Joint pain can be caused by a variety of conditions, including injury, dislocation, trauma, malignancy and infection. There are also life-threatening autoimmune disorders that can be diagnosed. It is easy to diagnose joint pains caused by physical activity. This type of injury includes a sprained ankle or joint separation, ligament strain, ligament sprain and torn cartilage. This type of pain is usually immediate and the patient can clearly recall the activity that caused the pain at the joint. These types of traumatic conditions can affect anyone of any age.
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Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis are two other causes of joint pain that can affect older people. Osteoarthritis results from mechanical degeneration of the joints as a result of wear and tear over the years. This is most common in those who were active in their youth, such as athletes or those who work hard.
Rheumatoid is a form of autoimmune disease in which the abnormal immune system attacks the joints and causes inflammation. Rheumatoid is still not fully understood. Some believe it is due to viral or bacterial infections while others claim it is due to genetic abnormalities. Researches continue to be conducted around the globe to discover the cause of this mysterious disease that affects a large number of elderly people.
Causes
These two types of arthritis may have different causes, but they share similar symptoms that can be easily ruled out in the differential diagnosis for gout. Both osteoarthritis as well as rheumatoid are known to cause pain that lasts for a long time. They also affect the joints on both the feet and hands. These types of arthritis often affect multiple joints simultaneously and the pain progresses slowly. Gouty arthritis, also known as gouty arthritis, is another common cause of joint pain.
Gout attack is a form of inflammation caused by the formation urate crystals in a particular joint from long-term hyperuricemia. Gout can often be mistaken for one of the other arthritis conditions, especially if the patient is experiencing a gout attack for a first time. Gout is easy to diagnose.
Characteristics
Here are some unique characteristics of gout that distinguish it from other causes. Gout can be easily diagnosed but it can be difficult to treat. Gout medications and painkillers can temporarily reduce gouty inflammation but they cannot treat the underlying cause of gout which is the urate crystal. Gout pain is a common symptom among gout sufferers. Instead of spending money on expensive tests to diagnose gout, spend some time understanding the root cause and removing it once and for all.