Many diseases can attack the joints, causing pain, swelling, and reduced mobility. The most common is arthritis, an umbrella term encompassing numerous disorders affecting the joints. These disorders frequently involve inflammation and damage to the joint tissues.
Types of Joint Diseases:
- Arthritis: This encompasses several conditions, including osteoarthritis (wear and tear), rheumatoid arthritis (an autoimmune disease), and gout (due to uric acid buildup). Arthritis may cause joint pain and swelling. [Source: MedlinePlus]
- Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA): A chronic autoimmune disease where the body's immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissue in the joints. It commonly affects the hands, knees, and ankles, often symmetrically. [Source: Mayo Clinic, NIAMS] The immune system attacks the lining of the joints, called the synovium. [Source: Arthritis Foundation]
- Psoriatic Arthritis: Another autoimmune disease affecting joints and skin. The body's immune system attacks healthy joint tissue. [Source: Arthritis Foundation]
- Lupus: An autoimmune disease affecting multiple organs, including joints. [Source: MedlinePlus]
- Ankylosing spondylitis: A type of arthritis primarily affecting the spine. [Source: healthdirect]
- Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis: A form of arthritis affecting children. [Source: healthdirect]
- Other Rheumatic Diseases: A broader category, encompassing conditions like those affecting joints, tendons, ligaments, bones, and muscles. [Source: NIAMS]
Understanding Autoimmune Diseases and Joints:
Many diseases attacking joints are autoimmune disorders. In these cases, the body's immune system mistakenly attacks its own tissues, leading to inflammation and damage in the joints. Rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis are prime examples. [Source: Johns Hopkins Medicine, NIAMS, Arthritis Foundation]
