What is the difference between osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis

What is the difference between osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis?

Due to the lack of basic medical knowledge, many patients believe that osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis are the same disease. In fact, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis are two different diseases with essential differences, which need to be fully understood, differentiated and scientifically treated.

1. Different high-risk groups

Osteoarthritis often occurs in the elderly; rheumatoid arthritis can occur at any age, but the incidence rate is relatively high in children and adolescents.

2. Different predisposing sites

Osteoarthritis often occurs in the knee joints, hip joints, cervical joints, lumbar joints, distal interphalangeal joints, etc.; rheumatoid arthritis often occurs in the ankle joints, elbow joints, wrist joints, shoulder joints, etc.

3. Different basic triggers

There are many causes of osteoarthritis, the most common ones are infection, cold, fatigue, joint instability, metabolic abnormalities, excessive joint load, etc.; the main causes of rheumatoid arthritis are group A streptococcal infection, cold stimulation, etc.

4. Different symptoms

The symptoms of osteoarthritis are obvious, mainly including joint pain, swelling, tenderness, deformity, limited mobility, muscle atrophy, dysfunction, etc.; the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis mainly include joint swelling, burning, pain, tenderness, etc.

5. Different treatments

There are many different treatments for osteoarthritis, including heat therapy, cold therapy, analgesic drugs, artificial joint replacement, joint fusion, osteotomy, arthroscopic cleaning, etc. The treatments for rheumatoid arthritis mainly include anti-rheumatic therapy, Chinese medicine conditioning therapy, etc.

6. Different nursing measures

Nursing osteoarthritis requires many aspects, mainly healthy diet, avoiding sitting for long periods of time, avoiding wearing high heels, avoiding smoking and drinking, exercising properly, taking medication on time, etc. The nursing methods for rheumatoid arthritis are mainly to keep warm, avoid colds, avoid fatigue, use medication scientifically, and follow up regularly.