POLYMYALGIA RHEUMATICA General: Polymyalgia rheumatic (PMR) is the most common inflammatory condition in older adults. PMR causes pain in muscles and joints in the hips, shoulders, and neck. It affects older adults, and seems to have a predisposition towards people who are of Northern European descent. PMR onset peaks at 70 to 80 years …
SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS General: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), or lupus, is an autoimmune disease where the immune system mistakenly attacks the body’s own tissues. Lupus causes widespread inflammation that affects several body systems, including the skin, joints, kidneys, heart, lungs, and digestive tract. Lupus is ten times more common in women, and also more common …
PSORIATIC ARTHRITIS General: Psoriasis is one of several autoimmune diseases where the immune system malfunctions and mistakenly attacks normal healthy body tissues. Psoriasis causes a veryaparticular rash called a plaque, consisting of a patch of scaly skin with a red base. In addition to the skin, psoriasis also affects joints, causing inflammation that leads to …
SJOGRENS DISEASE General: Sjogrens syndrome is an autoimmune disease that often causes joint pain. The disease has a wide variety of symptoms, but is usually identified by two common characteristic symptoms: dry eyes and dry mouth. In the US, 1-2 million people are believed to have Sjogrens syndrome, mostly middle aged women. Causes: Sjogrens syndrome …
SEPTIC ARTHRITIS General: Septic arthritis, or infectious arthritis, is a serious condition where a microorganism infects a joint. Once an infection develops in the joint, it can cause rapid deterioration of the joint or spread into the bloodstream, causing a widespread life-threatening condition called sepsis (“blood infection”) affecting many organ systems. Causes: Septic arthritis is …
OSTEOARTHRITIS General: osteoarthritis is the most common cause of arthritis. It is caused by structural breakdown of joints that leads to painful inflammation and loss of function. Age is a major risk factor for osteoarthritis, known as “old age arthritis”, but can occur at any age that irreversible damage starts in the joints from traumas, …
GOUT General: Gout is the most common type of inflammatory arthritis, affecting 8 million people in the USA every year. Gout occurs when the body has difficulties getting rid of a substance called uric acid. When uric acid builds up in the bloodstream, it can turn into crystals that deposit in a joint. This causes …
RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS General: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is the most common autoimmune arthritis, typically affecting the hands and other joints on both sides of the body. RA can start at any age but is most commonly diagnosed between the ages of 30 and 50, and affects more women than men. RA symptoms can be severe and …
