What kind of disease is osteoarthritis_what is going on in the bone joint When it comes to bone and joint disease, we think of osteoarthritis. Many people use osteoarthritis as a general term, thinking that anything that is arthritic can be counted as osteoarthritis, which is a misconception. Osteoarthritis is a single disease and is a completely different type of disease than what we know as rheumatoid arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, or infectious arthritis. Osteoarthritis has many characteristics. It is a chronic disease that progresses very slowly, and if it is treated in a timely manner, there is no significant loss of joint function. If treatment is not timely, the joints will be gradually destroyed and muscle atrophy will occur. The patient’s mobility will be greatly reduced as the disease progresses. It is important to understand the causes of osteoarthritis and to know who is more susceptible to the disease, and then to identify the problems from ourselves and correct them as soon as possible in order to minimize the risk of developing osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis, with a focus on cartilage damage Cartilage damage is the first thing that happens when you have osteoarthritis, and the wear and tear of cartilage is the specific manifestation. When cartilage damage is exacerbated, the tissue becomes fibrotic and the area of damage expands, and the entire joint tissue is implicated. There are two types of osteoarthritis, one is primary and the other is secondary osteoarthritis. In primary osteoarthritis, the disease is solitary, with no abnormalities in the joints in the early stages, but some wear and tear on the cartilage, or minor damage, which accumulates over time. Secondary osteoarthritis, which often follows other joint diseases, may also occur after an infectious disease. There are various symptoms of osteoarthritis Joint pain, a typical symptom of osteoarthritis, varies at different times of the disease. When the disease is new, the pain may come on intermittently and not be strong, but increased activity can make the pain worse. Cooling or rain, resulting in a cold and damp environment, can also worsen the pain. The longer the disease lasts, the longer the pain lasts and rest does not relieve it. Osteoarthritis can also cause joint swelling, which usually occurs in the middle of the disease course. When the joint swells, the area becomes red and enlarged, and the joint may even become deformed. Excessive inflammation can cause joint tissue to suffer damage and produce inflammatory secretions, resulting in fluid in the joint. Weakness or stiffness of the joint, which prevents normal movement, is a sign of worsening osteoarthritis. Restricted movement, which usually occurs late in the disease, joint stiffness often occurs in the early morning, and joint weakness is the result of prolonged pain. If inflammation is present in the lower extremities, patients may have difficulty walking. Although the incidence of osteoarthritis is not low, it is concentrated in certain groups. People with a high incidence of osteoarthritis need to be more vigilant People who are overweight are prone to osteoarthritis. We already know that osteoarthritis is related to cartilage wear and tear. The heavier you are, the more pressure you put on your joints, especially the vertebral and knee joints, which are the large joints that support the body. With too much weight, the risk of disease climbs as cartilage is compressed over time. Osteoarthritis, which is also often seen in middle-aged women, is the result of changing hormone levels. As women get older, the function of the ovaries gradually declines, and in most women, after the age of fifty, the ovaries age. The decrease in estrogen can have an effect on the metabolism of trace elements, which can also cause joint degeneration, which in turn can lead to osteoarthritis. Excessive exercise, or too little exercise, can increase the risk of osteoarthritis. Exercise that is too intense and too long will wear down the cartilage and also predispose you to bone injuries. Exercise that is too low reduces the efficiency of blood circulation in the joints, the muscles are not exercised, and the resistance of the joints is reduced. After a careful understanding of osteoarthritis, we should start with our daily routine, develop good habits, and do our best to take care of our joints and protect our health. What should I do if I have osteoarthritis? How to treat it? 1, drug treatment Mainly systemic and local analgesic drugs for nutrition, such as Fenbid, Fotarim, etc., but it should be noted that the side effects of these drugs are large, especially gastrointestinal side effects, limiting the long-term application of such drugs. 2.Arthroscopic surgery is mainly for patients with symptoms such as “knee jam” or meniscal tears. It can reduce the symptoms of some patients in the early and middle stages by removing the free body and cleaning the meniscal fragments and synovial membrane. Arthroscopic surgery is not recommended as a treatment for patients with symptomatic osteoarthritis. Non-pharmacological treatment Chronic osteoarthritis can be improved by moderate physical exercise, but it should be noted that physical exercise should be performed according to the patient’s specific situation, choose different treatment goals, in the range of motion of the diseased joint class, so that the patient gradually free exercise. 4, artificial joint replacement Artificial joint replacement is an important part of osteoarthritis surgery, but also the most widely used clinical surgery, the method is adapted to severe knee degeneration, knee, shoulder, hand, elbow, foot, hip and other joints can be replaced, this surgery is mainly adapted to the end-stage osteoarthritis patients. As human life expectancy increases and the population ages, the incidence of osteoarthritis increases year by year, seriously affecting people’s quality of life and health and causing a huge economic burden and pressure on society. Therefore, we should pay attention to the prevention of osteoarthritis from a young age. In the early, early stage of osteoarthritis when symptoms appear, it is important to recognize it correctly and slow down the progress of the disease as much as possible through active basic treatment and medication. When it is in the middle and late stages, it is important to choose the appropriate surgical option according to the condition, age, different levels of social activity, and inter-articular compartment involvement. Especially when the pain symptoms are severe and seriously affect the quality of life, surgery should be performed as early as possible instead of postponing it.