Rheumatoid Arthritis and entirely Unknown Causes Essay

Submitted By miss909
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Anatomy and Physiology 2, SCI 136
Research Project Number 40904000. There are many different types of Arthritis. Some of these types are caused by infections, some by injury, some by aging, and some by entirely unknown causes. Infectious arthritis may follow influenza, typhoid fever, tuberculosis, syphilis or gonorrhea. Arthritis of an unknown cause is common and Rheumatoid arthritis is the worst form. Chronic arthritis is common. It has three main forms: osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and gout. Osteoarthritis is an inflammatory condition of one or more joints the main symptoms of arthritis are joint pain and stiffness, which typically worsen with age. This is the most common form of arthritis. This disease is known as a degenerative joint disease. It affects about 80% of all Americans. The pain is caused by the degeneration of the joint. The damage to the cartilage occurs as the disease progresses and degenerates and may form some bony spurs at the end of the bones. The bones may grind against each other.
Cartilage normally serves as a shock-absorbing cushion between the bones. When it breaks down it results in bones rubbing directly against one another during movement. This friction between the bones causes the bone to thicken, and spurs develop .As time goes on; these abrasions can cause permanent joint damage. Osteoarthritis is most common in the knees, hips, hands and spine. Rheumatoid arthritis is the worst form arthritis. It is a chronic autoimmune disease which affects the connective tissue and joints. This disease is very progressive, involving many joints. It causes the joint to swell and stiffen and fuse together in deformed positions. This leads to muscle spasms and deformities. Rheumatoid arthritis has no cure but can be treated. Most are treated with medicines such as corticosteroids and possible surgery of affected joints based on severity. Treatment is prolonged and difficult and better managed with inject able drugs such as Enbrel, Anakinra, Rituximab, and Abatacept. The cause of rheumatoid arthritis is unknown. Gout is the third type of arthritis which produces severe swelling of the joints. It is marked by the accumulation of uric acid in the joints. It mainly affects the big toe. Treatment is with non-steroidal drugs. Methods of diagnosis of all of these types of arthritis may include physical examination of the bones and joints, blood tests, urine tests, x-rays, CT scan, and MRI magnetic resonance imaging and ultrasound. Also an arthroscopy of the affected can be done to determine bone and joint damage and testing of joint fluid.
Rheumatoid arthritis is more difficult to diagnose in its early stages and symptoms are different for each person and can be more severe in others. Symptoms include pain, stiffness in the joint, decreased range of motion, swelling, and redness .Rheumatoid arthritis has more severe symptoms of muscle fatigue, fever and loss of weight. Complications of arthritis can affect all of your activities of daily living especially if you have arthritis in your hands or arms. It can keep you from walking, sitting up straight, and can be very deforming. Routine monitoring of the patient is needed to determine course of treatment
Risk Factors include: 1. Age-the risk of getting arthritis increases with age. 2. Family History- Family genes may make someone more susceptible to getting arthritis.
3. Obesity- Obese people have a higher risk of getting arthritis.
4. Sex-Women are more likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis, while gout
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