Polyarthritis of the joints is an inflammatory disease of several joints. They can become inflamed simultaneously or sequentially.
Causes
The cause of the disease is inflammation of the joint tissue. It contains a large number of blood channels and nerve endings that instantly respond with inflammation to any effect. In this case, the synovial membrane located around the joint is destroyed. Inflammation can occur as a result of infection with infectious diseases (viral hepatitis, gonorrhea, dysentery and others), allergies, metabolic disorders or trauma.
Kinds
Depending on the cause, polyarthritis of the joints is of the following types:
- rheumatoid or rheumatic polyarthritis. In most cases, it is not associated with infection, but has a chronic form of inflammation of several joints at the same time. This is a rather serious type of disease that affects the connective tissue and quickly spreads to other organs. Therefore, it is better to start treatment of this type at the initial stage;
- an infectious species occurs against a background of an infectious disease (tuberculosis, brucellosis, gonorrhea). With proper treatment of the underlying cause, the disease goes away successfully;
- crystalline or metabolic polyarthritis is manifested in impaired metabolism. The reason for this is the accumulation of salts, which, irritating the joint tissues, cause inflammation. For example, gout is a crystalline form of polyarthritis resulting from the accumulation of uric acid salts. Quite often, the disease occurs in the shoulder area (polyarthritis of the shoulder joint);
- Psoriatic polyarthritis most often occurs in people under the age of 40 years, develops with psoriatic skin lesions after 6-8 months, primarily affected areas of the feet;
- reactive polyarthritis occurs as a result of the presence of infection in the body. The cause of the disease can be in the lungs or in the genitourinary system. For example, it can occur against the background of cystitis or urethritis. The reactive species contributes to the development of colitis, polyneuritis, conjunctivitis;
- post-traumatic polyarthritis occurs as a result of injuries, such as bruises, fractures, cracks, dislocations, etc.
Symptoms
Symptoms of polyarthritis depend on the type of disease. In most cases, this is swelling in the affected area, joint pain, redness, swelling, crunching during movement, numbness, stiffness (especially in the morning), fever and fatigue.
Diagnostics
It is better to diagnose joint polyarthritis in the initial phase. It is important not only to identify the disease, but also to correctly establish the causes of its occurrence. Untimely diagnosis can lead to the progression of the disease, which will lead to damage to internal organs, joint deformation and muscle drying.
When diagnosing, first of all, attention is paid to the external signs of the disease. For a more accurate determination, a blood and urine test, X-ray, MRI, ultrasound are prescribed.
Polyarthritis of the joints - treatment
Any disease of the joints is difficult to treat, so often the therapy is quite lengthy and requires considerable perseverance. The main goal here is not only to stop the inflammatory process, but also to heal the joint itself.
The tactics of treatment depend on the type of polyarthritis, the cause and stage of the disease. It is better to treat the disease in the initial (acute) stage. Basically, treatment includes the appointment of anti-inflammatory and painkillers, antibiotics, local therapy in the form of compresses and lotions. A good effect is the use of laser therapy.
The disease in the chronic stage is often accompanied by the accumulation of pus in the joint. Such cases require surgery or prosthetics (insertion of an artificial joint).