It is largely believed that arthritis is a disease of the aged. However, this is a misconception! Most arthritis are autoimmune diseases which means that our body recognizes ourself as “foreign” and hence attacks “self”. Autoimmune diseases are more common in women than men and can affect all age groups including children. Some examples of autoimmune arthritis include rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, lupus, vasculitis, scleroderma etc. Off-late improved awareness of various arthritis amongst the general public, widely available specific blood tests, rheumatologist involvement at an early stage, widely available educational material online are some of the reasons for early diagnosis.
A genetic predisposition is needed for arthritis to occur. In a genetically predisposed individual, an environmental insult such as viral infection, environmental pollution amongst others may enhance earlier onset of the illness. Smoking and poor dental hygiene may hasten the development of rheumatoid arthritis. Likewise bright sunlight exposure can worsen skin rash of lupus. Hormonal medications containing high estrogens can increase the risk of flare of a disease like lupus and increase risk of clot formation in these patients.
