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Arthritis
Symptoms
Arthritis
symptoms often begin slowly. As we age, the joints may begin to lose
cartilage. Cartilage is what covers the ends of bones to keep them from
rubbing together. When the cartilage begins to wear away the bones start to
rub together. The result is pain, swelling and reduced movement, commonly
called arthritis. Keep in mind that this disease can affect some joints and
not others. The most common places to develop this problem are the hands,
knees and hips.
There are two main
types of this disease: Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid. Osteoarthritis is
the most common of the two types. Some of the signs and symptoms of
Osteoarthritis are the same as for Rheumatoid arthritis.
Osteoarthritis is caused by a slow wearing away of the joint cartilage
usually due to general aging. Rheumatoid arthritis is caused by the body
itself breaking down the cartilage because of a faulty immune system.
There are some common
signs of osteoarthritis. Joint pain is the most common complaint of
osteoarthritis. The pain is a deep pain that seems to radiate from the
inside of the joint. The pain is different than muscular aches. The pain
worsens with use and lessens with rest in the beginning stages. As
osteoarthritis progresses the pain can be steady and may often occur at
night.
Another common
Arthritis symptom of osteoarthritis is stiffness or loss of
movement in the joint. As osteoarthritis worsens you may have joints that
tend to freeze into a position. You may also experience tenderness, redness
or warmth around the joints. This happens most often with knee joints and
finger joints and is usually caused by overuse of the joints.
Cracking joints is
another sign of osteoarthritis. If your joints make a popping sound when
you move them you may have osteoarthritis. As osteoarthritis progresses you
may notice bony lumps on your finger joints.
Rheumatoid arthritis
has many of the same arthritis symptoms as osteoarthritis
along with some additional signs. A sign of rheumatoid type is often joints
that are affected in a symmetrical pattern. The pain or stiffness from
rheumatoid type doesn't go away after you wake up and move around.
Another sign of
rheumatoid type is a marked loss of mobility. Many people report having a
sick feeling or a general feeling of illness. Sometimes there is an
increased period of fatigue and weakness midday. Additionally, people with
rheumatoid arthritis may have period low-grade fevers and sweating
As rheumatoid type
progresses the signs tend to worsen. The joints may become enlarged,
deformed or frozen into positions. Eventually it can start to attack other
parts of the body and cause serious damage to the lungs, heart or blood
vessels.
Both osteoarthritis and
rheumatoid arthritis may start so slowly they are almost
unnoticeable. Symptoms worsen as they progress. There are some ways
to help control the signs of arthritis generally through medication,
exercise and diet. Everyone's problems are slightly different. If you
think you may have this disease you should get a medical diagnosis done by
seeing a doctor. He can determine the problem and help you deal with it.
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