Arthritis Symptoms and Relief
Although there are over a hundred kinds of this disease, some arthritis symptoms are common for most of them. The most well-known symptoms of arthritis include swelling, stiffness and joint inflammation. The patient may develop arthritis symptoms suddenly or over time, as it’s all very individual. The joints are likely to get deformed, which results in problems connected with grasping small objects, straightening toes and fingers, etc. In some rare cases patients lose their joints as they get completely damaged.
Rheumatoid arthritis patients report the following symptoms: fever, loss of appetite, weight loss and fatigue, rheumatoid nodules may be also formed. The nodules represent small bumps that are formed under the skin and inside the tissues covering the lungs, as well as in the spinal cord and brain. Rheumatoid nodules are very dangerous as they cause complications of the condition that may include poor blood circulation, damage to nerves, gangrene and shortness of breath.
Both rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and osteoarthritis (OA) are diagnosed after the doctor carefully examines the medical history of the patient. Even if arthritis symptoms are obvious, a thorough examination may be required; it involves palpation of the affected joint to establish its response (sometimes a cracking sound can be heard, which indicated the joint is seriously damaged).
If your doctor is not sure or wants to eliminate any doubts, blood tests can be recommended. The blood test involves measuring the amount of the “rheumatic factor” – the chemical that clearly indicates the presence of the disorder in most cases. Rheumatic factor is found in two thirds of all the patients diagnosed with RA.
Other methods include X-raying and other techniques. The results of these methods are quite accurate, and your doctor will be able to see if OA is present, and if the space between the bones changed.
If you experience redness, swelling of your joints, pain and loss of motion, it’s strongly recommended to see a doctor as soon as possible. There are now many ways of dealing with the disease, and arthritis relief is available to every patient. Even if you think this is temporary, and it doesn’t feel like arthritis joint pain, your condition needs to be assessed by a qualified specialist. Parents have to keep an eye on their children’s health to detect the earliest symptoms of arthritis and provide immediate arthritis pain relief if necessary.
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