While the definition of arthritis---joint inflammation---may be simple, its causes are complex. There are several types of arthritis, the most common being osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Osteoarthritis is the inflammation and degeneration of joints and surrounding tissues due to aging or earlier trauma. Rheumatoid arthritis is a genetically linked auto-immune inflammatory disease that can strike at any age. Both types of arthritis result in chronic painful conditions. The effects of arthritis can be debilitating.
Disability
Osteoarthritis affects mostly the hips, knees, feet, neck, lower back and small joints in the fingers. Injury to these areas through repetitive use, accidents, obesity or aging wears away the cartilage that normally cushions the spaces between bones. Gradually, bone surfaces grind together and deteriorate, causing swelling, pain and loss of flexibility. Movements such as walking, lifting and climbing steps become increasingly difficult because they put additional stress on damaged joints.
Impaired mobility and a loss of independence affects many with RA. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), RA sufferers are twice as likely as other people to have limitations that affect leisure activities and work-related tasks. As many as 30 percent of people with RA require assistance with activities of daily living such as bathing, dressing and meal preparation.
Deformity
Over time, osteoarthritis can lead to enlarged malformed joints. Degenerative processes in the spine may result in a loss of height and stooped posture. The first signs of OA may be stiffness and pain in affected joints upon arising or after exercise.
In RA, the synovial membrane that lubricates and lines the joints becomes inflamed, causing erosion of cartilage and bone. The hands and feet may be deformed by the growth of bony knobs on the knuckles. Contractures may make it impossible to straighten the fingers. Fatigue, pain, swelling and redness around joints are characteristic symptoms of RA. Early detection and treatment may improve outcomes. Often the first symptom of RA is a prolonged feeling of stiffness upon getting out of bed in the morning.
Death
According to the CDC, deaths from OA may be highly underestimated. For example, those attributed to gastrointestinal hemorrhage, a side effect of anti-inflammatory drugs, would not be listed as OA deaths.
The CDC also asserts that individuals who have RA are twice as likely to die as same-aged people in the general population. An increase in cardiovascular diseases (CVD) among RA sufferers puts them at risk of heart attack and stroke. Hypertension and other CVD conditions may be caused by the disease process of RA as well as the effects of some medications. Other factors, such as smoking, could play a role. Additionally, RA victims have an increased vulnerability to infections. This effect may be due to the actions of immunosuppressive drugs or to the immune dysfunction that causes RA. A higher incidence of leukemia, multiple myloma, or similar other cancers is also associated with RA.
