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You are here : AllRefer.com > Health > Diseases & Conditions > Arthritis

Arthritis

Provided by A.D.A.M.

Definition

Overview, Causes, & Risk Factors

Symptoms & Signs

Prevention

Diagnosis & Tests

Treatment

Expectations or Prognosis

Complications

Calling Your Health Care Provider

Pictures & Images

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Alternate Names : Joint Inflammation


Definition

Arthritis is a disease that involves inflammation of one or more joints. ("Arthr" refers to joints, and "itis" to inflammation.) See also joint pain.

Pictures & Images

Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis

Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rheumatoid Arthritis

Osteoarthritis vs. Rheumatoid Arthritis
Osteoarthritis vs. Rheumatoid Arthritis

Hip Joint Replacement - Series
Hip Joint Replacement - Series

Knee Joint Replacement - Series
Knee Joint Replacement - Series

     See all Pictures & Images
Overview, Causes, & Risk Factors

Joint inflammation is the body's reaction to various disease processes. These include mechanical injury to a joint (including fracture), the presence of an infection (usually caused by bacteria or viruses), an attack on the joints by the body itself (an autoimmune disease), or accumulated "wear and tear" on joints.

Often, the inflammation goes away after the injury has healed, the disease is treated, or the infection has been cleared by the immune system, sometimes with the help of antibiotics.

With some injuries and diseases, the inflammation does not go away or destruction results in long-term pain and deformity. This is considered arthritis. There are more than 100 kinds of arthritis with many different possible causes.

Osteoarthritis is the most common variety of arthritis in the United States. This arthritis often results from years of accumulated "wear and tear" on joints, and tends to occur in the elderly in hips, knees, and finger joints.

Gout, seen most often in males over 40 years old, is caused by the formation of crystals in the joints with subsequent inflammation. Gonorrhea is a bacterial infection that causes a so-called infectious arthritis. Autoimmune disorders, such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and scleroderma, can cause arthritis as well. In these diseases, something goes wrong with the immune system, which then attacks healthy parts of the body (such as joints).

Arthritis can occur in males and females of all ages. About 37 million people in America have arthritis of some kind, which is almost 1 out of every 7 people. In people over 55 years of age, women are more likely to suffer from osteoarthritis. Other risk factors for osteoarthritis are obesity, a history of trauma, and various genetic and metabolic diseases.

Some of the diseases that cause arthritis include:



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Definition
Arthritis Overview, Causes, & Risk Factors
Arthritis Symptoms & Signs
Arthritis Prevention
Arthritis Diagnosis & Tests
Arthritis Treatment
Arthritis Prognosis
Arthritis Complications
Calling Your Health Care Provider
Pictures & Images

Topics that might be of interest to you

Diseases & Conditions

Acute Gouty Arthritis
Adult Still's Disease
Ankylosing Spondylitis
Autoimmune Disorders
Blastomycosis
Chronic Gouty Arthritis
Gonococcal Arthritis
Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis
Lyme Disease - Tertiary
Non-Gonococcal (Septic) Bacterial Arthritis
Osteoarthritis
Psoriasis
Psoriatic Arthritis
Pulmonary Tuberculosis
Reiter's Syndrome
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
Systemic Sclerosis (Scleroderma)
Tuberculous Arthritis
Viral Arthritis

Tests & Exams

Joint X-Ray

Surgery & Procedures

Knee Joint Replacement

Other Topics

Broken Bone
Chronic
Fever
Joint Pain
Joint Swelling
Physical Examination
Weakness
Weight Loss - Unintentional

Review Date : 2/2/2002
Reviewed By : Neil Gonter, M.D., Department of Rheumatology, SUNY Downstate, Brooklyn, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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Page Last Updated: 16 May, 2008