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Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis, also called degenerative joint disease, occurs when a joint wears out. It is the type of arthritis most common in the elderly. The connecting surfaces of a joint become rougher as the cartilage lining the joint deteriorates. Osteoarthritis most commonly affects those joints that support weight, for example, the knees, the hips, and the spine. For this reason, the condition can be worse for overweight people. It may also affect the hands. Osteoarthritis cannot be cured.
Rheumatoid
Rheumatoid arthritis is painful swelling, usually of the smaller joints, together with the destruction of tissue around them. It most often begins in early adult life, between the ages of 30 and 40, and, although an attack may subside, it usually flares up again. The cause of this affliction remains unknown. There is a risk with rheumatoid arthritis of crippling or other physical deformity. In children, the condition is known as juvenile rheumatoid arthritis or Still's disease.
Gout
Gout is a disorder in which the body cannot rid itself of all the uric acid it produces. This is caused either by overproduction of uric acid or by an impairment of the removal of uric acid by the kidneys. Excessive quantities of uric acid build up in the joints, as well as in various soft tissues. This can cause extremely painful attacks of arthritis. A blood test is used to reveal a high concentration of uric acid in the bloodstream; study of fluid from an affected joint shows uric acid crystals. Treatment of acute attacks includes Indomethacin if diagnosis is made early. Future attacks may be prevented by the regular use of drugs, such as probenecid or allopurinol. Abstaining from alcohol is important to decrease the chance of more acute attacks.
Other causes for symptoms that are similar to arthritis
Joints may become infected as part of a generalized disease, often accompanied by a fever and a feeling of general illness. Bacterial arthritis is the invasion of joint areas by bacteria, causing swelling and inflammation. It occurs with tuberculosis and gonorrhea. In children, rheumatic fever causes painful joints that become better, then worse over a period of weeks. This is an allergic reaction to streptococcus bacteria. Virus infections, such as rubella (German measles), mumps, and hepatitis, may produce inflamed joints. Arthritis may also be associated with the spinal disorder ankylosing spondylitis, with ulcers in the colon (colitis), or with inflammation of the urethra (Reiter's disease).
Hydrocortisone and steroids
Hydrocortisone cannot cure arthritis. Its effect is to reduce inflammation and, thereby, relieve pain. Treatment is highly effective for as long as the drug is present, but when the effect wears off, the pain may return. Too many injections are dangerous, because they may damage the joint.
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