Arthritis affects over 50 million adults and hundreds of thousands of children across America every year. This inflammation of the joints can cause debilitating pain and has more than 100 different kinds. Finding out which kind of arthritis you have is the first step to getting the best treatment. Here are some of the most common types.
Osteoarthritis (OA)
Also called degenerative arthritis, this is the most common type of arthritis found in over 25 million Americans today. With OA, the cartilage in the joints breaks down, causing bones to eventually rub together and cause inflammation, pain, injury, and bone spurs. OA is usually created and exacerbated by obesity, age, trauma, family history, and joint overuse.
Some symptoms include poor coordination, soreness in the joints, morning stiffness, and increasing disability.
Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)
This is a type of autoimmune disease where the body attacks healthy joint tissue. Some symptoms include morning stiffness and joint pain, often on the same or both sides of the body that can develop into joint deformities. Additional symptoms can develop in the eyes, skin, lungs, and heart, along with Sjögren’s syndrome that causes severely dry eyes and mouth. Other signs of RA include rheumatoid nodules under the skin and near joints, numbness, warmth, burning, and tingling in your hands and feet and sleep difficulties.
Juvenile Arthritis (JA)
JA is an umbrella term for several types of arthritis that affect hundreds of thousands of children across the States. The most common type is juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), which is a group of autoimmune disorders that can impact children’s joints. Usually occurring in children younger than 16, it can cause bones to erode, growth patterns to change, joints to misalign and muscle and soft tissue to tighten.
Gout
This is a form of arthritis caused by the accumulation of urate crystals inside your joints. High levels of uric acid in your blood may put you at risk of gout. Common symptoms include redness, swelling, and intense pain in your extremities.
These are only a few of the most common types of arthritis, so if you experience joint pain, stiffness, or other symptoms, talk to your doctor to recommend a treatment plan immediately.