According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly 53.8 million American adults are currently living with arthritis. Regardless of its prevalence, East Greenbush’s Urgent & Primary Care explains, much of the public still doesn’t understand the inner workings of this disorder.

In a broad sense, arthritis is joint inflammation most commonly affecting patients aged 30 and above. However, arthritis is also an umbrella term including around 200 different rheumatic conditions and diseases. With so many variations, arthritis can’t be caused by one universal factor. Rather, it has many different causes. Below, Urgent & Primary Care’s father-daughter team discuss the five that are most prevalent.

Top 5 Causes of Arthritis

1. Injuries

Accidents, overuse, and occupational hazards can damage one’s joint tissue to the point of chronic inflammation. In this case, the patient may develop osteoarthritis (OA). OA is the most common form of the disorder, affecting upwards of 27 million Americans. Therefore, athletes and individuals in careers that require repetitive movements should work with their primary care doctor to protect their joints and combat this modifiable, or avoidable, factor.

1. Infections

Like injuries, infections are also considered a modifiable factor as they are preventable with routine visits to your primary care doctor. If bacteria does manage to enter your body and infect one of your joints, you may develop septic arthritis. It’s important to note that only 20,000 cases of septic arthritis occur in the U.S. each year, a small number in comparison to the disorder's overall statistics. However, because infections themselves are quite common, it pays to be aware of the risk.

1. Nutrition

Healthy diets are known to reduce the risk of developing arthritis as well as alleviate arthritic inflammation. Unhealthy diets, on the other hand, may increase one’s risk, especially if they have an abnormal metabolism. For example, gout and pseudogout are both linked to high-purine foods like red wine, seafood, and red meat. Of course, not all types of arthritis link to nutrition, so it’s safest to maintain a well-rounded diet regardless.

1. Inheritance

As many physicians and rheumatologists have discovered, some genes influence the onset of different types of arthritis including systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), ankylosing spondylitis, and rheumatoid arthritis. These genes are then passed down through the generations, making family history a strong, non-modifiable risk factor. Thus, if your parents, grandparents, or siblings have arthritis, the chances of you also developing it increase.

1. Immune System Dysfunction 

In some situations, an individual develops an autoimmune disease that causes their immune system to attack the body’s connective tissues. As the condition progresses, the patient’s joints become inflamed, and their joint tissues degenerate, thus causing what is known as rheumatoid arthritis. RA alone affects nearly 1.5 million people nationwide, making immune system dysfunction a particularly common risk factor.

As mentioned previously, arthritis doesn’t have just one cause. Instead, it often stems from a combination of the above factors. Thus, to determine the appropriate treatment plan, it’s essential to visit an experienced physician like those at Urgent & Primary Care. Call them at (518) 463-8262 to schedule your first appointment. For more on their practice’s on-site services, visit their website.