Arthritis is a joint inflammation. There are two most common forms of arthritis; these are osteoarthritis, a non-inflammatory degeneration of the joint and rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disease in which joints become inflamed. Both of these types of arthritis can occur at any age, though signs of arthritis usually appear slowly over several years. However, osteoarthritis is typically seen more frequently in the older population since it is known to result from joint wear and tear.
Below are useful tips on how you can recognize signs of arthritis:
- Notice whether an exercise causes you an intensified pain in your joints for this is known as the first gossip sign of arthritis.
- Take note that you might experience an early sign of arthritis like stiffness in one or more joints in the morning that often subsides after 15 to 30 minutes of movement.
- Evaluate your joints for range of motion. See if the joint creaks or causes you pain when you bend it to its normal limit since this may also be one of the signs of arthritis.
- Arthritis Symptoms like skin pulled taut over a joint due to swelling and taut shiny skin are indicative of joint swelling which may be due to either osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis. It could also be a sign of an infection.
- Test the impacted joint to get the temperature. Cold bone-hard joints are potential to be a sign of osteoarthritis while hot joints can be a sign of rheumatoid arthritis or joint infection.
- Be aware that joint pain associated with fever or noticeable swelling, can be signs of rheumatoid arthritis or joint infection.
- Osteoarthritis usually makes a grating sound when moving, so it is necessary for you to pay attention if your joints have a gritty feeling like they seem to crackle and make noise when moving
- Check if you have joint inflammation in some of the fingers of your right hand, and you feel joint pain in the corresponding fingers of your left hand. The symmetrical involvement is the characteristic of rheumatoid arthritis.
As with any medical question, visit your doctor if you experience questionable signs of arthritis. Your health care provider will partner with you to best diagnose and treat your health concerns.