The disease affects the synovial membrane. Joint damage can occur sequentially or simultaneously. Rapid growth of small vessels, the formation of granulation tissue and the gradual destruction of cartilage leads to disruption of their function.
The causes of arthritis are quite varied and depend on the underlying disease, which can be difficult to identify.
KINDS
Arthritis in most cases is a secondary disease, so its classification is based in Depending on the penetration of pathogenic factors, and form the primary disease, which caused the deformation joints.
The main groups of diseases:
- Infectious - inflammatory form with the presence of an infectious agent, a relatively favorable course (rheumatoid, specific, non-specific, infectious-allergic).
- Noncommunicable - dystrophic forms, which develop due to physical damage to the joints, mechanical or other factors that do not have an infection (psoriatic, allergic, exchange, posttraumatic).
- Undifferentiated.
Symptoms of arthritis and its treatment methods are directly dependent on its etiology.
The main manifestation
Common clinical signs:
- tenderness of the joints;
- limited mobility;
- swelling of the affected area;
- increase in skin temperature at the joint surface;
- change of joint shape and a violation of its functions.
All of these symptoms can occur in isolation or simultaneously.
Signs of arthritis, depending on the form of the disease:
- Acute pain is accompanied by the continuing strong, limiting the mobility of joints and flushing of the skin.
- Subacute characterized by moderate inflammation, swelling and stiffness in the joints.
- The chronic form develops asymptomatic for many years and manifests in adulthood. It leads to disability due to severe deformity of the joints. The patient feels pain in any movement.
Symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis
The main symptom of rheumatoid arthritis is a type of symmetric defeat of small joints of the left and right sides. In the first place, fixed the damage on the hands and on the feet. There is marked pain, which worsens at night, while during the day it can be omitted. In the morning there is stiffness in the joints, which takes place during the activity. Relationship between physical activity, heavy lifting, and the pain is not observed.
The appearance of rheumatoid nodules are common symptoms of the disease. They represent a seal placed under the skin near the affected area, most often they can be found near the elbow.
This form of the disease is related to one of the most severe types of arthritis. At untimely treatment of the disease leads to the disability. In addition, there is a risk of severe complications associated with damage to internal organs, skin and eyes.
SPECIFIC symptoms of infectious polyarthritis
The first signs of this type of arthritis can occur after infectious diseases or develop in its acute period.
Main features:
- limited mobility;
- arthralgia in the joints;
- edema;
- a sharp increase in body temperature to 40 ° indices C;
- progressive muscular atrophy.
Depending on the primary diagnosis of arthritis symptoms can be supplemented by other features.
Additional symptoms:
- Brucella polyarthritis When body temperature rises undulating, liver, lymph nodes and spleen were enlarged, marked neuritis and neuralgia.
- Gonorrheal accompanied by a decrease in body weight and total immobilization of the affected joints with the appearance of pus in them.
- It characterized syphilitic tenderness of the joints in the night and they form gummas with subsequent deformation. However, the functionality of the joints is not broken.
Most often, infectious arthritis affects the large joints symmetrically, that is accompanied by muscle atrophy and loss of sensitivity. Sometimes on the surface of the skin can be detected still dense knots.
And the symptoms and treatment of infectious arthritis are in the purview of infectious disease and rheumatologists, as in this case, therapy is aimed, first and foremost, to fight with the primary disease.
SYMPTOMS OF EXCHANGE polyarthritis
When metabolism disorder in the patient's joints gradually accumulate salt crystals, so this state is also called crystalline polyarthritis. For example, when it comes to gout deposition of uric acid crystals. Their microscopic sharp edges have a traumatic effect on the structure of the joint and cause a number of unpleasant symptoms.
Symptoms crystalline polyarthritis:
- initial signs appear on the big toe, then spread to other joints;
- It affects not more than 2-3 joints;
- sudden pain for several days, which runs independently;
- in affected joints observed redness and swelling of tissues;
- relapsing course with regularity from 1 to 3 times a month.
Symptoms of post-traumatic polyarthritis
To begin, the pathological process is not required serious injuries of the joints, the disease can occur even after prolonged and repetitive stress on a particular muscle group.
Common symptoms:
- a chronic course;
- muscle and joint pain obtuse nature;
- feeling of stiffness;
- increased pain during exercise;
- crunch in the affected joint during movement.
Improper treatment of arthritis when such symptoms or lack of it can cause complications such as ankylosis, inflammation of the bursa, tenosynovitis and erysipelas skin inflammation.
Symptoms of psoriatic polyarthritis
This pathology can develop in people suffering from psoriasis. Most often, the defeat of the joints exposed feet. First, there are changes in the synovium, and then in the pathological process involved surrounding tissue.
Several distinct types of psoriatic arthritis.
Symptoms of different types:
- Asymmetrical - common form of the disease that affects not more than five joints. Most often there are changes in the knee, hip, and foot joints.
- Symmetrical shows similarities with an asymmetrical form. The difference is that the symmetrical joints affected. Simultaneously with the joints of the hands and feet is damage wrists.
- Spondylitis occurs in 20% of patients with psoriasis. Inflammation develops in the spinal column and causes pain in the back.
- Arthritis of the interphalangeal joints - a rare form of damage to the small joints of the fingers of the upper and lower extremities.
- Mutiliruyuschy - deformity of the fingers on the limbs, occurs in very rare cases.
Distinctive features:
- inflammation of the ligaments and tendons;
- peeling nails;
- constant feeling of fatigue;
- anemia;
- conjunctivitis.
SYMPTOMS OF JET polyarthritis
Reactive arthritis is most often diagnosed in young males. Inflammation in the joint tissue develops immediately after suffering a bacterial, viral or fungal infection of the respiratory, cardiovascular and digestive systems. The condition for the onset of illness is the effect of supercooling, the presence of foci of chronic infections, the fact of increased physical load on the upper limbs or of injury.
Main features:
- onset 2-3 weeks after a previous infection;
- fever;
- chills;
- malaise;
- mucous membranes (urethritis, conjunctivitis, erosions and ulcers);
- possible heart damage;
- change the growth of the nail plate.
Choice of treatment
Intensity of symptoms in the treatment of arthritis is critical in planning therapy schemes. Treatment methods depend on the duration of the disease and the patient's condition. Thus, for patients with advanced cases, which are accompanied by immobilization and severe pain, most often surgery is indicated. Contraindication to surgery may be poor general condition of the patient, as well as cardiac and respiratory insufficiency.
If the pathology is detected early, the treatment is conducted under the guidance of a therapist, a physiotherapist and a rheumatologist.
Traditional treatments can not be used as the main method of therapy, their use is only possible after consultation with the physician.
Drug treatment
The main goal of medical treatment is the arresting inflammatory reactions, removal of pain and reduction in the severity of edema, fever and burning.
Treatment involves merely polyarthritis individual patient, as multifactorial disease, and in each case therapy scheme is significantly different.
Medications:
- Corticosteroids - inflammatory effect occurs by suppression of the immune response. These drugs show high efficiency and are often among the first to be appointed in the treatment of arthritis.
- Bisphosphonates are used to prevent osteoporosis induced by the use of steroids.
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs decrease the severity of inflammation and pain by blocking suppression of prostaglandins, which play a central role in the inflammatory response.
- Basic anti-rheumatic drugs are used for a long time in the treatment simultaneously with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and corticosteroids. Their effect is to suppress the immune system factors.
- Anti-TNF - preparations containing substances blocking tumor necrosis factor which can cause many forms of joint damage.
- Antibiotics are used to treat infectious polyarthritis as a means of suppressing the development of the pathogen.
Arthritis treatment regimen involves the use of drugs in a variety of product forms. The medicaments may be used topically to the skin, are administered intravenously or intramuscularly.
These drugs have many side effects, so are used only on prescription.
physiotherapy treatment
At the moment, it is impossible to completely cure arthritis. The therapy involves the use of methods of support and treatment to reduce symptoms. Suspend the pathological process and to improve the mobility of the affected joints help physiotherapy techniques which are used in remission or stabilization of the patient.
Physiotherapy methods:
- massage;
- phonophoresis;
- ultrasound;
- iontophoresis;
- cryotherapy;
- ozokerite applications;
- paraffin;
- magnetic therapy;
- barotherapy;
- physiotherapy.
Spa treatment involves periodic visits Sanatoriums for receiving mineral water, mud and procedures in order to prevent relapses.
SURGERY
Operative intervention is an extreme treatment severe polyarthritis. Resort to it in the case where the medical methods did not show the effectiveness or they are obviously meaningless.
The surgeon in the planning of operations takes into account the symptoms and treatment of arthritis in the past, as well as its complications. With significant joint destruction surgery is the only effective method of treatment.
surgery Objectives:
- eliminate pain;
- restore the functioning of the joint;
- to resume activity of the patient.
Types of surgery:
- prosthetics, or replacement of the destroyed joint prosthesis;
- removal of the synovial membrane to prevent the spread of the inflammatory process in the bone tissue;
- immobilization of articulation to accelerate fusion of bone tissue.
Diet
Nutrition is the key to the body's overall health and joints in particular. In the treatment of arthritis the important role played by dieting. The diet of the patient should contain all the necessary nutrients, vitamins and minerals for the maintenance of normal metabolic processes in tissues. It is recommended to use products that enhance the acidity. It is especially important to follow a diet for gout.
Recommended diet:
- dairy products;
- products containing gelatin (jelly and brawn);
- lean meats and fish (twice a week);
- fresh fruits and vegetables;
- sorrel;
- asparagus;
- Rowan;
- blueberries;
- rice;
- berry fruit drinks.
It is necessary to exclude or limit:
- flour;
- sweets;
- salt;
- hot spices;
- tomatoes;
- eggplant;
- potatoes;
- strong tea and coffee;
- beans;
- broths;
- any products containing purines;
- alcohol.
The menu should be balanced in terms of calories. Excess body weight is a factor that negatively affects the joints.
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