Joints have two main "enemies" that compensate for the full work. These are diseases arthritis and arthritis, despite the similar names, the essence of the ongoing pathological processes is different. The affected area of these diseases is the cartilage.
Cartilage plays an important role in joint health. It has no blood vessels and nerve endings, so it can be strong and withstand heavy loads. This softens the effect on tissues that have nerve fibers or blood capillaries.
When the body moves, the cartilage provides unimpeded and painless rotation of the bone heads to the joints, reducing the friction damage to zero. During the jump, the cartilaginous tissue acts as a shock absorber, absorbing the inertial load.
Arthritis and arthritis "block" the work of the joints and prevent full movement. Some of the symptoms of these diseases are similar, others differ radically.
Normal processes in arthritis
When a person begins to feel pain in a particular joint, this may indicate the onset of a disease such as arthritis. This disease means inflammation of the cartilage.
The disease can affect all components of the joint:
- the synovial membrane located along the extremities.
- synovial fluid that nourishes the tissues and acts as a lubricant.
- joint capsule.
Patients with arthritis complain of acute pain, for example in the knee, restriction of limb mobility. Fever and redness of the inflammatory area are characteristic. The pain can be "faint", affecting a similar joint in the other limb.
A constant sign of the disease is the visually distinct external swelling of the tissue.
Despite the reduction of joint functionality, its internal structure does not change. This is just inflammation of the cartilage, caused by metabolic disorders, infection or caused by trauma, which, with proper treatment, can be eliminated without further degradation of the joint itself.
Normal processes in arthropathy
This disease is more related to internal changes in the joint. As cartilage lacks blood vessels, it is nourished and rebuilt by synovial fluid, which contains the necessary beneficial chemicals.
With age, metabolic processes slow down and cartilage tissue, receiving less food, begins to wear out faster than it can to recover. This leads to its dilution.
The thin cartilage that breaks down is no longer able to absorb well under stress, so patients with arthritis experience pain when walking or working with the affected joint.
No inflammatory processes are observed. The disease is related exclusively to age and is related to individual lifestyle characteristics (proper eating habits and taking additional supportive substances can serve as a good prevention and delay the onset of the disease for a long time).
Degradation of cartilage tissue leads to pain that hurts in nature. There is no swelling or redness.
Arthritis is a disease that affects a specific joint. There is no parallel growth at the same point at the adjacent end. The disease often "chooses" a large "node" in anatomy. It can be the hip or knee joint.
Similar and different features - in short for the main thing
Arthritis and arthritis have similarities in the manifestation of certain symptoms. They are:
- stiffness after waking up, feeling of numbness in the joint.
- loss of full limb function;
- pain syndrome that makes it difficult to perform basic actions.
Despite the general symptoms and the nature of the senses, their number and location, they can tell what kind of disease they are related to. Differences in disease manifestations will help to make a more accurate diagnosis.
So what is the difference between arthritis and arthritis:
- The first has a clear increase in body temperature against the background of inflammation. In the second disease, this is not due to the gradual and imperceptible development of degenerative processes.
- Arthritis has severe tissue swelling. In the case of arthritis, this symptom is absent.
- Inflammation of the cartilage tissue can lead to the formation of subcutaneous nodules. The second disease does not cause this abnormality.
- Arthritis does not lead to anatomical deformities. Arthrosis, in fact, makes the joint incapacitated (in an extreme stage).
- With arthritis, there is redness of the skin around the affected joint. Arthritis is indistinguishable from a change in skin color.
Detailed differences and similarities
With a closer look at the symptoms, you can highlight the nuances that help identify the "enemy" that struck the joint. Below are the main symptoms of diseases with the main similar and isolated manifestations.
Pain syndrome
Painful sensations are inherent in both diseases. But since arthritis is associated with inflammation of the joints, pain is an integral part of the course of the whole disease. It has a strong character. Sometimes patients can feel it at night or in the morning. Painful sensations cause discomfort regardless of the type of actions of the person.
Arthritis pain is associated with the degradation of cartilage and the inability to fully fulfill its purpose. Vibration absorption and friction mitigation are not done at the proper level, therefore the bone apparatus is injured.
Painful pain and occurs more often after a long walk or other load on the affected joint. In the early stages, the pain may be subtle, but the picture changes as the disease progresses.
Deformation
Both diseases affect the structure of the joint device. Physiological changes in arthritis are more visual in nature. The:
- swelling;
- the formation of nodules;
- redness of the skin;
- temperature.
Arthritis can be accompanied by: psoriasis, increased sweating and weakness. Only certain types of diseases (traumatic and osteoarthritis) can change the structural structure of the anatomical node.
With arthritic manifestations, externally the joint appears as usual, but inside it irreversible processes take place. The cartilage layer becomes thinner, which leads to an increased load on the bone tissue.
Inflammatory process
Arthritic manifestations are characterized by swelling in the area of the affected joint.
This is due to inflammation of the synovial membrane itself, which is located inside the joint capsule. A blood test shows elevated white blood cells in such patients.
Inflammation can be caused by injury or infection.
In arthritis, the leukocyte mass is normal due to the absence of an inflammatory process. Degenerative changes pass smoothly, often unnoticed by the patient.
Crunch and click
A crunchy sound in the joint is a sure sign of arthritis. This is due to the deterioration of the cartilage and the painful interaction of the bone tissue. In healthy people, all joints sometimes crack. The difference between the affected area is that the sound will be "dry" and "rough".
Arthritis does not break because the swollen joint is restricted in movement and its cartilage continues to protect bone tissue from painful interactions.
Joint mobility
Restriction of joint work combines the symptoms of these diseases. But there is a significant difference in the nature of the infringement.
In arthritic pathology, the range of motion decreases, but this happens gradually as the cartilage is depleted. Arthritis is characterized by extensive stiffness that paralyzes the work of the joint. This is due to swelling and inflammation.
Common and various causes of development
These diseases can develop due to injuries sustained during jumping or running. Joint disease can be caused by a strong and prolonged load. This is the "professional" legacy of many athletes. Delayed hypothermia is another factor that contributes to the development of both diseases.
The difference between the diseases is that arthritis can occur due to an infection that has entered the body, which is not typical for arthritis. It is a general inflammation, where the arthritic manifestation will be only a consequence, for the treatment of which it is necessary to find and eliminate the main source. Another cause of arthritis can be being overweight, which overloads the joints on a daily basis.
Osteoarthritis is a distinct disease that is not associated with general health conditions. It can develop due to poor nutritional quality and insufficient amount of essential substances in cartilage tissue. This can be facilitated by hormonal disorders and diseases of the circulatory system, which affect the supply of other tissues. Most often the disease "accompanies" the elderly.
Danger zone
A person of any age can develop arthritis. As a result of the infection, it can affect the joints of even small children. Often the beautiful half of humanity suffers from it, at the age of 35-55 years.
Osteoarthritis is an exclusively "old" disease. Structural changes in cartilage tissue occur after 60 years. This is due to deterioration of the metabolic process and other aging factors. People with arthritis are more likely to develop arthritis.
Being overweight, malnutrition and strenuous exercise increase the risk of both diseases.
Therapeutic approach
In the diagnosis of these diseases, a similar treatment is prescribed in part, which consists of:
- establishing a backup scheme that eliminates stress on the affected joints.
- taking drugs that nourish the cartilage tissue and restore its tumor.
- massage in combination with physiotherapy exercises, which improves blood flow to the sore spot and natural metabolism.
- pain relief with painkillers.
- intra-articular block.
- oxygenation of the joint.
- special complex meals.
The difference between treatment is a course of antibiotics in case of infectious arthritis to eliminate the root cause of the disease.
For arthritic manifestations, surgery is a special way of eliminating the disease. This is required in case of complete cartilage destruction. In such a situation, it is replaced by a prosthetic joint.
Disease prevention
As preventive measures for both diseases, the following can be distinguished:
- Moderate stress. Take time for exercise from the cardio group, several times a week. This promotes the mobility of the joints, without unnecessary stress, as in the case of lifting a bar.
- Do not overcool.
- Eat right. Foods should be rich in trace elements and vitamins.
- Maintain a healthy weight so that your joints do not wear out prematurely.
- Avoid injuries to the joints. Avoid jumping from high heights and lifting weights.
- In old age, walking with a cane, which reduces the load on the foot, where a disease can develop.
- Wear comfortable shoes.
For arthritis, additional prevention will be the rapid diagnosis and treatment of any infectious disease, which will prevent the inflammation from spreading to other places.