Knowing the warning signs of arthritis
Posted on 20. Jan, 2012 by Jennifer in Diseases & Conditions
Did you know that there are over 100 different types of arthritis?
To keep things simple, you can divide arthritis into two general types:
Inflammatory arthritis: The root cause of degenerative arthritis is the breakdown of cartilage
Degenerative arthritis: Inflammation of the lining (synovium) of the joint is the root cause of inflammatory arthritis.
RA usually begins slowly, starting in a few joints and then spreading, over a few weeks to a few months, to involve other joints; rarely, does RA begin almost overnight.
Symmetrical pattern
As time goes on, RA involves more and more joints on both sides of the body in a “symmetrical” pattern. This means if joints in your right hand are swollen then joints in your left hand will probably be swollen.
The key symptoms of RA
The symptoms of RA vary from person to person. Some people have only a few joints involved or mild inflammation whereas others have many joints involved or they are severely inflamed.
Flare of RA: The symptoms of RA also vary from times when the joints feel good to other times (often for no reason at all) when the joints become stiffer, sorer, and more swollen. You can call this a “flare”.
The “warning signs” of RA
Remember that RA usually starts over a period of weeks to months slowly adding joints over time. These are known as the warning signs. If any of the following symptoms last for more than two weeks, you see your doctor as early as possible:
Unusual pain: You start to feel unusual pain and stiffness in joints (look for new pain and stiffness in the knuckles in the hands and the balls of the feet).
Morning pain: This pain and stiffness is worse in the morning; typically lasting more than 30-60 minutes before you “loosen up” and start feeling better. However, the pain and stiffness can be with you (to some degree) most of the day even causing discomfort while you try to sleep at night.
Tiredness, fatigue & weight loss: Some people notice that they feel more tired when RA starts and occasionally some lose weight or develop a low-grade fever. (Although, most people will say they gain a little weight because they haven’t been as active).
Several people with arthritis have found that when they regularly took a natural, herbal arthritis-specific supplement known as Provailen, they had fewer symptoms and warning signs, including less pain and greater mobility within few days after they start using Provailen. Therefore, if you are concerned about these warning signs, you may well start using Provailen and you shall be able to feel and experience the great difference soon enough!
