Symptoms of arthritis develop slowly and are related to inflammation of the joints, and can therefore appear in any joint and impair movement, such as walking or moving your hands, for example.
Although there are several types of arthritis, the symptoms are similar, although they have different causes, the main ones being pain and swelling in the joint, stiffness of movement and increased local temperature. Even if the symptoms are similar, it is important that the cause is identified so that the most appropriate treatment can be started, relieving the symptoms and improving the person's quality of life.
How to know if you have Arthritis
Symptoms of arthritis usually appear in people over 40, although it can also happen in children. So, if you are experiencing discomfort in a joint, select the symptoms in the following test to check your risk of arthritis:
- 1. Constant joint pain, most common in the knee, elbow or fingers Yes No
- 2. Stiffness and difficulty in moving the joint, especially in the morning Yes No
- 3. Hot, red and swollen joint Yes No
- 4. Deformed joints Yes No
- 5. Pain when tightening or moving the joint Yes No
In some cases, arthritis can also cause less specific symptoms such as poor appetite, which can cause weight loss, excessive tiredness and lack of energy.
Symptoms of each type of arthritis
In addition to the common symptoms of all types of arthritis, there are other more specific signs that can help the doctor reach the diagnosis, such as:
- Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, which is a rare type of attrition that affects children up to 16 years of age and that, in addition to the common signs and symptoms of arthritis, daily fever for more than 2 weeks, spots on the body, loss of appetite and inflammation of the eyes, for example; Psoriatic arthritis, which usually appears in people with psoriasis and which can be characterized by the appearance of red and dry plaques at the site of the joints, in addition to their difficulty and deformation; Septic arthritis, which occurs as a consequence of infections and, therefore, in addition to the symptoms of arthritis, signs and symptoms indicating infection such as fever and chills, for example, can be perceived.
In addition, in cases of gouty arthritis, which is popularly called gout, the symptoms are intense and usually appear in less than 12 hours, improving after 3 to 10 days, and affecting the toe joint, also known as hallux.
What Causes Arthritis
Arthritis is caused by wear and tear on the cartilage in the joint, which causes the bones to be exposed and begin to scrape together, causing pain and inflammation. Generally, this type of wear is caused by the normal use of the joint and has arisen over the years, which is why arthritis is more common in the elderly.
However, wear and tear can be accelerated by other factors such as infections, blows or even the immune system's response. In these cases, arthritis gets another name, being called rheumatoid when it is caused by the immune system, septic when it arises from an infection or psoriatic when it arises due to a case of psoriasis, for example.
See more about the causes and treatment for arthritis.
