Treatment-of-Arthritis.com

 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.  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.  the former is the most common of the two types.  Some of the signs and symptoms of this disease are the same as for Rheumatoid.  This form of the disease is caused by a slow wearing away of the joint cartilage usually due to general aging.  Rheumatoid form of this ailment is caused by the body itself breaking down the cartilage because of a faulty immune system.

There are some common signs of this disease.  Joint pain is the most common complaint .  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 this disease progresses the pain can be steady and may often occur at night.

Another common  symptom of this disease is stiffness or loss of movement in the joint.  As the disease 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 this disease.  If your joints make a popping sound when you move them you may have osteoarthritis.  As the problem progresses you may notice bony lumps on your finger joints. 

Rheumatoid types of this disease has many of the same arthritis symptoms  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 type of this disease may have period low-grade fevers and sweating

As the 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 this disease 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.