Arthritis is a term often used to mean any disorder that affects the joints

What is arthritis- Arthritis is a term often used to mean any disorder that affects the joints. Symptoms generally include joint pain and stiffness and diminished range of motion in joints. Other symptoms may include redness, warmth, swelling, and decreased range of motion of the affected joints. In some types of arthritis, other organs are also affected. Arthritis isn’t a single disease; Symptoms vary from mild to severe and may come and go. Some may stay about the same for years, but symptoms can also progress and get worse over time. Severe arthritis can result in chronic pain, difficulty performing daily activities and make walking and climbing stairs painful and grueling. Arthritis can also cause permanent joint changes. These may be visible, such as knobby finger joints, but often the damage can be seen only on X-rays. Some types of arthritis affect the heart, eyes, lungs, kidneys and skin as well as the joints.

Natural history of arthritis

Inammatory polyarthritis can be a self-limiting disease, develop into rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or diffrenceate into another form of chronic arthritis. It remains a clinical and scientific challenge to understand the relationship between these phenotypes, determine their etiologies and predict the course and outcome for individual patients. Even patients labelled as having RA show a wide spectrum of clinical phenotypes. Disease definition is a major problem in studying the etiology of RA as currently used classi ®cation criteria were derived using patients with established disease. RA is thought to result from the combination of genetic susceptibility and exposure to an appropriate environmental trigger. The genetic component is probably oligogenic.

Phase 1—————————phase 2—————————phase 3——————————phase 4———————phase 5 (diagram)

Phases of development of rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

In this model of RA development, disease begins with genetic risk (phase 1), followed by asymptomatic inflammation and autoimmunity (phase 2), with eventual progression to symptomatic inflammatory arthritis (IA) (phase 3) that may progress to classifiable RA (phase 4). Currently, the asymptomatic phases of disease development (phases 1 and 2) can be termed the “preclinical” period of development, although this nomenclature is in evolution. Not all subjects who are at risk of developing RA progress through all of these phases, and some subjects may have resolution of inflammation, autoimmunity, and even inflammatory arthritis (demonstrated by the bidirectional arrows). The mechanisms of transition between these phases are not well understood but likely involve complex relationships between genetic and environmental factors (which may differ between phases), age-related and stochastic immunologic changes, as well as psychosocial factors, access to health care, and response to therapy.

Different type of arthritis

1.Osteoarthritis

• Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis, affecting millions of people worldwide. It occurs when the protective cartilage that cushions the ends of the bones wears down over time. In this disease the most common form of organ affects majorly can be damage any joint of the body, and that disorder affects your hands joints knees when you walking along with the hips and spine in back.
• Osteoarthritis symptoms can usually be managed, although the damage to joints can't be reversed. Staying active, maintaining a healthy weight and receiving certain treatments might slow progression of the disease and help improve pain and joint function.

2. Rheumatoid Arthritis

• Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) causes joint inflammation and pain. It happens when the immune system doesn’t work properly and attacks the lining of the joints, called the synovium. The disease commonly affects the hands, knees or ankles, and usually the same joint on both sides of the body, such as both hands or both knees. But sometimes RA causes problems in other parts of the body as well, such as the eyes, heart and circulatory system and/or the lungs.
• For unknown reasons, more women than men get RA, and it usually develops in middle age. Having a family member with RA increases the odds of developing RA. https://www.arthritis.org/diseases/rheumatoid-arthritis

3.Gout

• Gout is due to persistently elevated levels of uric acid (urate) in the blood (hyperuricemia) This occurs from a combination of diet, other health problems, and genetic factors. At high levels, uric acid crystallizes and the crystals deposit in joints, tendons , and surrounding tissues, resulting in an attack of gout. Gout occurs more commonly in those who regularly drink beer or sugar-sweetened beverages; eat foods that are high in purins such as liver, shellfish, or anchovies; or are overweight. Diagnosis of gout may be confirmed by the presence of crystals in the joint fluid or in a deposit outside the joint Blood uric acid levels may be normal during an attack.

4. Fibromyalgia

• Fibromyalgia is characterized by widespread pain and tenderness (sensitivity to touch). The pain and tenderness tend to come and go and move about the body. Other symptoms include fatigue, sleep, memory, and mood issues. The diagnosis can be made with a careful examination. Fibromyalgia is most common in women, though it can occur in men. It most often starts in middle adulthood, but can occur in the teen years and in old age. You are at higher risk for fibromyalgia if you have a rheumatic disease (health problem that affects the joints, muscles and bones). These include osteoarthritis, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, or ankylosing spondylitis. Fibromyalgia does not damage the joints or muscles.

Some patients also may have:

• Depression or anxiety
• Migraine or tension headaches
• Digestive problems: irritable bowel syndrome (commonly called IBS) or gastro-esophageal reflux disease (often referred to as GERD)
• Irritable or overactive bladder
• Pelvic pain
• Temporomandibular disorder - often called TMJ (a set of symptoms including face or jaw pain, jaw clicking, and ringing in the ears)

5. Childhood arthritis / Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA)

• Like adults, children can develop arthritis. The most common type of chronic, or long-lasting, arthritis that affects children is called juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). JIA broadly refers to several different chronic disorders involving inflammation of joints (arthritis), which can cause joint pain, swelling, warmth, stiffness, and loss of motion. The various forms of JIA have different features, such as the pattern of joints involved and inflammation of other parts of the body besides the joints. JIA may last a limited time, such as a few months or years, but in some cases it is a lifelong disease that requires treatment into adulthood.
• JIA is “idiopathic,” meaning that its origins are not understood. While the exact causes of JIA are unknown, it begins when the immune system becomes overactive and creates inflammation.
• With treatment, most children achieve periods of wellness (remission), and sometimes the disease goes away permanently with no further need for medications. It is important to see a doctor early if your child has swollen or stiff joints because delaying therapy can lead to joint damage, a lesser response to treatment, and other problems.

Who Gets Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA)?

By definition, JIA begins in children and adolescents before the 16th birthday. Most types of the disease are more frequent in girls, but enthesitis-related JIA, a form of the disease that involves inflammation of the places where ligaments and tendons (flexible bands of tissue) attach to bones, is more common in boys. Systemic JIA, a rare type of JIA that features fever and rash, affects boys and girls equally. Children of all races and ethnic backgrounds can get the disease.

It is very rare for more than one member of a family to have JIA, but children with a family member with chronic arthritis, including JIA, are at a slightly increased risk of developing it. Having a family member with psoriasis is a risk factor for a form of JIA called psoriatic JIA.

Symptoms

The symptoms of arthritis vary from person to person. But if you have arthritis, you will almost certainly have symptoms relating to your joints, such as

• pain
• swelling in a joint
• redness and warmth in a joint
• stiffness or reduced movement of a joint
• Some people also get other problems outside their joints. Other common symptoms include:
• tiredness
• weight loss
• feeling unwell

What are the risk factor of developing the arthritis

Although previous studies found that cigarette smoking is associated with risk of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), the dose-response relationship remains unclear. This meta-analysis quantitatively summarizes accumulated evidence regarding the association of lifelong exposure to cigarette smoking assessed as pack-years with the risk of RA. Lifelong cigarette smoking was positively associated with the risk of RA even among smokers with a low lifelong exposure. The risk of RA did not further increase with an exposure higher than 20 pack-years.

Alcohol consumption- Low to moderate alcohol consumption inversely associated with the development of RA in a manner that appears to be dose-dependent, time-dependent and sex-dependent. Large prospective studies that investigate gene-environment interactions are required to further clarify the etiology of RA.

Coffee, tea, and caffeine consumption Coffee, tea, and caffeine consumptionand risk of rheumatoid arthritis: results from the Iowa Women's Health Study These factors were evaluated in a prospective cohort study that was initiated in 1986 and that included 31,336 women ages 55-69 years without a history of RA. Risk factor data were self-reported using a mailed questionnaire. Through 1997, 158 cases of RA were identified and validated against medical records. The relative risk (RR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) were used as the measures of association and were adjusted for age, alcohol use, smoking history, age at menopause, marital status, and the use of hormone replacement therapy.

Decaffeinated coffee intake is independently and positively associated with RA onset, while tea consumption shows an inverse association with disease onset. Further investigations of decaffeinated coffee and tea intake as arthritis risk factors are needed to verify these findings and explore their biologic basis.

Natural remedies to treat the arthritis

• Aloe vera
• boswillia
• Cat’s claw
• Eucalyptus
• Ginger
• Green tea
• Thunder god vine
• Turmeric
• Willow bark

Other complementary options for treat the arthritis

Herbal supplements are not the only complementary approaches to arthritis pain relief.

Experts from the American college of rheumatology and the Arthritis foundation trusted source recommend the following:

• weight management exercise, includingÂ
• tai chi andÂ
• yogaÂ
• cold and heat treatmentÂ
• stress managementÂ
• a healthy dietÂ
• acupanture

Drugs used to treatment of arthritis

Medications serve the dual purpose of helping to reduce inflammation and pain. Your healthcare provider may consider:

• Anti-inflammatory medication: Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications, also called NSAIDs, are oral medications that help control the cycle of  inflammation and reduce  pain.4 Common NSAIDs (both over-the-counter and prescription) include Motrin/Advil (ibuprofen), Naprosyn/Aleve (naproxen sodium), and Celebrex (celecoxib).
• Cortisone injections: Cortisone is a natural anti-inflammatory molecule produced by your adrenal glands. Injecting a synthetic form of the hormone into an affected joint  delivers a very high dose of anti-inflammatory medication right where it's needed. While not a pain killer itself, cortisone can reduce discomfort by way of reducing inflammation.

sources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthritis

https://www.arthritis.org/health-wellness/about-arthritis/understanding-arthritis/what-is-arthritis

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11358413/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4527318/

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/osteoarthritis/symptoms-causes/syc-20351925

https://www.arthritis.org/diseases/rheumatoid-arthritis

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gout

https://rheumatology.org/patients/fibromyalgia

https://www.niams.nih.gov/health-topics/juvenile-arthritis

https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/arthritis

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24594022/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23897767/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11817612/

https://www.healthline.com/health/osteoarthritis/herbs-arthritis-pain#willow-bar

https://www.healthline.com/health/osteoarthritis/herbs-arthritis-pain#willow-bark

https://www.verywellhealth.com/osteoarthritis-a2-2548488