Introduction:
Both rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and osteoarthritis (OA), two separate kinds of arthritis, can result in severe joint pain and discomfort. Autoimmune diseases like RA, which primarily affect the synovium (the lining of joints), develop when the immune system misbehaves and starts targeting healthy tissues. The joint inflammation that harms the joints can also harm your skin, eyes, heart, and lungs. OA is not an autoimmune condition like RA. When the smooth, white tissue at the extremities of bones where they unite to form joints breaks down, people develop it. Daily wear and tear are what led to this breakdown.
RA and OA lead to joint inflammation, while RA causes significantly greater inflammation. According to the current study, inflammation has been linked to radiographic and pain progression in OA. However, it is unclear whether inflammation is the cause of OA or one of its effects. Some symptoms of OA and RA are similar. However, RA frequently affects numerous joints symmetrically (on both sides of the body). Few joints will be affected by OA. Additionally, RA can result in flu-like symptoms like fever and malaise (a general feeling of being unwell).
Can Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis Co-exist?
The presence of both RA and OA is possible. People with RA are at risk for developing OA as they age since OA is more likely to occur as people age. A person may develop elderly-onset RA years after receiving an OA diagnosis. A random study claims that geriatric RA, also known as senior onset RA, starts after age 65. In contrast to the tiny joints of the hands and feet, it more usually affects major joints (the knees and the hips) and exhibits systemic symptoms (fever, malaise, etc.). Diagnosing and treating both of these illnesses might be difficult when they co-exist. Delays in treatment and issues with mobility and function may result from this.
What Are the Causes of Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis?
Bones are kept from rubbing against one another by the protecting membranes found in joints. For instance, cartilage covers the joint's bones for easy mobility. This barrier tissue suffers damage from arthritis. However, the reasons for joint degeneration in RA and OA are distinct. An autoimmune condition is RA. It happens when a person's immune system unintentionally targets healthy joint tissues for attack. It releases enzymes that damage the joint linings, resulting in pain, edema, and stiffness. The body can also start to exhibit additional symptoms.
The protecting cartilage gradually deteriorates in OA, forcing the bones to rub against one another. Repetitive actions that strain the joints, such as those in sports, can cause this wear and tear.
What Are the Symptoms of Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis?
Both illnesses' symptoms usually get worse in the morning. Both can make you stiff in the morning or after you've rested. However, the stiffness normally disappears in a person with OA after 30 minutes. It typically lasts longer in people with RA. RA symptoms might start to appear in a few weeks and get worse. As the protecting tissues in the joints gradually deteriorate, OA symptoms appear more slowly. However, several activities have the potential to exacerbate OA symptoms suddenly. For instance, walking may result in a knee that swells suddenly and severely.
Either illness can impact numerous bodily joints. OA is most prone to manifest itself in the knees, small finger, and thumb joints. The same joints typically experience RA in the hands, fingers, elbows, knees, feet, and hips. Conversely, OA frequently just affects one side. In general, OA is localized; it only affects the tissues around the joint. However, those with the syndrome may grow bone spurs or other bone deformities. For instance, tiny lumps frequently form around the ends of the finger joints due to OA in the hands.
How Is the Diagnosis of Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis Done?
Maintaining joint function, lowering discomfort, and reducing the risk of joint deterioration are the same therapy objectives for RA and OA. But gaining the right diagnosis is essential since these illnesses require distinct approaches to management and treatment. A medical history, physical exam, blood tests, and imaging tests are used to diagnose RA. The medical history is valuable since there is a hereditary component to RA. A physical examination is frequently used to diagnose OA. To rule out RA and other autoimmune arthritises, bloodwork may be performed.
In both RA and OA, various imaging techniques can identify diverse patterns of arthritic degeneration. For instance, X-rays can show bone deterioration, such as bone spurs and cartilage loss. Images of soft tissues, such as tendons and cartilage, can be more precisely captured using MRI and ultrasound. Imaging may show deterioration to the weight-bearing joints associated with OA, primarily the knees and hips.
The cartilage can no longer keep the bones apart as the joint space narrows, and the bones begin to rub uncomfortably against one another. Because RA, particularly in the hands, and feet, causes erosive changes in the bone, it can be distinguished from OA on imaging. Bone erosion refers to the degradation or loss of bone.
What Is the Treatment Plan For Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis?
A delay in RA diagnosis and treatment might result in serious joint damage. Increased pain, stiffness, and loss of mobility could result from delaying an OA diagnosis and treatment.
Thankfully, both RA and OA have a wide range of therapeutic choices, some of which, such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications, analgesics, and prescription painkillers, can treat both. Methotrexate and biologics are examples of immunosuppressive treatments that can sluggish the immune system's actions and lower inflammation.
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle that includes exercise, weight loss, a balanced diet, and stress management is another way to control RA and OA. Since RA and OA are chronic disorders, they never go away. Although there is no known cure, existing treatments help patients manage their symptoms, enhance their quality of life, and stop the disease from worsening.
For example, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medicines (NSAIDs) may be used in treatment to reduce inflammation. This can increase the range of motion while easing pain and stiffness. Doctors may also suggest medications containing steroids to treat inflammation. For instance, when it is crucial to reduce inflammation promptly, they may inject steroids straight into the damaged joints.
Conclusion:
When individuals have osteoarthritis, the most common type of arthritis, the cartilage that protects the bones in the joints starts to degrade. The immune system targets the joints in rheumatoid arthritis, starting with the lining of the joints.
