What is Arthritis? What Are Its Symptoms and Types? How Is It Diagnosed and Treated?

Arthritis covers a broad group of diseases causing pain, swelling, and restricted movement in your joints. In fact, arthritis is not a single disease, but a joint disorder with more than 100 types. Although it can be seen in people of all ages, it is more frequent in older ages and those with genetic predisposition.

In this article, we will examine the types of arthritis, arthritis symptoms, diagnostic methods, and what arthritis treatment is. We will discuss common types in detail, especially osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, what reactive arthritis is, and what septic arthritis is.

What is Arthritis?

Your joints are the essential structures that provide your body with the ability to move. Your daily activities such as walking, writing, and climbing stairs depend on the healthy functioning of your joints. The question of what arthritis disease is gains importance precisely at this point.

Arthritis is the general name given to a group of diseases that cause inflammation and pain in your joints. It is not a single disorder, but a comprehensive term referring to joint disease or joint pain. It leads to tenderness, swelling, and pain in your joints, and can worsen as you age.

When examining arthritis types, you will see that they are divided into different categories. Degenerative arthritis develops with the wear and tear of cells over time, and its most common example is osteoarthritis. In inflammatory arthritis types, your immune system attacks your joints; rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis fall into this category. Besides these, the answers to the questions of gout disease, which occurs due to metabolic reasons, and what septic arthritis is, which develops with infectious agents, are in different categories.

The impact of the disease on your joints is quite serious. By affecting joints such as your knees, hips, and spine, it can make your daily life difficult. In advanced cases, even taking a simple step requires great effort. If left untreated, it causes permanent joint damage over time.

Among arthritis symptoms, the most prominent ones are pain, swelling, and stiffness in the joints. These symptoms can start mildly and follow a severe course, even leading to permanent joint changes. Therefore, making an early diagnosis is of vital importance.

It is seen in women 3 times more frequently than in men. While its frequency of occurrence is highest between the ages of 20-50, it is also encountered in children and young people. This condition, which can develop in people of all ages, is among the leading causes of disability.

As for what arthritis treatment is, different approaches are applied depending on the type of disease. Medication use, physical therapy, and surgical procedures are among the treatment options. Regular exercise, a balanced diet, and a healthy weight are among the supportive treatment methods. Therefore, it needs to be closely monitored as a chronic disease.

What Are the Types of Arthritis?

There are types of arthritis that develop in your body due to different causes. Each type affects your joints in different ways and requires unique treatment approaches.

Osteoarthritis (Calcification)

Known colloquially as calcification, osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis. It occurs as a result of the wear and tear of the cartilage tissue protecting your joints over time. This wear causes the bones to rub against each other.

Aging, obesity, overuse of joints, and genetic predisposition are among the causes of osteoarthritis. It is frequently seen in your knees, hips, lower back, and fingers. The incidence rate in women over 65 is 42.1%, and in men, it is 31.2%.

Rheumatoid Arthritis (Inflammatory Rheumatism)

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic condition where your immune system perceives healthy tissues as foreign and attacks joint tissues. It is also known as inflammatory rheumatism and leaves permanent damage in the joints when left untreated.

The probability of developing the disease in women is 2-3 times higher than in men. It generally affects your hand and foot joints symmetrically. It can also affect other parts of your body, such as your skin, eyes, and lungs.

Psoriatic Arthritis

It is a type of joint inflammation that can develop in individuals who have had psoriasis. Your immune system attacks healthy cells and tissues, resulting in pain and stiffness in one or more joints.

Approximately 15-20% of psoriasis patients develop psoriatic arthritis. It usually begins between the ages of 30-50, and men and women are at equal risk. It can affect your hands, toes, spine, and peripheral joints.

Reactive Arthritis

It is a joint inflammation triggered by an infection present in your body. It is triggered by an infection in your intestines, genitals, or urinary tract. Symptoms usually appear 1 to 4 weeks after exposure to the triggering illness.

Bacteria such as Chlamydia, Shigella, Salmonella, and Campylobacter can cause reactive arthritis. It typically affects your feet, ankles, and knees. Most people recover completely in about six months.

Septic Arthritis

It is a joint inflammation that occurs as a result of being triggered by bacteria or fungi present in your body. Microbes entering the blood reach your joints via the bloodstream and cause inflammation. It is a type of arthritis that progresses very rapidly and leaves permanent damage to your joints.

It is most frequently caused by the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus and is responsible for almost 50% of the disease. It frequently affects your knee, hip, and shoulder joints. Its early diagnosis and treatment are extremely important.

Gout Arthritis

It occurs as a result of an excessive amount of uric acid in your joints. It can affect more than one joint, but commonly starts in your big toe, usually at night, with severe pain and a burning sensation.

It affects about 1.5% of individuals in the community and is seen more often in men. It can stem from causes such as excessive meat consumption, genetic predisposition, alcohol consumption, kidney problems, or diabetes. It proceeds in attacks, and attacks generally start rapidly.

What Are the Symptoms of Arthritis?

Arthritis symptoms vary from person to person, but some common symptoms guide you in the early diagnosis of the disease. The severity of the symptoms changes depending on the type of arthritis, the affected joint, and the stage of the disease.

Joint Pain and Swelling

Joint pain is the most common and prominent symptom of arthritis. The pain can be aching, sharp, or throbbing. It intensifies during movement or when you apply pressure to the joint. In some cases, you feel discomfort even while at rest.

You see prominent swelling in your joints. This swelling occurs as a result of the accumulation of joint fluid and disrupts the normal appearance of the joint. Especially in rheumatoid arthritis, tenderness, swelling, and pain in your finger and toe joints occur together. In inflammatory rheumatism, redness and an increase in temperature in the joints may be observed, but this is not a prominent feature.

Your pain increases at night, and you feel more discomfort while resting. You may feel a localized increase in temperature around the joint. In rheumatoid arthritis, joints are involved symmetrically, meaning both sides of your body are affected at the same time.

Morning Stiffness and Rigidity

When you wake up in the morning, you experience a feeling of stiffness and rigidity in your joints. This morning stiffness continues for varying durations depending on the type of arthritis. In rheumatoid arthritis, stiffness generally lasts longer than 30 minutes and decreases as you move. In osteoarthritis, however, morning stiffness is generally under 30 minutes.

You may also experience a similar feeling of stiffness after remaining inactive for a long time. You notice a slowness in moving your joints. Difficulty in making the hand into a fist due to swelling in the hand joints and a decrease in grip strength are important early symptoms. Fully bending or straightening the joints becomes difficult.

Restricted Movement

Inflammation and pain in the joints lead to restricted movement over time. You notice that functions you could previously perform easily have decreased. You have difficulty folding and bending the joints. This situation can make performing daily activities difficult and reduce your independence.

Due to pain, swelling, or stiffness, you cannot move the joint through its full range of motion. Joint pains can sometimes reach a point that almost completely restricts your mobility. You experience difficulty in moving and cannot concentrate even on simple tasks.

Fatigue and Malaise

Chronic fatigue is a frequent symptom in arthritis patients. You feel constantly tired due to low energy caused by inflammation and sleep disturbances. This fatigue makes it difficult to maintain daily activities.

Severe pains in the joints prevent you from getting a proper sleep, causing fatigue to increase even further. Sometimes you cannot find the energy to do your daily chores. Excessive fatigue does not go away with resting and can be very overwhelming. Besides this, you may also experience general symptoms such as mild fever, loss of appetite, and weight loss.

How Is Arthritis Diagnosed?

Making an accurate diagnosis plays a critical role in transforming the answer given to the question of what arthritis disease is into the treatment process. The diagnostic process does not take place with a single test; rather, it is completed by evaluating physical examination, laboratory tests, and imaging methods together. The physician listens to your complaints, examines your joints, and requests necessary tests to reach a definitive diagnosis.

Physical Examination

The first step of the diagnostic process is listening to your complaints. Your doctor inquires about symptoms such as joint pain, swelling, duration of morning stiffness, and fatigue. A history of rheumatic diseases in the family is also evaluated at this stage.

Then, the swelling, tenderness, and movement restriction in your joints are examined. Especially the symmetrical involvement of your hand and foot joints is an important clue for rheumatoid arthritis. The physician measures your joint range of motion, checks for swelling and deformity, and evaluates your muscle strength and reflexes. Pain, increased temperature, and movement restriction are detected in your joints.

Blood Tests

Blood tests are performed to support the physical examination. These tests are used to confirm the diagnosis and determine the activity of the disease. The rheumatoid factor (RF) test comes out positive in approximately 70-80% of patients. However, a negative RF result does not rule out the disease, nor is a positive result sufficient for diagnosis on its own.

Anti-CCP antibody is a more specific test for rheumatoid arthritis and plays an important role in early diagnosis. Anti-CCP positivity points to a more severe and damaging disease. Tests such as Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR) and C-Reactive Protein (CRP), on the other hand, help monitor the disease activity by showing the level of inflammation in your body. Besides this, complete blood count, liver function tests, urea, and creatinine values are requested.

Imaging Methods

Various methods are resorted to in order to visualize the damage in your joints. X-rays generally show late-stage changes such as narrowing of the joint space and bone erosions. Soft tissue swelling, osteopenia around the joint, and small erosions at the joint corners are seen on direct radiographs.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is more effective in detecting early-stage damage. MRI shows soft tissue inflammation and early bone damage in the joint in detail. Ultrasonography is a fast and inexpensive method for detecting synovitis and tenosynovitis. It visually evaluates intra-articular fluid accumulation, the thickness of the synovial membrane, and the condition of the tendons.

Therefore, a definitive diagnosis is made by interpreting the patient's complaints, examination findings, and the results of laboratory tests together.

How Is Arthritis Treated?

Your treatment approach is determined according to the type of arthritis, your age, your general health status, and the severity of your symptoms. There is no method to completely eliminate the disease, but it is possible to reduce pain and protect joint functions. Starting treatment in the early period increases the chance of success and prevents permanent joint damage.

Medication Therapy

Your drug treatment is planned according to the type of arthritis. Pain relievers and anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) bring pain and inflammation under control, but they are not sufficient on their own. Simple painkillers such as paracetamol and metamizole can be used for support.

Corticosteroids show a rapid and powerful effect, and are especially effective in preventing joint damage in the early period of the disease. It is aimed to use them at the lowest possible dose and duration. It should be kept in mind that side effects may occur with long-term high-dose use.

Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) prevent and reduce joint damage, and preserve function. Methotrexate is the most frequently preferred DMARD and is used both alone and together with other drugs. Salazopyrin, leflunomide, and hydroxychloroquine are among other options.

Biological agents come into play in situations where the immune system is overactive. Biological treatments such as TNF-alpha inhibitors and interleukin-6 inhibitors alleviate symptoms. An average period of three months may be required to evaluate the effectiveness of a drug.

Physical Therapy and Exercise

Physical therapy provides support to your drug treatment. It is aimed to preserve joint range of motion and prevent muscle weakness. Cold-hot applications, splinting, and restorative exercises take place in the program.

Regular exercise reduces fatigue, strengthens muscles, and increases flexibility. Low-impact aerobic activities such as walking, swimming, and cycling should be done at least three days a week, 30 minutes a day. Resistance training should start with low weight and be increased gradually.

Lifestyle Changes

A balanced diet reduces inflammation. Consumption of omega-3 fatty acids, turmeric, and green vegetables is recommended. Avoiding excess weight reduces joint load. Smoking cessation, stress management, and regular sleep support your treatment process.

Surgical Treatment Options

The relief of pain and improvement of function are the main objectives of surgical treatment. Surgery is evaluated in case of joint destruction and unsuccessful medical treatment.

Arthroscopy, synovectomy, resection arthroplasty, and total joint replacement are applied methods. Arthrodesis surgery may be preferred in some patients for persistent joint pain. Functions can be corrected with tendon repair and artificial joint prostheses in your wrist, finger, and foot joints.

Frequently Asked Questions About Arthritis

You can find the answers to the questions you wonder about arthritis in this section. We offer clear information about the causes, symptoms, and treatment options of the disease.

What Is Arthritis Disease?

The question of what arthritis disease is is frequently wondered when joint pains are in question. It briefly means joint inflammation. It causes inflammation in your joints and restricts your mobility.

It is not a single disorder; it is a broad term referring to joint disease or joint pain. In fact, there are more than 100 types of arthritis. It can be seen in people of all ages and is among the leading causes of disability.

What Causes Arthritis?

The answer to the question of what causes arthritis changes according to the type of disease. Your body's immune system can attack your joints as an autoimmune disease. Although the exact cause is not known in rheumatoid arthritis, genetic predisposition and triggering factors play a role.

In osteoarthritis, the wear, tear, or overuse of joints is effective. Obesity, joint traumas, hereditary reasons, and aging are also among the causes. Past infections, bacteria mixing into the blood, and psoriasis are other causes. In gout, on the other hand, the excessive accumulation in the body of uric acid that needs to be excreted through urine by the kidneys causes it.

How Does Arthritis Pain Go Away?

Various methods are used to bring your pain under control. Short-term treatments include medication, hot and cold applications, and immobilization of the joints. Massage and acupuncture can be supportive methods.

Hot or cold applications are effective. Cold is preferred during flare-up periods where edema is prominent, and hot application is preferred in chronic pain. Regular exercises and physical therapy applications help reduce pains by increasing the mobility of joints. A balanced diet alleviates pain by reducing inflammation.

How Is Arthritis in the Knee Treated?

The initial treatment of knee arthritis is non-surgical. Lifestyle changes protect the knee joint and slow down its progression. You should minimize activities that worsen the condition, such as climbing stairs. Losing weight can reduce stress on the knee joint.

Physical therapy and exercises increase movement and flexibility, and strengthen leg muscles. Painkillers, anti-inflammatory drugs, and corticosteroid injections are used in drug therapy. In situations where success cannot be achieved with non-surgical treatments, surgical methods such as arthroscopy, osteotomy, or total knee replacement are applied.

Are Arthritis and Rheumatism the Same Thing?

No, arthritis and rheumatism are not the same thing. Rheumatism is a general term expressing aches and pains in bones, muscles, and joints and covers more than 100 diseases. Arthritis, on the other hand, means inflammation seen in one or more joints in your body.

Even though arthritis and rheumatism have similar symptoms, their causes are different. While classical arthritis can develop with external factors such as trauma or infection, rheumatoid arthritis is a completely autoimmune process. Therefore, arthritis can be a sub-type of rheumatism.

In Summary, Arthritis

Arthritis is not a single disease, but a broad group of diseases affecting your joints in different ways. Therefore, recognizing symptoms and making an early diagnosis is important. You should not ignore symptoms such as pain, swelling, and morning stiffness in your joints.

You can bring symptoms under control with drug therapy, physical therapy, and lifestyle changes according to the type of disease. Regular doctor control and compliance with the recommended treatment plan help you protect your joint functions and increase your quality of life. Remember that arthritis is a manageable condition.