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The word Arthritis comes from the Greek arthron meaning "joint" and the Latin itis meaning "inflammation". |
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Arthritis is any of the more than 100 inflammatory joint disorders characterized by pain, swelling and limited movement. |
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Arthritis may be caused by inflammation or infection in a joint, by degeneration of a joint as a person becomes older, or by a disorder of which arthritis is a symptom. |
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Causes of Arthritis |
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Age: Arthritis can occur in people of all ages. Rheumatoid arthritis commonly occurs in the 25 to 50 age group. Osteoarthritis commonly occurs in older patients, with some cases occurring due to injury in younger patients. Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis affects children upto 16 years of age. |
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Weight: Obesity can lead to arthritis as the load-bearing joints can get damaged more easily. Some of the load-bearing areas prone to arthritis are the lower back and the hip. |
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Previous injury: Any previous injury such as a fracture or a muscle, ligament or tendon injury can develop into arthritis. |
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Systemic diseases: Systemic conditions such as gout and lupus which are types of arthritis. |
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Infections: Bacterial and viral conditions such as chlamydia, mumps and human parvovirus. |
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Erosion of cartilage in the joints is the most common cause of arthritis. This can result in the bones rubbing against each other to cause misshapen joints and deformities. Some congenital deformities like uneven bone structures or misalignment of bones in the joint may also cause arthritis. |
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Signs and symptoms of arthritis |
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The patient often finds the same joints in each side of the body are painfully swollen, inflamed, and stiff. |
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The fingers, arms, legs and wrists are most commonly affected. |
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Symptoms are usually worst on waking up in the morning and the stiffness can last for 30 minutes at this time. |
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The joint is tender when touched. |
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Hands may be red and puffy. |
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There may be rheumatoid nodules (bumps of tissue under the skin of the patient's arms). |
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Many patients with arthritis feel tired most of the time. Weight loss is common. |
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The smaller joints are usually noticeably affected first. |
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