Musculoskeletal System Disease called Arthritis - Research Paper Example

Musculoskeletal system disease called arthritis al Affiliation Musculoskeletal system disease called arthritis Arthritis can be characterized as a serious illness which affects musculoskeletal system of a human body and is associated with the inflammation of joints. Arthritis is the most prevalent chronic disease in the USA. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that every third citizen of the United States suffers from over 95 types of arthritis, and this number is constantly increasing (Lozada & Diamond, 2014). The most widespread types of arthritis throughout the world include rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disorder that mostly affects synovial tissues which surround the joints. The immune system of the organism considers its own healthy cells in the synovium to be harmful ones and tries to destroy them. Osteoarthritis is a degenerative illness which is caused by the biochemical collapse of cartilage in the synovial joints. Apart from the articular cartilage, osteoarthritis is also considered to have a profound negative impact on the whole joint, along with the subchondral bone and synovium (Nordqvist, 2014). The purpose of this paper is to identify basic causes and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. Further, it will present the current statistics of the people who suffer from these diseases. Also, it will analyze the effect of arthritis on different body systems and organs, and its possible treatment and medication. Statistics The national Arthritis Data Workgroup informs that the pervasiveness of the disease has considerably grown in the recent years and this trend is expected to go on. According to the current statistics, more than 25 % of grown-ups in the United States suffer from arthritis and more than 55 % among them are women. The majority of the patients with such diagnosis are under 65 years old. Nowadays, arthritis is becoming a prevalent disease among youth. Almost 300,000 children under age have different types of arthritis or rheumatism, which means that nearly 1 child in every 250 kids in the USA this terrible diagnosis. It is widely believed that by 2030, approximately 67 million American citizens will have some form of the musculoskeletal disease (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2014). Osteoarthritis is the predominant type of arthritis. Almost 30 million people in U.S. are diagnosed with this disorder. The number of patients has largely increased in comparison with 1990 when it was 21 million. It is a proven fact that women suffer from osteoarthritis which have an effect on knees and hands more regularly than men (Eustice, 2014). Rheumatoid arthritis causes health problems among 1.4 million grown-ups. This number significantly differs from that one in 1990 when more than 2 million citizens were diagnosed with RA. The average age of the patients with rheumatoid arthritis has grown from 63.4 to 66.8 years old. According to the current statistics, women are more amenable to RA then men. It usually starts in women 30 – 60 years of age. The average age of men who have such disease is higher (Krucik & Vandever, 2014). Causes Owing to the fact that there are lots of various types of arthritis existing, the causes may be also different. However, doctors define several common risk factors. The first one is age. Older people are more predisposed to arthritis. The next one is gender. As it was mentioned above, women are more likely to be diagnosed with the disease. Moreover, obesity plays a great role in developing of arthritis, particularly osteoarthritis, since excess weight puts more pressure on weight-bearing joints. As a result, the process of joint deterioration accelerates. Also, one of the most common risk factors is a place of work, since certain kinds of activities demand constant moving or carrying heavy things. This can be stressful for joints or even lead to trauma (Zelman, 2014). Doctors are inclined to think that arthritis can develop due to combination of several factors. One of them is genetics. It is widely believed that person’s make-up defined by the parent’s genes can make one’s body more susceptible to the disease. However, much depends on people’ style of life and their habits. For instance, smoking, serious injuries, job which requires intensive physical activity can lead to osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis. Other common causes of the disease are an allergic reaction or a certain infection which can make the development of the short-term arthritis possible. Also, some kinds of products can worsen the circuit of arthritis. Though, there is a low possibility that person’s food intolerance or diet can become causes of this disease (What causes arthritis, 2014). Symptoms The symptoms of this musculoskeletal system disorder depend largely on the type of arthritis and they can also differ from individual to individual. Due to the fact that most of the types of arthritis represent rheumatic disorders, their symptoms can influence negatively not only joints, but also other organs and systems of the human body. Thus, certain patients can suffer from fatigue, fever, loss of weight, glans swelling, or even anomalies of such organs as heart, kidneys or lungs (Zelman, 2014). Osteoarthritis symptoms usually progress gradually and worsen with the pass of time. A patient suffers from a dull pain in the joints. The pain grows considerably during the time when the joints remain inactive, particularly in the morning. A person feels great discomfort, since it turns to be more difficult to use the joint because it becomes stiff, and consequently, its flexibility significantly decreases. The joint may be surrounded by bone spurs or hard lumps. It is also possible that the affected joint will be swollen. Osteoarthritis mostly affect such areas of the body as knees, hips, hands and spine (Nordqvist, 2014). As for rheumatoid arthritis, it has a negative effect on wrists, legs and arm. RA is characterized by the joint inflammation, particularly redness, swelling, warmth, and stiffness. Same as in osteoarthritis, RA symptoms worsen in the morning. The period of pain and discomfort usually lasts for half an hour. The joint becomes tender, and hands can redden and turn puffy. There is also a possibility of appearance of rheumatoid nodules which are lumps under the person’s skin. Besides, a lot of people with RA diagnosis feel constant tiredness. Also, a decrease in body weight is quite typical. It has been notices that when rheumatoid arthritis develops further, it proceeds from the small joints in ankles, feet, wrists and hands to the bigger ones, such as hips, knees, elbows, shoulders, neck and even jaw (Krucik & Vandever, 2014). Effect on various body systems The way the arthritis symptoms influence different body organs and systems largely depends on the person’s age, forms of activity, treatment he or she uses. Moreover, type of arthritis plays a considerable role in it. It is obvious that general state of the patients is not satisfactory, they suffer from pain in the joints, fatigue, discomfort, loss of flexibility and stiffness. However, other systems and organs, for instance, heart, eyes, lungs, skin, liver, kidneys, vascular system and blood also predisposed to a great risk (Nordqvist, 2014). First of all, rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis can cause various heart problems. Modern researches inform that nearly 2.6 % of people who are diagnose with RA are expose to risk of having cardiovascular disorders and even heart strokes. Scientists suppose that it happens due to spreading of inflammation to blood vessels. Also, patients with arthritis possibly stop doing exercises due to strong pain the joints, and this consequently creates additional stress on the heart (Krucik & Vandever, 2014). Some patients may have scleritis which is an inflammation of the sclera of the eye. RA can also become a reason of uveitis, inflammation of the uvea. If these diseases are not treated properly and in good time, they may lead to blindness. In addition, almost a third of arthritis patients can experience lung or pulmonary problems. An inflammation can lead to pleurisy, and this in turn can cause serious breath disorders. Certain complications, for example, methotrexate pneumonia or even tuberculosis, may arise due to drugs which are used for arthritis treatment (Arthritis Foundation, 2014). Furthermore, people with arthritis get rheumatoid nodules under their skin, mostly on elbows and fingers. RA drugs can also influence the state of the patient’s skin, causing inflammation and bruising. Liver and kidneys also suffer due to arthritis medication. Current researches inform that durable usage of the analgesic acetaminophen is thought to be the main reason of liver failure (Zelman, 2014). Moreover, an inflammation can bring about anemia which is accompanied by fatigue and headache. Other consequences include thrombosis, vasculitis and rarely Felty’s syndrome. Nervous system also suffers. There can be such problems as tingling, numbness or weakness (Arthritis Foundation, 2014). Treatment and medication The treatment of the disease is dependent on several factors, including type of arthritis, the area it affects, severity and individual medical state of the patient’s health. First of all, the treatment aims at smoothing the pain in the joints and preserving their function, reducing inflammation, and preventing the development of other organs’ disorders. Usually arthritis treatment involves certain oral medication, home remedies, joint injections or sometimes surgery. It can also include programs concerning loss of excess weight and avoiding extra stress on the joints (Schiel & Stöppler, 2014). Moreover, physical and occupational therapies can be extremely beneficial, since they aid to preserve range of motion and joint mobility. Also, the statistics shows that such kinds of therapy may postpone the necessity of a surgery. In addition, a well-balanced and sensible diet is required, as it makes a positive contribution to the maintaining of RA and osteoarthritis patients and helps to avoid problems caused by excess weight (Lozada, Diamond, 2014). Drugs that can be effectively used for arthritis treatment include disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs), traditional non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), biologic DMARDs, COX-2 inhibitors, glucocorticoids, methotrexate, sulfasalazine, azathioprine, leflunomide, cyclosporine, anti-malarials, salicylates, minocycline etc. Certain doctors can also use goat medications in order to cure come types of arthritis (Nordqvist, 2014). Conclusion Arthritis is a very serious and dangerous disease which can cause a lot of various disorders and affects not only musculoskeletal system of the body, but also many other systems and organs of vital importance. That is why it is extremely necessary for everybody to be aware of all the risk factors, causes and symptoms of this disease. If arthritis is diagnosed in its early stage, and medical treatment is provided for a patient in proper time, it will be much easier to avoid numerous complications and prevent inevitable harm to the organism. With the help of different types of therapies and medicines the life of arthritis patients can be considerably improved. References Arthritis Foundation (2014). More than just joints: how rheumatoid arthritis affects the rest of your body. arthritistoday.org. Retrieved from http://www.arthritistoday.org/about-arthritis/types-of-arthritis/rheumatoid-arthritis/what-to-expect/effects-on-body-and-health/rhemuatoid-arthritis-affects-body.php Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2014, March 17). Arthritis-related statistics. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/arthritis/data_statistics/arthritis_related_stats.htm Eustice, C. (2014). Arthritis prevalence and statistics. About Health. Retrieved from http://arthritis.about.com/od/arthritisthefacts/a/prevalence.htm Krucik, G. T., & Vandever, L. (2014, June 10). Rheumatoid arthritis by the numbers: facts, statistics, and you. Healthline. Retrieved from http://www.healthline.com/health/rheumatoid-arthritis/facts-statistics-infographic#sthash.4Jzu1TvS.dpuf Lozada, C. J., & Diamond, H. S. (2014, September 10). Osteoarthritis. Medscape. Retrieved from http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/330487-overview Nordqvist, C. (2014, September 2). What is arthritis? What causes arthritis? Medical News Today (MNT). Retrieved from http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/7621.php Schiel, W. C., & Stöppler, M. C. (2014, July 16). Arthritis. Medicine.Net.com. Retrieved from http://www.medicinenet.com/arthritis/page3.htm#what_is_the_treatment_for_arthritis What causes arthritis? (2014). Arthritis Research UK. Retrieved from http://www.arthritisresearchuk.org/arthritis-information/conditions/arthritis/causes.aspx Zelman, D. (2014, September 7). Arthritis basics. WebMD. Retrieved from http://www.webmd.com/osteoarthritis/guide/arthritis-basics?page=3 Read More