November 2024

Arthritis is a term used to describe any condition that causes inflammation or swelling of one or more joints. There are more than 100 different conditions that cause arthritis, including gout, fibromyalgia, lupus, and infectious arthritis. Taken collectively, arthritis is a very common condition, affecting almost 60 million adults in the U.S.

The exact symptoms you experience will depend on the type of arthritis you have. Typical symptoms include joint stiffness, pain, and swelling.

Here are four common types of arthritis:

Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis, affecting more than 30 million adults in the U.S. It is a degenerative joint disease caused by “wear and tear” on the body over the years. Frequently affected joints include the knees, hands, and hips.

Osteoarthritis is a disease that progresses slowly and gets worse over time. People with osteoarthritis may notice swelling, pain, and stiffness in the affected joints.

Risk factors for osteoarthritis include:

• Age: The older you are, the greater the risk — especially after you turn 50.
• Gender: Women are more at risk of developing osteoarthritis than men are.
• Weight: Being overweight or obese puts more stress on weight- bearing joints like knees and hips. The higher your BMI, the greater your risk of developing osteoarthritis.
• Genetics: If you have a family history of osteoarthritis, you’re more likely to develop it.

Rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy cells in certain parts of the body — especially the joints, but also potentially the eyes, heart, or lungs. More than one million Americans have RA.

When rheumatoid arthritis attacks one or more joints, it causes them to swell and ultimately damages them. Common joints that the immune system attacks are the knees, wrists, and hands. This joint damage can not only cause pain but also balance problems and deformity of the joints.

Risk factors for rheumatoid arthritis include:

• Age: The older you are, the more at risk you are — especially once you are 60+.

• Gender: Women are two to three times more likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis than men are.
• Smoking: People who smoke are more likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis.
• Never giving birth: Women who have never given birth may have a greater risk of developing RA.
• Obesity: The higher your BMI, the more likely you are to develop rheumatoid arthritis.

Psoriatic arthritis

Like RA, psoriatic arthritis is an autoimmune disease that attacks both the joints and other parts of the body. Psoriatic arthritis typically occurs with the skin condition known as psoriasis, in which the immune system attacks the skin and causes rough, scaly, inflamed patches. The immune system may also attack the internal organs and eyes.

Unlike other autoimmune diseases and some types of arthritis, gender and age are not risk factors for developing psoriatic arthritis. In fact, the disease is equally common in men and women, and the typical age of onset is between the ages of 30 and 55. It even sometimes occurs in children.

According to the National Psoriasis Foundation, roughly 8 million people in the U.S. have psoriasis (the skin condition), and an estimated 30% of those with psoriasis have psoriatic arthritis.

Juvenile arthritis

People often think of arthritis as a condition found only in older adults. But kids can develop arthritis, too. Also known as childhood arthritis, juvenile arthritis occurs when someone age 16 or younger develops arthritis. More than 200,000 kids under the age of 18 had juvenile arthritis during the period from 2017 to 2021.

As with adult arthritis, there are different types of juvenile arthritis. The most common is juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, but other types include juvenile psoriatic arthritis and pediatric lupus, among others.

Because arthritis impacts growing kids differently than adults, kids with juvenile arthritis should see a pediatric rheumatologist.