According to the Arthritis Foundation, approximately 46 million Americans have some type of arthritis or related condition. Women make up more than 60 percent of all arthritis cases.
Arthritis affects the connective tissues, joints and other surrounding tissues. The symptoms include swelling, tenderness, as well as severe to mild pain.
The Arthritis Foundation states, “the term 'arthritis' encompasses more than 100 diseases.” Two of those arthritis diseases are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
One of the most common forms of arthritis is osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis may also be known as OA or degenerative joint disease. More than 16 million U.S. women suffer from OA. Most OA patients are over the age of 40.
OA causes damage to cartilage and bones, initiating joint pain, swelling, stiffness and loss of function.
According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), OA “is caused by the breakdown of cartilage, which is the connective tissue that cushions the ends of bones within the joint.”
It is important to note that OA is most common in weight-bearing joints and the hands.
Rheumatoid arthritis, which is also known as RA, affects more than 1.3 million people annually between 25-50 years of age. RA strikes women 2.5 times more often than men.
One main difference between OA and RA is that RA is a systemic disease.
Arthritis Today states, RA is “an abnormality in the body's immune system causes it to work improperly, leading to inflammation in the lining of the joints and other internal organs.”
Over time, inflammation can lead to limited movement, pain and deterioration of your joints.
The bottom line is RA can affect the whole body while OA only affects your joints.
In an interview with ABC News, Eric Ruderman, M.D., Associate Professor of Rheumatology at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, clearly stated one example perfect example of the difference between RA and OA.
“It would be very typical for a rheumatoid arthritis patient to get up and tell you that they have stiffness lasting two or more hours in the morning before their joints loosen up, before they can really begin their day," said Dr. Ruderman.
"In osteoarthritis on the other hand, it would be very rare to have stiffness lasting more than perhaps 15 or 20 minutes, maybe even a half an hour in the morning. There just isn't the inflammation that causes that.”
It is also important to note that RA patients have a high risk of having strokes and heart attacks. However, this risk can be lowered if RA patients seek aggressive treatment for their rheumatoid arthritis.
References:
Arthritis| NCCAM. Home Page NCCAM. Retrieved October 11, 2012, from
http://nccam.nih.gov/health/arthritis?nav=fb
Rheumatoid Arthritis and Complementary Health Approaches | NCCA. Home Page | NCCAM. Retrieved October 11, 2012, from
http://nccam.nih.gov/health/RA/getthefacts.htm?nav=fb
How Do Symptoms Differ When Comparing Osteoarthritis And Rheumatoid Arthritis? - ABC News. ABCNews.com - Breaking News, Latest News & Top Video News - ABC News. Retrieved October 11, 2012, from
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/PainArthritis/story?id=4569028
Rheumatoid Arthritis in women| OA in women| osteoarthritis in women. Arthritis Foundation | Symptoms Treatments | Prevention Tips | Pain Relief Advice. Retrieved October 11, 2012, from
http://www.arthritis.org/women.php
Reviewed October 11, 2012
by Michele Blacksberg RN
Edited by Jody Smith
Rheumatoid arthritis, RA, RA symptoms, Osteoarthritis, OA, OA symtoms