Early Symptoms of Arthritis

Arthritis is a disease that causes damage to our body joints. A joint helps in the movement of our body parts. Arthritis leads to inflammation of one or more of these joints which in turn leads to extreme pain. There are several types of arthritis and they affect different joints of our body, each resulting in different types of inconveniences that a patient experiences. Early symptoms of some of the most commonly found arthritis are discussed below.

Rheumatoid Arthritis
The main attack of rheumatoid arthritis are on the joints. However, it may also affect tissues and organs like the lungs. Formation of rheumatoid nodules, a firm lump of tissue is the most prominent symptom of rheumatoid arthritis. Another typical characteristic of this arthritis is the inflammation of the joints. The stiffness that results from the inflammation makes movement of the joints difficult. Tenderness and stiffness in joints are observed, particularly in the morning. This difficulty persists for quite a few hours into the day. During the early stage, if the patient tries to move the joints slowly, it could bring temporary relief from the stiff pain.

Osteoarthritis
This form of arthritis is often found in old people. Basically, it causes damage to the joints only. It does not have much of an effect on the other parts of the body. The symptoms are acute pain in the joints and a burning sensation in muscles and tendons of the surrounding areas. Swelling and warmth are some other early signs of osteoarthritis. Here, the pain starts as a result of repeated use of the affected joint. Due to this, the symptoms get aggravated at a later part in the day.

Psoriatic Arthritis
The early symptoms of psoriatic arthritis is a chronic skin disease named psoriasis, which results in red, patchy and scaly skin. Usually, it has been found that this type of arthritis occurs nearly ten years after psoriasis affects a victim. In case the finger nails are affected by psoriasis, then the joints closest to the fingertips will most probably get affected by this form of arthritis first.

Ankylosing Spondylitis
This type of arthritis affects the lower section of the spine. The initial signs of this arthritis are frequent pain and stiffening of the lower back and the hips. These symptoms are further aggravated after rest or inactivity. Gradually, the pain and uneasiness tends to move up to the neck and may also include the rib cage.

Gout
This form of arthritis is often associated with intense pain. It affects one single joint which is mostly the big toe. Later, it may affect other parts like the ankle, knees, and hands as well. Like any other form of arthritis, the primary symptoms of this arthritis is severe pain. The extreme pain may break out all of a sudden which may be followed by tenderness, swelling and reddening of the affected part. The attack of gout pain mostly happens at night.

The knowledge of the early symptoms of arthritis will help us to identify the disease at an early stage. As a result, the diagnosis and treatment and diet related to the disease can commence quickly and the patient may get some relief from the severe pain associated with arthritis.