Arthritis Symptoms – Early Warning Signs

There are over one hundred variations of Arthritis, and their slightly different symptoms increase in intensity as each one develops. Anyone who suspects that they could be affected should approach their medical practitioner immediately if in any doubt. This is because Arthritis responds best to treatment when caught early.

We present this brief summary of Arthritis symptoms with the above in mind as backdrop, and advise the reader not to embark on any course of self-treatment without first consulting their medical practitioner.

Just the seven most common Arthritis types are discussed here - all other forms of the disease involve joint or muscular inflammation too, and there is an overlap between what we describe here, and other Arthritis conditions.

Osteoarthritis

This is a degenerative condition in which our cartilages begin to dry out, and may fail completely over time. It begins with joint pain and stiffness that might be more severe after exercise, or after stress caused directly to a joint.

Over time, the joints become progressively stiffer and harder to move. Eventually, pain may be present even when remaining perfectly still.

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Those who suffer from Rheumatoid Arthritis experience Arthritis symptoms that include increasing pain on both sides of their bodies, as their rogue immune systems attack their muscles and joints.

As the disease spreads further throughout their bodies increasing immobility sets in, and joints may become deformed. The disease could attack the skin, heart, lungs and other muscles too. Sixty percent of sufferers left untreated are unable to work after ten years.

Gouty Arthritis

Gouty Arthritis erupts into acute pain when uric acid carried in the blood forms crystals in a joint, typically in a big toe or knee. Men aged mainly over forty are affected by an attack that literally lays them low out of nowhere, and without any warning either. A common symptom is the inability to tolerate the weight of even a silk sheet touching the affected limb.

Septic Arthritis

Intense pain accompanies a septic infection that attacks a joint when bacteria are carried to it in the bloodstream, perhaps from a lesion in the skin. Other Septic Arthritis symptoms include pseudoparalysis, joint swelling, joint redness and low-level fever.

A small child will be irritable, and may cry out when the affected joint is involuntarily moved, as may happen when changing nappies.

Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis

This childhood disease is characterized by joint pain and inflammation, and is sometimes confused with some other infections. Stiffness, pain and fever accompanied by rashes and eye infections may also occur, and the child may become disinterested in using the affected limb too. Although often chronic, many children subsequently enter into remission.

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Arthritis symptoms may develop particularly among women following an attack on joints, muscles and sometimes organs by a malfunctioning immune system.

Symptoms that are wide-ranging and vary between individuals may include chest pain when inhaling, and a general sense of feeling poorly. Depending on where the attack is taking place, headaches, abdominal pain, abnormal heart rhythms and patchy skin colour may also present.

Ankylosing Spondylitis

This is a disease affecting the vertebrae, and also the spaces between the vertebrae and the pelvis. It is most commonly found in younger adult males with an associated family history, and begins with lower back pain and morning stiffness that may improve with exercise. As it develops further though, there may be reduced mobility and constriction of the chest. Eventually joints could fuse completely.

Treat Early Arthritis Symptoms as Warning Signs

It is a false economy to avoid the early warning signs of possible Arthritis just because we dislike doctors and hospitals, and perhaps reject the thought of growing older. Our bodies are not intended to last for ever, and one or other part of them will always begin to trouble us in time.

Early Arthritis symptoms should be viewed as valuable information in terms of this. They are our body’s warning signs to us, and we should seek medical advice accordingly. There may yet be sufficient time to treat and arrest what could otherwise develop into a crippling disease.