World Arthritis Day

Every year, October 12 is celebrated as World Arthritis Day.

According to the WHO, arthritis is the most common musculoskeletal disease worldwide.

Arthritis affects both young and elderly people equally, and develops rapidly in children and adolescents.
Arthritis is a serious inflammatory disease of a joint/several joints and surrounding connective tissue, which, if left untreated, leads not only to pain and limited mobility, but also to disability.

Causes of Arthritis:

Arthritis is often caused by genetic predisposition (it is known that hereditary joint and bone pathologies occur only in women), as well as environmental factors (excessive joint load, intense sports activities, accompanying injuries, certain diseases, surgical interventions). Risk factors that cause arthritis include caffeine abuse, allergic diseases, smoking, metabolic disorders, and excess weight. Arthritis can also be of other origins.

Arthritis can be asymptomatic, but until symptoms are triggered by stress, infection, hypothermia, or overexertion.

This disease can occur in chronic, subacute, and acute forms.

Main Symptoms of Arthritis:

• intense pain in the affected joints;
• swelling and local hyperthermia of the tissues located above them;
• stiffness and limited mobility.

If the process develops acutely, general weakness may occur, and temperature may rise. Laboratory tests will reveal leukocytosis. First, the inner lining of the joint becomes inflamed, and exudate accumulates in its cavity – a sign of inflammation.

Then the process spreads to the cartilage, bone epiphyses, joint capsule, and then to the nearby tendons and ligaments.

Only one joint can be involved in the process. Then the pathology is called monoarthritis, several joints at once (oligoarthritis). If the inflammation affects most of the joints, it is called polyarthritis.

The course of the disease can be acute: starting with sharp joint pain, or progressing gradually. Chronic disease makes itself known only periodically.

Types of Arthritis

There are three types of pathological processes:

1. Dystrophic. Occurs due to adverse external factors: hypothermia, excessive physical exertion, vitamin deficiency, poor hygiene conditions.
2. Traumatic. Occurs with joint injuries, which can be both open and closed. It often develops with minor but frequent injuries (vibration arthritis).
3. Infectious. Develops in the presence of infection in the body.

If you notice any signs characteristic of arthritis in yourself or your loved ones, consult a specialist.

Important! Treatment (mainly medication) depends on the type of arthritis. Do not self-medicate. Diagnosis and therapy prescription are the doctor's responsibility.

Arthritis Prevention

The best prevention of arthritis is a healthy lifestyle, which includes a balanced diet with limited meat dishes, exclusion of alcohol, and an increased intake of vegetables and other plant-based foods. It is also necessary to maintain hygiene and avoid hypothermia.

Take care of yourself and be healthy!

State Institution "Rassonsky RCGE", 2023