficiencies;
- Autoimmune disorders;
- diseases of the nervous system.
Additionally, arthritis often develops as a complication of joint disease, but not the other way around. Osteoarthritis is mainly caused by:
- genetic predisposition;
- insufficient blood supply and bone nutrition;
- excessive stress on joints;
- joint injury;
- Hypothermia.
Symptoms of joint disease
Despite the fact that both diseases are accompanied by painful sensations, these sensations arise under different conditions. With arthritis, pain occurs during exertion, during sleep and in the morning. With arthritis, pain only makes patients nervous when exercising.
Another characteristic difference between arthritis and dry joints is the nature of the pain. Arthritis is characterized by sharp, intense and convulsive pain, dull and aching joints, accompanied by a crunching noise.
Arthritis most commonly affects the small joints and joint disease - large joints (especially the knee and hip). Arthritis affects only the joints. In arthritis, inflammation can spread to certain 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, dryness leads to a deformity of the joint, which can become thinner and oddly shaped.
Diagnose
For diagnosis, similar methods are used (X-rays, computed tomography, lab tests), but their results will vary. In arthritis, complete blood count will show increased erythrocyte sedimentation rate and high concentration of C-reactive protein, white blood cells and seromollen. With arthrosis, such an analysis will not detect any deviations.
Treatment of arthritis and dry joints
Various specialists are involved in the treatment of the disease. Arthritis is treated by an orthopedic trauma doctor, and in the case of arthritis, the cause of the disease is determined first, and then, depending on it, a specialist will be selected. . Diseases are treated with identical methods, using drugs and physiotherapy. If the disease has gone too far, surgery can be used - laparoscopy or joint replacement. But there are also some differences in the treatment of the disease. Arthritis requires aggressive and immediate treatment, and arthritis requires long-term and thorough treatment. Arthritis treatment begins with making changes in your diet and lifestyle. Then, the patient is prescribed anti-inflammatory drugs and antibiotics, as well as physiotherapy procedures. Osteoarthritis is treated with hormonal, anti-inflammatory and analgesic drugs. Arthritis is often completely cured, and joint disease, a chronic disease, causes irreversible consequences in joints that cannot be treated - which can only slow the degeneration process.
These two diseases have the same consonant name in that they are both symptoms of rheumatism. Make no mistake, though: joint disease is a mechanical disease, and with arthritis, joints become inflamed. To put it more easily, if the painful joints swell, the patient will have arthritis. If the joint pain is weak, it is joint disease. In this article, we will try to explain in an accessible language how they differ. For those who are not familiar with medicine, it is difficult to distinguish between the two drugs. Because both diseases are directly related to rheumatism. Both diseases cause pain and discomfort in the joints, they become motionless. The symptoms of these diseases, as well as their treatment, vary widely.
What is the difference between arthritis and dry arthritis?
The difference between arthritis and dry joints is that with arthritis, the joints become inflamed. As a result, enzymes are released, leading to their destruction. They form proteins that bind them together. This is one of the causes of pain. It usually happens when a person is sleeping. When exerted, it diminishes a bit. Feeling weak in the morning. This disease affects the joints of the legs and arms.
Arthritis can have many different causes. For example, septic arthritis is caused by an infection, and rheumatoid arthritis is caused by reduced immunity. Gout develops due to a metabolic disorder.
Joint changes occur with physiological changes. As a result, the skin may become warm or red.
How to treat arthritis?
To cure it, it is necessary to alleviate the symptoms and restore the mobility of the joints. To do this, you should try different methods. They can be combined if necessary. This will help determine which one works best. In addition, with these diseases, blood test results are also different. With dry joints, the amount of protein increases. If the patient has arthritis, there is no change in the composition of the blood. When choosing a remedy to be used to get rid of such problems, one must take into account this type of disease. Commonly used to cure diseases:
- corticosteroid medicine;
- biological and anti-inflammatory drugs;
- analgesic;
- anti-irritant drugs;
- anti-arthritic drugs;
- therapeutic methods.
Physical activity is required for healing. With specialized exercises, you can strengthen your joints and keep your muscles toned. Pin or brace is sometimes used for this purpose. If other therapies don't help, the doctor suggests removing the damaged joints. They are being replaced with artificial ones. Usually, the knee is treated this way. Such an activity is performed to alleviate their discomfort and restore their activity. After this procedure, destruction of joints occurs more slowly. In addition, with surgical methods, it is common to have surgery to remove joint tissue. At the same time, foreign particles are removed from their shell. The patient undergoes such maneuvers to smooth rough surfaces and change the pressure angle.
How to treat joint disease?
To cure this disease, you need to reduce your risk factors. People who are overweight are advised to eat properly. The patient needs to monitor the diet. This is especially true for people who have undergone surgery for bone structure diseases.
If the patient's condition does not improve, you can get rid of the problem by using anti-inflammatory drugs and pain relievers. In order not to use prosthetics, the patient should be prescribed hyaluronic acid. It will also help alleviate discomfort.
You should not completely reduce physical activity. Exercise should be easy for your health. This will prevent weight gain. If you have doubts about a particular disease, don't panic and do not try to cure it yourself. Timely diagnosis and correct treatment indicated to increase the chances of a quick recovery.
Main difference
As mentioned above, joint disease is a mechanical disease. With it, articular cartilage will periodically contract until it disappears. As a result, the rubbing bones were exposed. It mainly occurs in the elderly. In this case, the patient notes a number of characteristic features regarding the appearance of joints. As a rule, he has the following reasons related to trauma, abnormal bone structure, being overweight. Most often, it affects the pelvic and knee joints. Usually damages the joints of the neck and spine. Unlike arthritis, dry joints can cause considerable discomfort while traveling. The inconvenience disappears between walking, running, etc. v. But aside from an unpleasant sensation, it is unlikely to manifest itself in the form of inflammation, hence it is often referred to as a "cold" illness.