While pain is one of the main symptoms of arthritis, there are a few more symptoms that characterize this condition. There are over one hundred different types of arthritis that have been classified today and all of them differ slightly from each other when it comes to the symptoms. Most of the symptoms arise from the inflammation that happens in the joints. In most cases, there is pain in the joint which progresses to more pain and stiffness affecting the mobility of the joint.
Arthritis is a rheumatic disease and this means that the inflammation in the joints could then progress to other areas of the body and affect them. At the affected joint, there’s usually a swelling, it is tender and maybe red and there’s pain that could come and go or stay constant. Sometimes the affected area feels a bit warm to the touch. If the pain is not managed when it rears its head in the beginning, then the joint could become stiff and it could be difficult to move it. Every time you do move it, it could be a painful effort. Suddenly it becomes difficult to get out of bed, it takes much longer to get out of a chair and it takes longer to write. The pain could get bad and this could mean that you can’t get proper sleep with the pain waking you up. Slowly you see the flexibility in your body start getting worse and everything you did quickly now takes so much more time. That’s when the inevitable tiredness creeps in, sometimes so slowly and very soon it seems like it’s been around all of your life.
Sometimes, arthritis affects organs within the body without too much effect on the joints so you could have symptoms like swelling, you could begin to lose weight, you could feel feverish and tired all the time. This is the reason you need to get medical help and get tested so that the doctor can make the right diagnosis. This could even happen in children so all cases of intermittent fever or complaints of pain anywhere in the body should be taken seriously. There could be a chilly feeling and maybe even a rash on the legs and arms.
Any unknown pain, fever, fatigue or swelling should be shown to the doctor because if arthritis is diagnosed early, there could be steps taken to halt its progress and to ease the pain. Arthritis symptoms could be symptoms of so many diseases so it is important that you get yourself checked when there is any pain or discomfort that cannot be explained. Don’t try to diagnose yourself because the symptoms that your friend has when it comes to her arthritis may just be different from yours. You might want to see a rheumatologist to see if what you have is indeed arthritis. This is a doctor who specializes in all forms of rheumatism which arthritis is a part of. The tests he does on you will confirm whether or not what you suffer from is really arthritis.