Signs of Arthritis – Symptoms Associated with Inflammation and Damage of Joints

Arthritis is a medical condition that is characterized by the inflammation of the joints and muscles. This condition can affect anybody irrespective of their ages, and can be tackled by following a healthy lifestyle and taking proper medications.

Signs of Arthritis – Facilitates Easy Disease Diagnosis

There are many signs of arthritis, which will help you to identify the disease. The first and most evident sign is the occurrence of a sharp pain in the joints. The wearing away of the cartilage surrounding the bones causes the bones to rub together, which in turn leads to development of pain. The joints will also become swollen, tender, hot and red. The joints will also feel stiff when you get up in the morning and this stiffness will subside 15 to 30 minutes after you start moving around. The range of motion of the joints will be restricted, and so the level of physical activities is also decreased. Arthritis also causes symptoms, which affects parts of the body other than joints and muscles. Therefore, some people also exhibit fever, fatigue, sudden weight loss and a condition of swollen lymph nodes as signs of arthritis.

Arthritis Causes – Variety of Reasons

There are a number of arthritis causes, and vary from person to person. With an increase in age, the bones protecting the cartilages becomes weak, leading to an increase in the chance of contracting arthritis. If you have a family history of arthritis, then there is a very high chance of you to develop this condition. High impact activities like wresting and boxing may lead to the wear and tear of cartilages leading to the development of arthritis on the future. Habits like alcohol intake and smoking increases the risk of arthritis. Any abnormalities in the immune system, which causes autoimmune diseases, can lead to arthritis development. Certain bacterial and viral infections can also be included in the list of arthritis causes.

Chronic Arthritis – Severe Condition

Usually, the inflammation of the joints, which characterizes arthritis goes away, when the patient takes proper treatment. But in certain cases, the symptoms fail to go away even after treatment. If the symptoms of arthritis exist for more than 3 months after treatment, then it is considered to be chromic arthritis. These conditions limit the daily activities of a person to a great extent. Chronic arthritis is seen mostly among the aged. Osteoarthritis, which affects the bones, is the most common type of chronic arthritis. Here, the patient will suffer from severe pain, and will also experience deformity of the joints, especially in the areas of the hips and knees.