| The cause or causes of arthritis are oftentimes difficult | | | | * Viral arthritis |
| to determine because there are many factors that | | | | * Gonococcal arthritis |
| contribute to the development of this common disease. | | | | * Other bacterial infections (non-gonococcal bacterial |
| Arthritis involves the breakdown of cartilage. Cartilage | | | | arthritis ) |
| normally protects the joint, allowing for smooth | | | | * Tertiary Lyme disease (the late stage) |
| movement. Cartilage also absorbs shock when | | | | * Tuberculous arthritis |
| pressure is placed on the joint, like when you walk. | | | | * Fungal infections such as blastomycosis |
| Without the usual amount of cartilage, the bones rub | | | | Rheumatoid Arthritis Symptom |
| together, causing pain, swelling (inflammation), and | | | | If you have arthritis, you may experience: |
| stiffness. | | | | * Joint pain |
| You may have joint inflammation for a variety of | | | | * Joint swelling |
| reasons, including: | | | | * Stiffness, especially in the morning |
| * Broken bone | | | | * Warmth around a joint |
| * Infection (usually caused by bacteria or viruses) | | | | * Redness of the skin around a joint |
| * An autoimmune disease (the body attacks itself | | | | * Reduced ability to move the joint |
| because the immune system believes a body part is | | | | Self-destructive immune response of R.A may be |
| foreign) | | | | caused by a combination of genetic susceptibility and |
| * General "wear and tear" on joints | | | | an environmental trigger. Changing hormones may also |
| Often, the inflammation goes away after the injury has | | | | play an important role in disease, possibly in response |
| healed, the disease is treated, or the infection has been | | | | to an infection of the environment. |
| cleared. | | | | More than one gene has been linked to the risk of R.A. |
| With some injuries and diseases, the inflammation does | | | | Specific genes may increase the likelihood of a person |
| not go away or destruction results in long-term pain | | | | developing the disease, and could also partly determine |
| and deformity. | | | | how serious his condition is. However, because not all |
| When this happens, you have chronic arthritis. | | | | people with a genetic predisposition to rheumatoid |
| Osteoarthritis is the most common type and is more | | | | arthritis actually have the disease, other factors should |
| likely to occur as you age. | | | | be important. |
| You may feel it in any of your joints, but most | | | | A specific environmental trigger has not been found, |
| commonly in your hips, knees or fingers. Risk factors | | | | but some research suggests that infection by a virus |
| for osteoarthritis include: | | | | or bacterium leads to rheumatoid arthritis in people |
| * Being overweight | | | | genetically susceptible. That does not mean that |
| * Previously injuring the affected joint | | | | rheumatoid arthritis is contagious. People with |
| * Using the affected joint in a repetitive action that puts | | | | rheumatoid arthritis appear to have more antibodies in |
| stress on the joint (baseball players, ballet dancers, and | | | | the synovial fluid in their joints, suggesting that there |
| construction workers are all at risk) | | | | may be an infection. Low levels of hormones of the |
| Arthritis can occur in men and women of all ages. | | | | adrenal gland are common in people with rheumatoid |
| About 37 million people in America have arthritis of | | | | arthritis, but how hormones interact with genetic and |
| some kind, which is almost 1 out of every 7 people. | | | | environmental factors is unknown. Changes hormone |
| Other types or cause of arthritis include: | | | | can contribute to the progression of rheumatoid |
| * Rheumatoid arthritis (in adults) | | | | arthritis. |
| * Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (in children) | | | | Rheumatoid arthritis may occur independently of other |
| * Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) | | | | conditions, but its causes and its relationship with other |
| * Gout | | | | diseases are not well understood. A different way of |
| * Scleroderma | | | | chronic arthritis can sometimes develop in rheumatoid |
| * Psoriatic arthritis | | | | arthritis. It is also possible that infections or other |
| * Ankylosing spondylitis | | | | environmental triggers exist that may cause |
| * Reiter's syndrome (reactive arthritis) | | | | rheumatoid arthritis in people who already have a gene |
| * Adult Still's disease | | | | for the disease. |