Often dismissed as an inevitable ache of ageing, arthritis is far more complex than sore joints. The term actually covers over 100 distinct conditions — ranging from autoimmune disorders to infection-triggered inflammation — each requiring a specific line of treatment.
A wrong or delayed diagnosis can even lead to permanent organ damage. On World Health Day, Prof Aman Sharma, rheumatologist, department of internal medicine at PGI, tells TOI’s Shimona Kanwar why timely evaluation by a specialist is critical, stressing that one-size-fits-all treatment can do more harm than good.
The main arthritis group (Joint-Focused)
- Rheumatoid Arthritis: Affects hands and feet symmetrically. Can also damage lungs and increase heart attack/stroke risk
- Ankylosing Spondylitis: Causes severe lower back pain and stiffness, usually in young adults. Can affect eyes, heart, and intestines
- Gout: Famous for intense pain, especially in the big toe. Triggered by alcohol and diet
Vasculitis (Blood Vessel Inflammation)
This is a very serious group where blood vessels become inflamed, starving organs of blood The signs: Can look like arthritis, but also causes:
- Coughing up blood (lung damage)
- Kidney failure
- Severe damage to the brain and nerves
Body tissue diseases (Autoimmune)
These diseases happen when the body’s defense system accidentally attacks healthy tissues
- SLE (Lupus): Causes joint pain, face rashes, and low blood count
Risks: Kidney damage and pregnancy issues - Inflammatory Myositis: Weakens muscles. Some rapid forms can be fatal if not treated quickly
- Scleroderma: Causes thick skin, painful finger ulcers, and blue fingers
Risks: Severe lung/heart issues
Infection-based arthritis
Sometimes, an infection in the body shows up first as joint pain
- Tuberculosis (Poncet’s Disease): A special type where TB in the body causes joint swelling. Identified using a specific tool developed by a medical team from PGI
- Leprosy: Causes arthritis along with visible skin and nerve changes
- Chikungunya: A viral infection that can leave you with crippling, long-term joint pain
Rare & dangerous conditions
- Relapsing Polychondritis: Attacks cartilage (like ears/nose). If it hits the airway cartilage, it can lead to choking or breathing failure
- Sarcoidosis: Often causes swollen ankles and lung problems (sometimes requiring a lung sample to diagnose)
Various metabolic, endocrinal and cancer associated conditions can also present with joint pain and swelling. The treatment varies widely depending upon the diagnosis and sometimes may need to be treated not with immunosuppressive drugs but treatment of infections like tuberculosis etc. It is also equally important to distinguish true inflammatory joint diseases from many wide range of non-inflammatory causes like benign joint hypermobility syndrome where no arthritis drugs are required.
