Osteoarthritis and arthritis - what's the difference?

Osteoarthritis and arthritis affect the joints and have similar symptoms. Therefore, they are often confused. Even their names are consonant, however, they are completely different diseases. If osteoarthritis destroys the joints, arthritis causes an inflammatory process throughout the body. This is the basic difference between osteoarthritis and arthritis. Now in more detail.

The most important thing about arthritis

Arthritis is a progressive disease that is caused by infection, immune or metabolic system disorders, hormonal disturbances. There are more than 200 varieties. The main symptom of arthritis is inflammation of the joint area, swelling, redness of the skin. In an advanced form, the disease leads to complications in the heart, kidneys and liver. Those at risk are between the ages of 25 and 40.

Arthritis symptoms

The disease can be hidden. The first signs of arthritis are usually:

• Pain. It comes on suddenly and gets worse with movement. It is more intensely felt at night, after sleep, stiffness is felt;
• Tissue changes. Arthritis is characterized by swelling and redness of the skin, synovitis and bursitis are possible (in the first case it is an inflammation of the synovial membrane, in the second - of the articular bag);
• Temperature rise. As a rule, the temperature rises in the affected joints. A high body temperature (38-39 degrees) can also be observed.

Symptoms exacerbate manifestations of the inflammatory process:

• prostration;
• painful urination;
• chills;
• conjunctivitis.

If the symptoms are ignored, the disease will become chronic. As a result, the work of internal organs will be disturbed, and the change in the joints can lead to disability.

The most important thing about arthritis

Osteoarthritis is a non-inflammatory disease that leads to the deformation and destruction of cartilage tissue. Cartilage covers the surface of the joint and prevents the bones from touching. When it is in order, the person moves freely and without pain. The causes of the pathology can be different: heredity, deviations in the structure of the joints, injuries, excessive loads. Unlike arthritis, the disease only affects the joints.

Osteoarthritis usually develops in older people because the joint surfaces wear down with age. The disease is also found in people who, by profession, heavily load the joints of the hands, wrists and legs. Therefore, osteoarthritis is also called "athletes' disease" or "pianists' disease".

Arthritis symptoms

The disease is indolent. At the initial stage, symptoms may not appear. The first symptoms of osteoarthritis are usually the following:

• The joint is immobile after sleep or a long rest, but this quickly disappears with movement;
• Crunch, rattle, clicks - all this is accompanied by a dull sound;
• Pain on movement and exertion.

In the later stages of arthrosis, the symptoms are already noticeable: the joint becomes more immobile, pain appears, and the syndrome of "hard joint" also develops - soft cartilage tissue is replaced by bone growths. The development of the disease leads to the immobilization of one or more joints.

Distinctive signs of arthritis and osteoarthritis

By carefully studying the symptoms and causes of osteoarthritis and arthritis, you can easily see the difference. We have combined disease differences to make this difference even more obvious.

punch	osteoarthritis	Arthritis
affected area	Joints, cartilage, spaces between bones	Joints, bones, internal organs: heart, liver, kidneys
The nature of the disease	Degenerate, destructive. Only the joints are affected	Inflammatory. The disease affects the internal organs
Common causes	Increased stress on joints, heredity	Serious infection, metabolic disorder
Age	It develops in people at mature or advanced age. Risk factor - activities associated with excessive stress on the joints	It develops in people between the ages of 25 and 40, but also occurs in adolescents and children
Pain	It is often a slight pain that appears during movements and power loads. In later stages, the pain becomes more intense.	The pain is aggravated by movement, more intensely felt in the early morning.
Crunch and squeak	Dull clicks, sharp crackles or squeaks are characteristic	Does not belong to the characteristics
Deformation	The joint is deformed, an inflammatory process manifests itself	There are seals, swelling, redness and fever in the joint area. Deformation occurs if one disease has developed into another.
Reduced mobility	Osteoarthritis binds only the affected joint.	Stiffness in the whole body or in a joint
Acute symptoms	The joint "hardens" due to the formation of bony growths. In this case, the person can no longer move his leg or his fingers.	High temperature - 38-39 degrees, conjunctivitis develops, there is a breakdown and fever
Development of symptoms	It develops slowly, at the initial stage it is asymptomatic	At the initial stage, there are symptoms of inflammation in the affected joint area.

Prevention of arthritis and osteoarthritis

The disease is easier to prevent than to treat. Disease prevention includes:

• Moderate physical activity - fitness, swimming pool, skiing, biking are fine;
• Joint gymnastics - you can do this with a trainer during exercise therapy or stretch your joints at home;
• Proper nutrition - if there is a tendency to bone disease, it is worth giving up red meat and high-fat foods. It is better to add more fruits and vegetables, fish and seafood to the diet. If you are overweight, you need to diet;
• Drink enough water - 2 liters per day. It is advisable to give up alcohol.

To reduce the risk of illness, doctors recommend wearing comfortable shoes, not sitting cross-legged, not feeling cold, and not succumbing to stress.

If you have symptoms that resemble arthritis or osteoarthritis, make an appointment at our orthopedic center. These diseases significantly reduce the quality of life, so it is important to diagnose them in time and start treatment.