Joint inflammation, pain, and stiffness are the common symptoms you will most likely experience when you have arthritis. Though arthritis tends to affect your tendons, muscles, and joints, they have different complications and treatments. While some arthritis types result from wear and tear, some types (like rheumatoid arthritis) may develop because of your overactive immune system. Fredericksburg arthritis expert Dr. Dev Sen is an experienced pain specialist dealing with musculoskeletal disorders, offering his patients multiple treatment options to help them live pain-free lives.
What are the types of arthritis you are likely to develop?
Anyone, including children, can have tender and swollen joints. Additionally, your doctor will diagnose your condition before recommending treatment. The most common types of arthritis include:
Rheumatoid arthritis– the condition that affects your knees, hands, and wrists and causes your immune system to attack your joints, resulting in swelling of your joint lining. Severe cases of rheumatoid arthritis force the inflammation to spread to your nearby tissues, affecting other parts of your body including your nerves, skin, and eyes.
Osteoarthritis– this arthritis type causes your cartilage at the extremities of your bones to wear off, forcing your bones to rub against each other. Though osteoarthritis mostly develops as you age, you can have the conditions early on, especially when you have a fracture or injury close to a joint.
Gout– you will most likely have gout when your body fails to rid your body of uric acid. Excess uric acid accumulating in your joints may form crystals that might result in joint inflammation. Gout mostly affects your wrists, knees, and big toes.
Psoriatic arthritis– the arthritis form mostly affects individuals between 30-50years but can start in your childhood. The condition that mostly results in inflammation of your skin and joints often starts with patchy scales affecting your knees, elbows, scalp, and the skin in your genital areas. However, not everyone with psoriasis will develop the condition.
What are your risk factors for developing arthritis?
· Obesity– you are at a higher risk of having arthritis when you are obese, exerting weight on your joints. The joints likely to suffer from being overweight include your hips, knees, and spine.
· Age– your chances of developing the joint problem, especially rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis, increases with age
· Family history– there are some forms of arthritis you are likely to get because they run in your family. Therefore, you may be at risk of developing the condition when your parents and other family members are victims of the condition.
· Sex– some arthritis types like rheumatoid arthritis are most likely to affect women, while gout will most likely affect you if you are a man.
· Past joint injury– your chances of developing arthritis on a particular joint are high, especially if you had a previous injury
Severe arthritis may make it hard for you to live your everyday life. If the condition affects your weight-bearing joints like your knees, sitting or walking comfortably can be a problem. However, an early diagnosis can help you manage the pain and minimize your disability chances. For effective arthritis treatment options, schedule an appointment with your doctor.