Symptoms of Arthritis – Part 1

Arthritis is a global medical term that describes over 100 different conditions, all of which affect the musculoskeletal system of the human body. The word literally means inflammation of the joint and the majority of those 100 conditions are chronic, debilitating and sometimes require significant treatment to keep an individual mobile and healthy.

But those are the rare cases. For the most part, the majority of people diagnosed with arthritis (60%) are diagnosed with osteoarthritis and a little less than 40% are diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. However, in addition to the musculoskeletal system and joints, some of the diseases can also affect other tissues and organ systems of the body. People of all ages are at risk for these conditions. (1,2)

In normal circumstances swelling and inflammation are the way in which the body responds to an injury or disease. The body activates the immune system that rushes to the scene to repair tissue or wipe out the cause of the problem. Once that is completed the inflammation goes away and the area is healthy once more.

In an arthritic condition this inflammation, swelling, soreness and sometimes redness and heat do not disappear. Instead it becomes a part of the problem and goes on to damage some of the surrounding healthy tissue that just initiates a cycle. If this inflammation is a part of a malfunctioning immune system where the body starts to attack itself it is called an autoimmune disease. Rheumatoid arthritis is one of those autoimmune conditions. (3)

Individuals who experience the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis will suffer from swelling and pain in their joints, but because the condition is also systemic they can also experience fatigue, weight loss, loss of appetite, fever, stiffness in the joints and damage to the heart, lungs, skin, eyes and nerve cells.

References:

(1) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Arthritis-Related Statistics

http://www.cdc.gov/arthritis/data_statistics/arthritis_related_stats.htm

(2) National Collaborating Centre for Chronic Conditions: Osteoarthritis

http://www.nice.org.uk/nicemedia/pdf/CG059FullGuideline.pdf

(3) MayoClinic.com: Rheumatoid Arthritis

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/rheumatoid-arthritis/DS00020/DSECTION=symptoms

(4) American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons: Arthritis of the Hands

http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00224