It causes inflammation and may make people feel sick, tired and sometimes feverish, among other symptoms. Some younger people get osteoarthritis from a joint injury, but osteoarthritis most often occurs in people over 40.
Studies have shown fatigue to be common among people with osteoarthritis and a factor in their quality of life. 1 Fatigue is typically associated with rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and other inflammatory rheumatic conditions, but it can be seen in osteoarthritis as well.
Osteoarthritis symptoms range from stiffness and mild pain to persistent, severe joint pain. Common signs include swelling and tenderness, stiffness after getting out of bed, and a crunching feeling or sound of bone rubbing on bone.
Fatigue is an extreme, sometimes overwhelming, physical and mental tiredness, that doesn't significantly improve with rest or sleep. It's a common problem associated with arthritis and can make other symptoms, such as pain and joint stiffness feel more severe and limiting.
People with rheumatoid arthritis typically have several permanently inflamed joints. The inflammation inside the body can lead to general physical weakness, drowsiness and exhaustion. This feeling of extreme tiredness is also called "fatigue." Some people find this to be the worst symptom of the disease.
With arthritis, pain and fatigue may become a regular part of your day. The disease can also affect how your body looks, which may make you feel self-conscious. Over time, those kinds of symptoms can make you feel frustrated, angry, anxious, and, at times, depressed.
Without enough red blood cells, your muscles get tired fast, resulting in fatigue. Up to two-thirds of people with arthritis have a condition called anemia of chronic disease, which occurs when inflammatory chemicals interfere with the body's production of red blood cells.
Arthritis typically affects the joints, and most types of arthritis can also cause systemic (throughout the body) symptoms that can make you feel like you have the flu.
Osteoarthritis affects each person differently. For some people, osteoarthritis is relatively mild and does not affect day-to-day activities. For others, it causes significant pain and disability. Joint damage usually develops gradually over years, although it could worsen quickly in some people.
Fatigue and nausea are symptoms that commonly occur together. In some cases, they are the result of lifestyle habits, such as poor sleep or diet, or lack of exercise. In other instances, they may signal an underlying mental or physical health issue that requires treatment.
The most common triggers of an OA flare are overdoing an activity or trauma to the joint. Other triggers can include bone spurs, stress, repetitive motions, cold weather, a change in barometric pressure, an infection or weight gain.
What is considered severe osteoarthritis? In severe or advanced osteoarthritis, the cartilage in the joints has worn away. This causes pain, stiffness, swelling, and difficulty performing everyday tasks. With osteoarthritis, pain and stiffness is common first thing in the day and typically lessen after a while.
Although there's no blood test for osteoarthritis, certain tests can help rule out other causes of joint pain, such as rheumatoid arthritis. Joint fluid analysis. Your doctor might use a needle to draw fluid from an affected joint.
Causes of Sleep Problems in Osteoarthritis
Though resting is important, too much rest can backfire for someone with OA. Being inactive can lead to pain, stiffness, and lack of mobility as well as weight gain, which can cause additional pain in your joints.
People with arthritis often experience more severe pain and stiffness first thing in the morning, Dr Christine Haseler, a GP with a special interest in arthritis says: “Joints affected by osteoarthritis often stiffen up in the mornings and can make nights uncomfortable and restless.
The main treatments for the symptoms of osteoarthritis include: lifestyle measures – such as maintaining a healthy weight and exercising regularly. medication – to relieve your pain. supportive therapies – to help make everyday activities easier.
Joint aches and pains are characteristic of the many arthritis conditions. Dizziness and loss of balance can be related to dehydration as well as inflammatory conditions affecting the inner ear. Pay attention to your symptoms and when they occur.
Osteoarthritis is generally a slowly progressive disorder. However, at least 1 in 7 people with incident knee osteoarthritis develop an abrupt progression to advanced-stage radiographic disease, many within 12 months.
If you experience a flare of symptoms this is usually linked to an episode of inflammation within the joint. It is therefore usual for a flare up to last between 6 and 12 weeks.
If you are in a "flare-up episode of osteoarthritis", that is to say when a joint is hot and swollen and more painful than usual it is recommended to rest the joint. This means for a knee or hip, for example, not putting weight on the affected side but to use crutches for walking during the painful period.
Osteoarthritic joints have low levels of aggrecan, proteoglycan, type-II collagen, and runt-related transcription factor 1(RUNX1).
"Doing nothing, regardless of what type of arthritis you have, is going to make your arthritis worse," says Cote. On rest days, he recommends gentle exercises that increase flexibility for arthritic joints.