Symptoms of arthritis can include pain, stiffness, inflammation and damage to the cartilage system as well. Damage to the cartilage can lead to joint weakness and instability that can interfere with some basic daily living tasks. For instance, deformities and weakness can interfere with walking, brushing your teeth, climbing stairs, using a keyboard or cutting your food.
Arthritic conditions are not limited, however, just to the joint systems. Although joint involvement can be major areas which are affected, many forms of arthritis can be classified as systemic. This means that the illness or disease will affect the entire body, including internal organs, hearts, kidneys, blood vessels and the eyes.
Arthritic conditions have become the major cause of disability in the United States. It costs employers and insurance companies more than $124 billion a year in medical care and indirect lost wages and production. According to the Arthritis Foundation unless there are specific changes in the medical care and prevention of arthritis, this situation is only continuing to get worse.
Most people start to feel pain and stiffness in their bodies over time. Sometimes their hands, knees or feet begin to get sore or are hard to move. This may or may not be a result of arthritis. While it is true that arthritis can be painful, there are medical treatment protocols that are now available in order to help individuals feel better and stop the advancement of the disease. Before becoming concerned that you may have arthritis, it’s best to see your primary care physician for an accurate diagnosis. Like many other diseases, early diagnosis and treatment will slow the progression of most types of arthritis and also decrease in the long-term disability an individual may suffer.
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