It most commonly starts among people between the ages of 40 and 60. It's more common in women than men. There are drugs that can slow down an over-active immune system and therefore reduce the pain and swelling in joints. These are called disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) and include biological therapies.
More than half of US adults (57.3%) with arthritis are of working age (18 to 64 years).
Although osteoarthritis is more common in older people, many young people in their teens, 20s and 30s can still suffer with the condition. The symptoms are generally the same, no matter how old you are, but it can affect young people differently.
While the exact cause of arthritis is unknown, experts have identified certain risk factors that can lead to the development of arthritis. Genetics, unhealthy body weight, joint injury or overuse, and smoking are all factors that may put you at greater risk.
Overview of Arthritis
In some types, other organs, such as your eyes, heart, or skin, can also be affected. Common symptoms of arthritis include pain, redness, heat, and swelling in your joints.
People who are overweight or obese are more likely to get knee osteoarthritis than people who are not overweight. Excess weight can also make knee osteoarthritis worse. Extra weight puts more stress on joints, particularly weight-bearing joints like the hips and knees. What you can do: Maintain a healthy weight.
The constant stress triggers and physical reactions cause an inflammatory response in your immune system, heightening the inflammation that causes pain and joint degradation with rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, or lupus.
Diet, exercise, and smoking are major factors in preventing arthritis. A person can try to follow a low fat, anti-inflammatory diet that is rich in omega-3 fatty acids. They should make sure to keep joints moving with daily exercise and maintain a moderate weight.
In most cases of mild arthritis, you will have noticeable pain, soreness, or stiffness, but these problems likely won't keep you from going about your day. You may have to make adjustments to how you do things, but you probably aren't experiencing any major disabilities.
Arthritis – including osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and 'other type and unknown' – affects an estimated 3.6 million (15%) Australians, based on self-reported data from the ABS National Health Survey 2017–18 (ABS 2018).
If you have arthritis, participating in joint-friendly physical activity can improve your arthritis pain, function, mood, and quality of life. Joint-friendly physical activities are low-impact, which means they put less stress on the body, reducing the risk of injury.
There is no cure for arthritis. But it's important to help keep joints working by reducing pain and inflammation. Work on a treatment plan with your healthcare provider that includes medicine and therapy. Work on lifestyle changes that can improve your quality of life.
No blood test can definitively prove or rule out a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis, but several tests can show indications of the condition. Some of the main blood tests used include: erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) – which can help assess levels of inflammation in the body.
Doctors usually diagnose arthritis using the patient's medical history, physical examination, X-rays, and blood tests. It is possible to have more than one form of arthritis at the same time. There are many forms of arthritis, and diagnosing the specific type you have can help your doctor determine the best treatment.
Key Points. Acute pain in multiple joints is most often due to inflammation, gout, or the beginning or flare up of a chronic joint disorder. Chronic pain in multiple joints is usually due to osteoarthritis or an inflammatory disorder (such as rheumatoid arthritis) or, in children, juvenile idiopathic arthritis.
Heat and cold.
Use of heat, such as applying heating pads to aching joints, taking hot baths or showers, or immersing painful joints in warm paraffin wax, can help relieve pain temporarily. Be careful not to burn yourself. Use heating pads for no more than 20 minutes at a time.
Pain from arthritis can be constant or it may come and go. It may occur when at rest or while moving. Pain may be in one part of the body or in many different parts. Some types of arthritis cause the skin over the affected joint to become red and swollen, feeling warm to the touch.
People describe it as being overwhelming and uncontrollable. They feel worn out and drained of energy, and sometimes even lose all interest in anything. It can increase the need for sleep and make it hard to concentrate or do anything.
Joint pain and stiffness can become severe enough to make daily tasks difficult. Depression and sleep disturbances can result from the pain and disability of osteoarthritis.