Arthritis Symptoms And Causes

Arthritis is a bone and joint disorder in parts of the body. It especially affects the bones and cause feel inflammation.

Many would consider that inflammation is just a symptom. And not the entire disease; therefore, many bone disorders come under the umbrella of Arthritis. 

Also, make sure to check out my post on Can Arthritis Turn Into Bone Cancer?

The straight definition of arthritis is that – it is a joint and bone disorder that causes swear inflammation. 

Symptoms And Causes Of Arthritis 

Usually, the leading cause of Arthritis is considered to be the patient’s genes. A person might inherit cartilage weakness which might lead to Osteoarthritis. Or if they are carriers of that particular gene and external source in the environment may act as a stimulus in triggering the condition. 

Moreover, a tear in the muscle joint or excessive muscle use might trigger pain leading to Arthritis. Other causes that might trigger any category of Arthritis are obesity injuries, autoimmune disorders, and muscle weakness.

Common Symptoms:

Bone Weakness 

Since Arthritis is a bone disease, the main symptoms are muscle and joint pain. Bones become extremely weak, and the patient has difficulties moving around. He might also struggle while standing or sitting and would most likely prefer to avoid much movement. 

Rashes 

Apart from that, the patient will experience redness, swelling, and heat in his joints, or he can also develop rashes. In Addition to this, he might feel a fever or a visible weight loss. 

Stiffness and Misalignments

The patient might also experience chronic stiffness, deformities, and misalignments. Likewise, a person suffering from Arthritis can develop bone growth in the elbow or in the fingers. 

While bending, they might hear a clicking or popping sound coming out of their joints. Similarly, they feel muscle fatigue and weakness at all times.

Different Categories Of Arthritis

Arthritis has many types. Some of them are listed below.

Osteoarthritis:

It is age-related and usually affects the knees, hips, and finger bones. Sometimes it can occur due to a joint injury as well. The patient might have injured his knee or elbow at a young age but might develop Arthritis in that particular part after years.

Reactive Arthritis:

A patient faces reactive Arthritis due to infection in the body. Symptoms include swelling of joints, swollen eyes, or a swollen urinary tract.

Rheumatoid Arthritis: 

This kind of Arthritis occurs when the body’s defense mechanism fails to work. The patient might experience pain in joints and bones, which may affect other organs and organ systems.

Psoriatic Arthritis: 

It usually occurs in patients who have psoriasis. It is a disease in which patients develop colored skin patches, usually red or white, on their skin. Areas where tissues are attached to the bond are greatly affected.

Ankylosing Spondylitis:

This type of Arthritis affects the spinal cord, the spine becomes red and swollen, and it is tough for the patient to move his pelvic bone area.

Arthritis might also be associated with diseases such as gout (affecting the toes), lupus (affecting the kidney, heart, and joints), or infection (cushion muscles between joints).

What To Do If You Have Arthritis?

The first thing that you need to do is go and see your general physician. He will most probably see the condition of your bones and joints, detect any red or white patches, look for warmth in the bones, or he may analyze the range of motion in the joints. 

There are probable chances that the doctor would recommend you to a Rheumatologist. He will check inflammation levels in your blood or analyze your joint fluids. 

If you are diagnosed with Arthritis, you might go through a blood test to check the cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies, anti-nuclear antibodies, or Rheumatoid factors. 

Moreover, CT scans, MRIs, and X-rays are all part of the process of checking your bones and cartilage conditions.

Risk Factors:

Multiple factors increase the risks of having Arthritis. The first and foremost one is age. The older you get, the more likely you will develop Arthritis. 

Most commonly affected people are aged from 30 to 60. They become easy targets. However, young children can also develop it. Moreover, a healthy lifestyle is all you need to avoid multiple diseases in your life: smoking, lack of exercise, and putting yourself in situations that involve high risk and stress can become an easy catalysts for initiating Arthritis. 

Likewise, obesity can add additional weight to your joints and muscles, leading to Arthritis.

Can We Say It’s A Disability?

By looking at the symptoms mentioned earlier and causes, we can indeed consider Arthritis as a disorder that, if left untreated, might lead to a disability. A person who becomes an easy victim of Arthritis not just struggles physically but also psychologically. 

Everyday routine tasks become a challenge for them. In some cases, a patient might feel that his joints are losing their shape and are not aligned. Life becomes a constant struggle for them, and tasks that might appear really simple become a great deal.