What is Arthritis?

Arthritis isn’t a single disease; the term actually refers to joint pain or joint disease, and there are more than 100 types of arthritis and related conditions. People of all ages, races and genders live with arthritis, and it's the leading cause of disability in the U.S.

Arthritis is most common among women, and although it’s not a disease of aging, some types of arthritis occur in older people more often than younger people.

Read this helpful guide on arthritis now.

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Common Arthritis Symptoms

Common arthritis symptoms include swelling, pain, stiffness and diminished range of motion in joints. Symptoms vary from mild to severe and may come and go. Some may stay about the same for years, but symptoms can also progress and get worse over time. Severe arthritis can result in chronic pain, difficulty performing daily activities and make walking and climbing stairs painful and grueling.

Arthritis can also cause permanent joint changes. These may be visible, such as knobby finger joints, but often the damage can be seen only on X-rays. Some types of arthritis affect the heart, eyes, lungs, kidneys and skin as well as the joints.

Types of Arthritis

Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is by far the most common type of arthritis. It can damage almost any joint but mainly occurs in the hands, spine, hips and knees.

Although the prevalence of OA tends to increase with age, it’s not an inevitable part of growing older. You can help prevent joint problems by staying active, maintaining a healthy weight and limiting foods that stoke inflammation like red meat, highly processed foods and sugar. Better bets? Berries, leafy greens, wild salmon, whole grains and olive oil.

If you already have mild to moderate joint pain and stiffness, regular physical activity, hot and cold therapies, judicious use of over-the-counter pain relievers and assistive devices may help manage your symptoms.

Autoimmune Inflammatory Arthritis

With inflammatory arthritis, the immune system is overactive, attacking healthy tissue, including joints in the spine, hands and feet. In some people, inflammation becomes systemic, damaging the eyes, skin, heart and other organs. Many, but not all types of inflammatory arthritis are considered autoimmune diseases because the immune system loses the ability to distinguish self from not-self and attacks the body it’s supposed to protect.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is the most common form of autoimmune inflammatory arthritis. Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA), gout and juvenile arthritis are less common and can be more challenging to diagnose.

It’s not known what causes inflammatory arthritis in every person, but the general consensus is that something in the environment — a virus, stress or smoking, for examples — can trigger it in people who are genetically predisposed.

With autoimmune and inflammatory types of arthritis, early diagnosis and treatment are critical. Slowing disease activity can help minimize or prevent permanent joint damage as well as reduce pain and improve function and quality of life. Remission (defined as little to no disease activity) is always the goal, but low disease activity may be a more realistic target for some people.

Infectious Arthritis

A bacterial, viral or fungal infection can trigger infectious arthritis, which starts when an infection from another part of the body travels to a joint, usually the knee. Symptoms include swelling, pain and fever and can be sudden and intense, but treatment with antibiotics or antifungals usually clears the infection pretty quickly.

Most viral infections last a week or two and go away on their own. Some people with infectious arthritis may need to have their joint fluid drained to remove infected synovial fluid, reduce pain and inflammation and prevent joint damage.

Gout

Metabolic arthritis — commonly known as gout — results from a buildup in joints of painful uric acid crystals. These are a byproduct of the breakdown of purines — substances normally found in human cells and many foods, especially red meat, organ meats, some seafoods and alcohol. Normally the body gets rid of excess uric acid, but when it doesn’t, it can accumulate in joints, causing sudden and intense bouts of pain, especially the big toe.

Some people experience only one gout attack, or flare, and never have other symptoms. People who have more than one gout flare or severe symptoms are typically prescribed uric acid-lowering drugs. Those drugs can have serious side effects (and may not address the real problem), so in addition to taking medication, patients are advised to adopt a mostly plant-based, low-purine diet, rich in fruit, vegetables, whole grains, olive oil and low-purine fish.

What Can You Do?

The first step is to get an accurate diagnosis of what’s causing your joint pain. Talk to your primary care doctor about your symptoms. You may be referred to a rheumatologist or orthopedic specialist, doctors who specialize in arthritis and other musculoskeletal conditions. Many things can be done to preserve joint function, mobility and quality of life. Learning about the disease and treatment options, making time for physical activity and maintaining a healthy weight are essential.

Meet Natalie Tito, BSN, CMSRN Orthopedics Nurse Navigator

Natalie Tito

Natalie has spent her entire nursing career in surgery and orthopedics. As part of the Midwest Institute for Orthopedics at Silver Cross, she will help create a seamless experience for orthopedics patients and providers, ensuring a timely experience for all – from early screening through treatment.

For more information, please call Natalie Tito at 815-300-7404.

Physicians on Silver Cross Hospital’s Medical Staff have expertise in their areas of practice to meet the needs of patients seeking their care. These physicians are independent practitioners on the Medical Staff and are not the agents or employees of Silver Cross Hospital. They treat patients based upon their independent medical judgment and they bill patients separately for their services.