This disease is quite common now: several million people on the planet suffer from arthritis.

What is arthritis? Of course, this is the first question that arises in a person when he hears his diagnosis from a doctor.

Arthritis is an inflammation of the joints, naturewhich can be different. However, there is always an inflammatory process as a reaction to the effect, external or internal. What is arthritis, understandable, but what are its causes? They are different. In addition to directly causing the disease, predisposing factors are also taken into account. They are as follows:

• patient's age - the older the person, the greater the likelihood of the disease;
• heredity and sex - in women, pathology is more common, can be transmitted to children from parents;
• excess of body weight and low mobility - the more weight, the stronger the load on the joints. Exercises strengthen the muscular corset around the joint, thereby reducing the load on it;
• allergies - a risk factor for the development of rheumatoid arthritis;
• damage to the joints.

Types of arthritis

Medicine distinguishes many varieties of arthritis. Among them the most common are infectious, rheumatoid, arthritis with gout, osteoarthritis. In terms of the number of suffering joints, monoarthritis (one joint is affected) and polyarthritis (several joints) are isolated. Also arthritis is classified by the name of the joint, in which there is a pathology. So it will be clear: to the question of what knee arthritis is, only one answer is possible - it is its inflammation.

How does the disease manifest itself

There are classic signs of inflammation,which doctors learn as a spell: pain, fever, redness, swelling of the joints and a breakdown in their function. For arthritis, they are all characteristic. Severe chronic arthritis is manifested by deformity of the joint, and a local increase in temperature and a discoloration of the skin are not typical for them.

Monoarthritis is usually a lesion of largeJoints, such as knee and hip. The elbow and shoulder joints rarely suffer. Rheumatoid arthritis is characterized by polyarthritis of small joints in the hands.

Many people at the doctor's reception ask the same questions: "What is arthritis and arthrosis?" What is the difference? Or is it the same thing? "Of course, no. This - the processes are completely different. By examining above, what is arthritis, we realized that this, in fact, is inflammation.

Arthrosis is called a dystrophic process,leading to degeneration of the cartilage. It is primary if it occurs on the intact joint due to biomechanics of its movement (age, after traumas of any localization, as a result of hypodynamia, high physical exertion). Secondary arthrosis develops in an organ that has already been altered due to genetic abnormalities or trauma.

Of course, the earlier the doctor finds out, arthritis orarthrosis in his patient, and the sooner adequate treatment is started, the higher the chances of restoring the structure and function of the joints. Determining the cause and nature of the process plays a significant role in this.