Before you know it, you may already have arthritis. Arthritis symptoms are sometimes common, recurring and can be easily ignored.
Arthritis can be under its way if you experience progressive stiffness and pain in the joints even without the chills, swelling and fever. Inflammation, pain swelling and stiffness in the arms, fingers, legs and wrists should already alarm you as these are common signs of arthritis.
Arthritis is a disorder in the joints accompanied by inflammation. The term arthritis comes from the Greek word arthro which means “joint” and itis, meaning “inflammation”.
People who have arthritis usually complain of pain in the joints. The pain is caused by the inflammation occurring around the joints that are affected, and is constant and localized. Arthritis pain can become severe with daily joint wear and tear, strains and forceful movements and fatigue on the affected joint. Arthritis symptoms vary in people and the illness comes in more than a hundred forms the most common of which is a result of age and infection or trauma in the joints.
Seek for medical help
You need to call for medical help about arthritis if any of the following occurs: if the stiffness or pain come on fast, whether from an unknown cause or injury; if fever comes with pain, redness and extreme joint tenderness; stiffness and pain in your legs, arms or back after sitting for short periods or sleeping.
Possible causes and prevention
Arthritis and arthritis symptoms can be caused and contributed by many factors such as genetics, age, weight, previous injury, high-level sports, occupational hazards, illness or infections. These factors do help the development of arthritis.
Arthritis is a serious condition thus it is worth preventing and avoiding it. The following can help: taking a well-balanced diet, maintaining the right weight, exercise and avoiding smoking and alcohol. If you want to take vitamins, minerals and hormone replacement, make sure you discuss with your doctor first.