Effects Of Arthritis

Arthritis is a major degenerative disorder affecting a large population of people all over the world, especially the Caucasian race. The target group may be adolescents aged 16 and below or adults above the age of 40. Women are more susceptible to various forms of arthritis compared to men. In spite of being a widespread degenerative disease, the exact causes for its occurrence are still inconclusive. It is estimated that nearly one in seven individuals are afflicted by arthritis in USA.

The causes for onset of arthritis can be diversified such as genetic disorders leading to autoimmune diseases, microbial or viral infections, wear and tear, due to side-effects of certain medications and drugs and due to improper diet. The various types of arthritis which affects people in large numbers are osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, gout arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, septic arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus and many more. Osteoarthritis is a disorder caused due to wear and tear, infection of joints and as a consequence of aging. On the other hand, certain forms of arthritis like rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus and psoriatic arthritis are autoimmune disorders wherein the immune system of the body attacks its own body parts. Gout arthritis is caused due to deposition of crystals of uric acid in the joint spaces. Pseudo gout is another condition which mimics the symptoms of gout arthritis which is caused due to deposition of crystals of calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate (CPPD) in the connective tissues.

Arthritis is a chronic form of inflammatory disorder, often crippling its victims. It's a lifelong disorder which makes peoples' lives pretty difficult, retarding their ability to work and lead an active lifestyle. Patients with arthritis suffer from inflammation, stiffening and deformation of joints making the aspect of walking or moving around an arduous task. Apart from joint problems, the other manifestations of arthritis are edema, eye inflammation, bursitis, synovitis, enlarged lymph nodes and skin ulcerations. In the case of rheumatoid arthritis, the patient's blood serum has unnaturally high levels of certain autoantibodies called rheumatoid factors (RF) which are antagonistic to IgGFc. It has been found that cigarette smoking can act as a trigger in offsetting autoimmune responses in patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis and this risk runs high particularly in females.

There are different ways to alleviate arthritic disorders such as physical therapy, using bone straightening devices, medications, dietary supplements, lifestyle changes like healthy eating and regular exercising and in extreme cases, opting for total joint replacement surgery (keep in mind you'll probably need supplemental insurance for this). While the degenerative forms of arthritis like osteoarthritis can be pretty much brought under control by a combination of the above methods, severe forms of arthritis need to be treated using highly potent and toxic drugs such as immunosuppressants and drugs manufactured by recombinant DNA technology such as tumor necrosis factor inhibitors. Also, in the case of replacement surgery complications are bound to surface due to rejection of the joint transplant by the major histocompatibility complex, formation of blood clots and exacerbation of pre existing conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes and heart problems.