Risk Factors And Causes Of Arthritis

The cause or causes of arthritis are oftentimes difficult to determine because there are many factors that contribute to the development of this common disease.

Genetics, for one, is a risk factor but it is not certain how much it is a part of the occurrence of arthritis in a person. However, doctors know that some variations in a person's genes can be causes of arthritis. Age can also bring about arthritis because as people grow older, the cartilage becomes frail and brittle. It also can no longer repair itself, which is why many types of arthritis develop in older people.

Excess weight can also cause arthritis because the joints support body weight so joint damage is more likely in heavy persons. This is often the case with hip and knee arthritis because these parts of the body help carry the person's weight. Injuries are also common causes of arthritis. Trauma to the joint can cause joint irregularities affecting the joint's smooth surface, which makes bones grind against each other causing painful movement. For instance, a fracture in the tibial plateau wherein the part of the bone enters a knee cartilage can result to arthritis.

Some jobs also put workers at a higher risk of arthritis. Usually, these are physically demanding jobs such as constructions workers and factory workers. There are also some sports that can contribute to the causes of arthritis, especially rough contact sports where athletes are always at a risk of getting an injury and, subsequent, arthritis. Illnesses or Infections can also be causes of arthritis. The disease can develop in people who suffer from joint infections or multiple gout attacks, among other conditions.

Stress can also cause some types of arthritis. Stress disturbs the balance of the body. Cortisone deficiency induced by stress weakens the body's immune systems, resulting to the spread of harmful organisms such as bacteria throughout the body.

The causes of arthritis certainly differ with the specific form of the disease. For example, osteoarthritis is usually a result of old age or the normal wear and tear of joints, cartilages and bones. Osteoarthritis is very common in people over the age of sixty. Rheumatoid arthritis, on the other hand, has no specific cause or causes but some studies show that genetic makeup and immunological disorders can lead to the disease.

Visit your doctor if symptoms such as joint pain and inflammation persist. Just as there are several causes of arthritis, there are also more than a hundred forms of this disease so it is important that you receive proper diagnosis from a physician before starting with any treatment.