Secondary Types Of Arthritis 

By Peter Johnson

Arthritis, doesn’t necessarily discriminate by age when selecting its sufferers.  Arthritis doesn't just attack the joints or the tissue areas or lining in between the joints, there are many different forms of arthritis, and each type deals with certain organs and parts of the body, resulting in completely different symptoms and thus arthritis treatment.

Although most people are more familiar with the common primary forms of arthritis, it is equally important that they must also be aware of the secondary types of arthritis that are relevant to arthritis, because even if these diseases don't actually attack the joints, they can and will still trigger such attack.  These secondary types of arthritis are usually caused or ignited through other diseases or infections or illnesses.  Some of these secondary types of arthritis that one must be alert are: Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, Henoch-Schonlein Purpura, Psoriatic Arthritis, Hemochromatosis, Hepatitis, Reactive Arthritis, Wegener's Granulmatosis, Familial Mediterranean Fever, and Inflammatory Bowel Disease.  Each has its own causes, indications, signs, symptoms, prognosis, treatments, therapy, etc., but they ultimately trigger arthritis attacks or certain joint disorders.  Some of those secondary types of arthritis have unknown causes, some even mimic other diseases, and some are only detected when a person undergoes a series of clinical tests --- which make the diagnosis and treatment even more tedious and complicated. 

The secondary types of arthritis actually are reactions of certain diseases that a person has.  Some specific examples would be: Psoriatic Arthritis which affects people with Psoriasis, Hemochromatosis which affects the body when dietary iron accumulates and deposits in the body tissues, reactive arthritis which affects a person with genital infection or a bacteria-causing disease, and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus which affects a person with inflammation of tissues or cells.

Basically, the secondary types of arthritis are resulting conditions of some other diseases.  This is why, it is often difficult to diagnose these secondary types of arthritis, because somehow the symptoms they have mimic other illnesses.  It is only when a person consults a physician, submits himself to a battery of laboratory exams and medical tests, eliminates the other diseases similar to it, can he then be diagnosed with such secondary disease.

It is always advised to take precautions all the time, and always seek medical advice at the earliest possible stage. It has been proven that if arthritis can be diagnosed earlier, a more effective arthritis treatment can be prescribed to the patient.