World Arthritis Day is observed, every year on October 12 to raise awareness about the highly misunderstood conditions. Most people think Arthritis only means joint inflammation but, in reality, Arthritis is an umbrella term used to describe around 200 conditions that affect joints, the tissues that surround the joint, and other connective tissue. It is a rheumatic condition. The symptoms of Arthritis can hinder people from performing everyday tasks, as simple as walking and climbing a flight of stairs. Not only does Arthritis affect physical health but also affects mental health as well. Inability to perform everyday tasks ends up becoming irksome.

Arthritis Causes

People do not have Arthritis all of a sudden, it is a slow process that can have a variety of causes right from injury and abnormal metabolism to genetic makeup and infections. Immune system dysfunctions lead to Arthritis at times.

Types Of Arthritis

Although there are over 200 joint conditions that come under Arthritis, there are five major types of Arthritis that exist. Take a look:

Osteoarthritis

This is the most common type of arthritis that is caused by the consistent "wear and tear" happening to your joints. The health condition comes with age as your bones begin to weaken. Obese people may suffer from osteoarthritis because of the extra weight put on the joints.

Rheumatoid Arthritis

This type of Arthritis is an autoimmune disease, wherein the immune system attacks the joints of the body, causing inflammation. About 1 out of every five people who have rheumatoid arthritis get lumps on their skin called rheumatoid nodules, as well.

Psoriatic Arthritis

People with this condition have inflammation of the skin (psoriasis) and joints (Arthritis), however, not everyone with psoriasis gets psoriatic Arthritis.

Gout

Gout is caused when uric acid crystals collect in the joints. This type of Arthritis usually happens on the big toe.

Lupus

Lupus, also called SLE or systemic lupus erythematosus, is an autoimmune disease that affects your joints and many organs in your body.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 12, 2019 08:30 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).