Arthritis Symptoms Are Variable Given The More Than Hundred Different Types Of Arthritis To Check For

There are over a hundred different forms of arthritis which leads to variable arthritis symptoms though certain signs will point doctors in the right direction. Common arthritis symptoms include joint pain, pain or tenderness in a joint, inflammation indicated by joint swelling, warmth, stiffness and redness, deformity of joints, loss of range of motion or flexibility in a joint, unexplained weight loss and more.

Different Manifestations

Doctors may be able to make a definitive diagnosis of arthritis after assessing the patient’s medical history and by performing physical examination or even through laboratory tests and x-rays. The arthritis symptoms manifest them in different ways and experiencing pain, stiffness as well as swelling around a joint for more than two weeks is indicative that a visit to the doctor is required who should be able to determine if these are in fact symptoms of arthritis or not.

Besides ascertaining arthritis symptoms, it is also necessary to ascertain which type of arthritis one is suffering from in order to get started on the best treatment course. Furthermore, arthritis symptoms may appear and disappear suddenly or slowly over time, and can even take the form of sleeplessness, depression, fatigue as well as muscle aches.

Other signs that are indicative of arthritis include experiencing difficulty functioning at home, work or at play due to pain in the joints, stiffness as well as loss of motion. Other normal routine activities such as getting out of bed in the morning, climbing stairs, arising from a chair as well as attending to matters of personal hygiene may also be arthritis symptoms.

An immediate visit to a physician will help start the treatment plan and help in protecting the joints as well as lessen arthritis pain. In fact, arthritis pain may be less debilitating than immobility, which is common to arthritis. Acting promptly, when one notices arthritis symptoms, will lead to protecting the joints as too will avoiding excess stress and use of assistive devices to help with mobility problems.

To help determine whether one has arthritis symptoms or not, one may need to consider whether the doctor has ever told one that they have arthritis, has there been joint pain, aching, stiffness or swelling in or around a joint during the past year, were symptoms present daily for at least a fortnight during a month, is there pain in the knee or hip when climbing stairs or walking a couple of blocks, is there daily pain or stiffness in the hand joints, and is there any limitations in any activity due to joint symptoms.

One should also rate the level of difficulty in dressing oneself, standing up from an arm less, straight chair, getting in and out of a car, or opening the car door to find out whether arthritis symptoms are present or not.