Don't just pop painkillers

There are many myths surrounding arthritis, and one of them is that it only affects old people. This is far from the truth and lack of awareness can lead to affected youngsters myopically popping painkillers for immediate relief.

Osteoarthritis is the only degenerative joint disease that occurs at old age. There are other conditions that fall under the umbrella of inflammatory arthritis that occur in younger people. These are caused when your body’s defence system starts attacking your own tissues, leading to pain, stiffness and joint damage.

Since most inflammatory forms of arthritis are systemic (meaning they affect the entire body), other symptoms may occur in other parts of the body. Therefore, over a period of time, inflammatory arthritis can damage other organs such as lungs, kidneys, nerves and eyes. The most common types of inflammatory arthritis are rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis vasculitis and lupus.

n Rheumatoid arthritis: It mainly affects small joints like wrists, hands and feet. Persistent pain, tenderness, swelling or stiffness of joints for six weeks or longer are a few symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. Others include fatigue, loss of appetite and low fever. The condition also affects the eyes and lungs.

n Ankylosing spondylitis: This primarily affects the spine and the back of the body. The most common symptoms are chronic pain and stiffness in the lower back and hip that usually develop over a period of time. It predominantly affects men under 45 years of age. The pain is commonly brushed off as lifestyle-related.

n Psoriatic arthritis: It is estimated that 30% of people who are suffering from psoriasis (a skin condition characterised by itchy, scaly rashes and crumbling nails) also develop a form of inflammatory arthritis called psoriatic arthritis. The symptoms include joint pain and stiffness, skin rashes, brittle nail, fatigue, eye problems, and swelling and tenderness in fingers and feet.

n Lupus: It is a systemic, chronic autoimmune disease that affects the joints, kidneys, skin, blood, brain and other organs. It affects young women in the reproductive age group. This may impact pregnancy as well.

n Vasculitis: The body mistakenly sees blood vessels as foreign bodies and attacks them, leading to inflammation and narrowing of the vessels. Vasculitis can occur by itself or can be a feature of a rheumatic disease, such as rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus or systemic sclerosis. The key symptoms include fever, loss of appetite, weight loss, fatigue etc. It could affect different body organs including the nervous system, kidney, lungs and heart. If left untreated, these diseases could result in permanent organ damage or even death.

Treatment
Medical treatment has advanced tremendously with the availability of a variety of new potent drugs. These have started replacing older treatment methods and drugs including steroids and pain killers.

Early diagnosis and appropriate treatment is crucial to prevent long term joint or organ damage. Treatment for inflammatory arthritis is tailored according to the specific condition, its symptoms and severity. Lifestyle modifications are equally important in the treatment.

(The author is consultant, Rheumatology, Fortis Hospital, Bengaluru)