So, how can you tell the difference between the early signs of arthritis and normal pain and stiffness? And, how do you know when you should see a doctor about your symptoms? The earlier you get a diagnosis and start the right type of treatment, the better the outcome will be. Here are some other things to think about that might help you decide whether you need to see a doctor:. If you have an appointment with a doctor, to help make sure you get the most out of it, you could take a list of questions with you and tick them off as they are discussed.
Some people find that taking a friend or relative with them to an appointment can provide support and ensure that all important points are discussed. There are a number of other conditions that can cause pain and possibly swelling in and around joints.
Lupus is an auto-immune condition. There can be many symptoms of lupus. Joint pain and swelling is common in lupus, particularly in the small joints of the hands and feet. Joint pain in lupus can move around from one joint to another. Lupus can be difficult to diagnose, as it can cause many different symptoms which often appear like other conditions. Fibromyalgia is a long-term condition that can cause pain and tenderness all over the body.
Symptoms can be similar to arthritis. However, the symptoms are mainly in the muscles rather than the joints. Polymyalgia rheumatica PMR is a condition involving painful and stiff muscles. The hips, shoulders and thighs are commonly affected.
Lifting both arms above your head can be painful and difficult. The pain and stiffness are often worse in mornings. Other symptoms include a general feeling of being unwell and fatigue. Some people who have polymyalgia rheumatica develop a condition called giant cell arteritis GCA. This affects the blood vessels in the head and can lead to symptoms of pain and tenderness around the side of the head.
Giant cell arteritis can also cause pain in the tongue or jaw when chewing, and in rare cases problems with vision or even loss of vision. If left untreated, giant cell arteritis can lead to permanent damage to eyesight, even blindness. Both polymyalgia rheumatica and giant cell arteritis can be treated effectively with steroids , normally tablets.
Back pain is a common problem that affects many of us. There might not even be a specific cause. Tendinopathy is a condition in which tendons, the strong cords that attach muscles to bones, are painful. The affected part of the body may be hot, swollen and red. This can make moving that part of the body difficult. You might also feel a grating sensation. This can be caused by over-use of that part of the body. Stopping or altering the activity that caused the problem may be the first step to recovery.
Applying an ice pack, such as a bag of frozen peas wrapped in a tea towel, can also reduce pain and swelling. Aches and pains like back pain and neck pain usually don't have a serious cause.
Find out about causes, treatments and exercises. As well as medical treatments, there are many things you can do to help yourself manage your arthritis. You might not always feel like exercising if you have arthritis. And you might be worried that exercising will make your pain or your condition worse. However, exercise can make symptoms such as pain and swelling better. There are several reasons why this is the case:. People usually find that low-impact exercise is best.
You may feel some discomfort and sometimes pain when you exercise. This feeling is normal and should calm down a few minutes after you finish. Exercise will help reduce pain and can help you manage your arthritis better. The key is to start off gently and to gradually increase the amount you do. Regular exercise is also an important part of maintaining a healthy weight.
This will improve your symptoms as it will take pressure off joints. Being overweight can make someone more likely to have inflammation in their body. The best way to lose weight is to have a healthy, low-fat, low-sugar and balanced diet.
Make sure you have plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, drink plenty of water, and exercise regularly. JIA causes pain and inflammation in 1 or more joints for at least 6 weeks.
Although the exact cause of JIA is unknown, the symptoms often improve as a child gets older, meaning they can lead a normal life. It affects up to 4 joints in the body, most commonly in the knees, ankles and wrists. Oligo-articular JIA often goes away without causing long-term joint damage. But there's a risk that children with the condition may develop eye problems, so regular eye tests with an eyecare specialist called an ophthalmologist are recommended.
It can affect a child of any age and may come on suddenly or develop gradually. The symptoms of polyarticular JIA are similar to the symptoms of adult rheumatoid arthritis. A child with the condition may also feel unwell and may occasionally have a high temperature of 38C or above. Systemic onset JIA begins with symptoms such as a fever, rash, a lack of energy and enlarged glands. Later on, joints can become swollen and inflamed. Enthesitis-related arthritis is a type of juvenile arthritis that often affects the joints of the leg and spine, causing inflammation where the tendons attach to the bone.
It's also linked to a painful eye condition called acute uveitis. Versus Arthritis has more information about the different types of juvenile idiopathic arthritis. There is no cure for childhood arthritis, but some children with childhood arthritis achieve permanent remission, which means the disease is no longer active.
You can reduce your risk of getting some types of arthritis by changing risk factors you can control. Risk factors you can control include overweight and obesity, joint injuries, and smoking. Talk to your doctor if you have arthritis symptoms such as pain, stiffness, or swelling in or around one or more of your joints. It is possible to have more than one form of arthritis at the same time. There are many forms of arthritis, and diagnosing the specific type you have can help your doctor determine the best treatment.
The earlier you understand your arthritis, the earlier you can start managing your disease, reducing pain, and making healthy lifestyle changes. According to the American College of Rheumatology, arthritis treatment can include medications, nondrug therapies such as physical therapy or patient education, and sometimes surgery. Self-management is what you do day-to-day to manage your condition and stay healthy.
Practice proven self-management strategies to reduce arthritis pain so you can pursue the activities that are important to you. Stay as active as your health allows, and change your activity level depending on your arthritis symptoms. Some physical activity is better than none. Learn about physical activity for people with arthritis and CDC-recognized physical activity programs.
It may take 6 to 8 weeks for your joints to get used to your new activity level, but sticking with your activity program will result in long-term pain relief. Learn more about physical activity for people with arthritis.
For people who are overweight or obese, losing weight reduces pressure on joints, particularly weight bearing joints like the hips and knees. In fact, losing as little as 10 to 12 pounds can reduce pain and improve function for people with arthritis. At any age, low-impact, arthritis-friendly physical activity and diet changes can help you lose weight.
Skip directly to site content Skip directly to page options Skip directly to A-Z link. Persistent inflammation in the synovia leads to the degeneration of cartilage and bone. This can then lead to joint deformity, pain, swelling, and redness. RA causes premature mortality and disability and it can compromise quality of life. Conditions it is linked to include cardiovascular diseases, such as ischemic heart disease and stroke.
Diagnosing RA early gives a better chance of learning how to manage symptoms successfully. This can reduce the impact of the disease on quality of life. Osteoarthritis is a common degenerative joint disease that affects the cartilage , joint lining and ligaments, and underlying bone of a joint.
The joints most often affected by osteoarthritis are those that get heavy use, such as hips, knees, hands, the spine, the base of the thumb, and the big toe joint. This can refer to a number of types of arthritis. Arthritis in childhood can cause permanent damage to joints, and there is no cure. However, remission is possible, during which time the disease remains inactive. This is thought to affect between 2 and 10 people in every , in the general population.
Among people with RA, it may affect 30 to 70 people per , Septic arthritis is a joint inflammation that results from a bacterial or fungal infection. It commonly affects the knee and hip. It can develop when bacteria or other disease-causing micro-organisms spread through the blood to a joint, or when the joint is directly infected with a microorganism through injury or surgery. Bacteria such as Staphylococcus , Streptococcus , or Neisseria gonorrhoeae cause most cases of acute septic arthritis.
Organisms such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Candida albicans cause chronic septic arthritis. This is less common than acute septic arthritis. Septic arthritis may occur at any age. In infants, it may occur before the age of 3 years. The hip is a common site of infection at this age.
Septic arthritis is uncommon from 3 years to adolescence. Children with septic arthritis are more likely than adults to be infected with Group B Streptococcus or Haemophilus influenzae if they have not been vaccinated. The incidence of bacterial arthritis caused by infection with H. The following conditions increase the risk of developing septic arthritis:.
Septic arthritis is a rheumatologic emergency as it can lead to rapid joint destruction. It can be fatal. Fibromyalgia affects an estimated 4 million adults in the U. S, or around 2 percent of the population. The person may experience abnormal pain processing, where they reacts strongly to something that other people would not find painful. There may also be tingling or numbness in the hands and feet, pain in the jaw, and digestive problems. The causes of fibromyalgia are unknown, but some factors have been loosely associated with disease onset:.
Psoriatic arthritis is a joint problem that often occurs with a skin condition called psoriasis. It is thought to affect between 0. Most people who have psoriatic arthritis and psoriasis develop psoriasis first and then psoriatic arthritis, but joint problems can occasionally occur before skin lesions appear. The exact cause of psoriatic arthritis is not known, but it appears to involve the immune system attacking healthy cells and tissue.
The abnormal immune response causes inflammation in the joints and an overproduction of skin cells. Damage to the joints can result. Factors that increase the risk, include :. People with psoriatic arthritis tend to have a higher number of risk factors for cardiovascular disease than the general population, including increased BMI , triglycerides, and C-reactive protein.
Gout is a rheumatic disease that happens when uric acid crystals, or monosodium urate, form in body tissues and fluids. It happens when the body produces too much uric acid or does not excrete enough uric acid.
Long periods of remission are possible, followed by flares lasting from days to weeks. Sometimes it can be chronic. Recurrent attacks of acute gout can lead to a degenerative form of chronic arthritis called gouty arthritis. It involves the destruction of glands that produce tears and saliva. This causes dryness in the mouth and eyes and in other areas that usually need moisture, such as the nose, throat, and skin. It can also affect the joints, lungs, kidneys, blood vessels, digestive organs, and nerves.
It could affect the lungs, liver, or kidneys, or it could lead to skin vasculitis, peripheral neuropathy , glomerulonephritis , and low levels of a substance known as C4.
Scleroderma refers to a group of diseases that affect connective tissue in the body. The person will have patches of hard, dry skin. Some types can affect the internal organs and small arteries. Scar-like tissue builds up in the skin and causes damage.
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