The key difference between reactive arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis is that reactive arthritis is a seronegative spondyloarthropathy, while rheumatoid arthritis is not a seronegative spondyloarthropathy.
Reactive arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis are two different types of arthritis. Ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis, and reactive arthritis are grouped into an arthritic condition called seronegative spondyloarthropathy. This is because the people who suffer from these types of arthritis do not have specific antibodies called rheumatoid factors in their blood. However, rheumatoid arthritis does not belong to the above group as people who suffer from this condition have rheumatoid factors in their blood.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Reactive Arthritis
3. What is Rheumatoid Arthritis
4. Similarities – Reactive Arthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis
5. Reactive Arthritis vs Rheumatoid Arthritis in Tabular Form
6. Summary – Reactive Arthritis vs Rheumatoid Arthritis
What is Reactive Arthritis?
Reactive arthritis is an inflammatory type of arthritis. Reactive arthritis normally affects the joints, eyes, and urinary tract parts such as the bladder, vagina, and urethra. It occurs when bacteria enter the bloodstream, triggering the human body to react with inflammation. The bacteria that cause this condition are commonly contracted through sexual contact or spoiled food. The inflammatory reaction normally occurs within 2 to 4 weeks. Moreover, this condition is not contagious, but the bacteria that trigger reactive arthritis can pass from one person to another.
The risk factors for reactive arthritis include men age 40 and younger. The symptoms of reactive arthritis include pain in the swelling in knees, ankles, feet, fingers, and wrists, swelling in the tendons, heel pain and spurs, lower back pain, inflammation in the spine, redness of the eyes, red eye, and irritation, blurred vision, pain during the urination, and need to urinate more frequently.
Figure 01: Reactive Arthritis
Reactive arthritis can be diagnosed through physical examination, laboratory tests such as blood, urine, tissue sampling, joint fluid test, and X-rays. Furthermore, treatment options for reactive arthritis include medication such as antibiotics, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), corticosteroids, disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs), physical activity, and self-care.
What is Rheumatoid Arthritis?
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic autoimmune disease. It occurs in the joints on both sides of the human body and commonly affects fingers, hands, wrists, knees, ankles, feet, and toes. Rheumatoid arthritis is caused due to a combination of genetics, hormones, and environmental factors such as infection, smoking, and physical or emotional stress. The risk factors for rheumatoid arthritis include family history, sex (women are affected more), smoking, and obesity. Moreover, the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis include pain, swelling, stiffness, and tenderness in more than one joint, pain and stiffness in the same joints on both sides of the body, fatigue, weakness, and fever.
Figure 02: Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis can be diagnosed through physical examination, blood tests, X-rays, ultrasound, and MRI scans. Furthermore, treatment options for rheumatoid arthritis may include lifestyle changes, therapies, medicine (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), corticosteroids, disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs), COX-2 inhibitors, Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors, and biologics and surgeries such as knee replacement, hip replacement and other surgeries to correct deformities.
What are the Similarities Between Reactive Arthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis?
- Reactive arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis are two different types of arthritis.
- Infections can trigger both types.
- Both types are characterized by pain, swelling, and inflammation.
- Both types can be diagnosed through physical examination, blood tests, and imaging tests.
- They are treated through specific medicines and surgeries.
What is the Difference Between Reactive Arthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis?
Reactive arthritis is a seronegative spondyloarthropathy, while rheumatoid arthritis is not a seronegative spondyloarthropathy. Thus, this is the key difference between reactive arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Furthermore, reactive arthritis is caused by bacterial infection. On the other hand, rheumatoid arthritis is caused by a combination of genetics, hormones, and environmental factors such as infection, smoking, and physical or emotional stress.
The below infographic presents the differences between reactive arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis in tabular form for side-by-side comparison.
Summary – Reactive Arthritis vs Rheumatoid Arthritis
Arthritis is a condition that is characterized by inflammation of one or more joints. It has approximately 100 different conditions or types. Reactive arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis are two different types of arthritis. People who suffer from reactive arthritis do not have peculiar antibodies called rheumatoid factors in their blood. On the other hand, people who suffer from rheumatoid arthritis have rheumatoid factors in their blood. So, this summarizes the difference between reactive arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
Reference:
1. “Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA): Causes, Symptoms & Treatment Faqs.” Cleveland Clinic.
2. “Reactive Arthritis.” Statpearls – NCBI Bookshelf.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Arthritis” (CC0) via Pixabay
2. “Rheumatoid arthritis — Smart-Servier (cropped)” By Laboratoires Servier – Smart Servier website (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia