Arthritis - The Signs and Symptoms

In order to ensure effective treatment of arthritis, it is extremely important to seek early medical help. This is only possible if you take special care of the warning signs and symptoms of this disease.

Early symptoms of arthritis can be extremely vague and confusing. However, these are very important to recognize as early as possible.

A) Here are some of the early symptoms of arthritis

a) Stiffness and/or pain in joints

b) Redness and/or warmth around the affected area

c) Tenderness in and/or around the affected area

d) Difficulty in moving

e) Limited range of motion in one or more joints

There are different types of arthritis that a patient can be attacked with. Hence, it becomes very important to know about the symptoms of all the major types of arthritis. This basic knowledge will help you to detect the presence of the disease at an early stage and to start the treatment as early as possible.

B) Here is a list of the major types of arthritis and their symptoms:

a) Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis is inflammatory in nature. One may experience a lot of stiffness in the joints. Mainly the joints are affected by this condition. However, one can also expect certain systemic effects. The symptoms include the following

1. Morning stiffness

2. Extreme fatigue

3. Rheumatoid nodules

4. Symmetrical joint involvement

5. Involvement of small bones of hands and feet

6. Pain

7. Inflammation

b) Osteoarthritis Arthritis symptoms

Also known as degenerative arthritis, osteoarthritis arthritis is a condition that can turn low- grade inflammation in to severe joint pains. This is usually caused by wearing of cartilages in the joints

1. Pain around joints

2. Inflammation

3. Trouble in moving

c) Gout Arthritis symptoms

This is a condition where uric acid tends to get build up in the blood. Crystals of uric acid is formed in joints and several other places.

1. Severe sudden attacks

2. Toe pain

3. Joint pain

d) Ankylosing Spondylitis arthritis symptoms

It is a chronic inflammatory condition of the spine. This can result in fused vertebrae and rigid spine.

e) Juvenile arthritis symptoms

A common form of arthritis, it tends to come up as an inflammatory and painful condition.

f) Psoriatic arthritis symptoms

This is a chronic skin disease.

1. Inflammation of bone and other joint tissues

2. Affects whole body

g) Systematic lupus Erythematrous Symptoms

This form of arthritis involves skin, muscles joint and even internal organs.

h) Septic Arthritis

It is a type of dangerous invasion of the joint space by an infectious agent that results in arthritis. The etiology can be mycobacterial, baceberial or viral or even fungal.

There are several other forms of arthritis. However, you need to seek medical attention as soon as you spot some of the common symptoms of arthritis:

- Swelling, Redness, Joint stiffness, Warmth, Tenderness of joint and/or Inflammation of joint.