Related topics: •  Arthritis Center •  Arthritis Prevention

Your knee feels sore and stiff when you wake up in the morning. After an hour of creaking and groaning, it finally decides to loosen up for the rest of the day. The pattern repeats itself the next day. And the next. At this point, you have two choices: Put up with the pain or get some help.

According to a recent federal survey, 43 million Americans have been diagnosed with arthritis -- and by 2030 that number is expected to rise to nearly 70 million. Unfortunately, not all of them take quick action. People who try to deal with arthritis on their own are missing out on excellent opportunities for relief. Today's treatments can ease symptoms and help people get back to life as usual.

Any delay in treatment is especially harmful for people with rheumatoid arthritis. As reported in the March 2001 issue of the journal Best Practice and Research Clinical Rheumatology, early treatment of rheumatoid arthritis can slow down joint damage, prevent disabilities, and even prolong lives.

With so much at stake, everyone should know the warning signs of arthritis. Here's a look at the early symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis as well as osteoarthritis, the most common form of the disease. If these symptoms sound familiar, promptly schedule an appointment with your family doctor, who will examine you, order medical tests, prescribe medications, and possibly refer you to a rheumatologist if your evaluation suggests that you have rheumatoid arthritis.

Inflamed joints are the hallmark of rheumatoid arthritis. The inflammation makes joints swollen, sore, stiff, and possibly warm to the touch. The stiffness is most obvious in the morning, but often fades after an hour or so. The adult form of rheumatoid arthritis always affects at least three joints, including at least one wrist or finger joint. The disease also commonly strikes the knees, elbows, toes, ankles, or neck. Rheumatoid arthritis is often symmetrical; if one elbow or knee is inflamed, the other probably is, too.

Rheumatoid arthritis is a "systemic" disease. In other words, it signals a problem with the entire system, not just the joints. As a result, some patients have symptoms that have nothing to do with their joints. According to the National Institutes of Health, other possible symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis include:

•fatigue

•low-grade fever

•loss of appetite

•swollen glands

•pale skin

•burning or itching eyes

•discharge from eyes

•small, round, painless lumps under the skin

Osteoarthritis is a joint disease of wear and tear. After years of use, the cartilage that protects the joints begins to break down, causing pain and stiffness. Osteoarthritis can affect any joint in the body, but it's most common in the hands, hips, knees, and spine. The pain may be steady, or it may come and go. As with rheumatoid arthritis, the stiffness is usually worse in the morning. Joints may become swollen and tender, but because inflammation plays a minor role in the disease, they probably won't be red or warm to the touch. If enough cartilage has worn away, joints might make cracking or crunching noises as bone rubs against bone.

As described by the National Institutes of Health, osteoarthritis affects different joints in different ways. Many older people -- especially older women -- develop osteoarthritis in their hands. Fingers become swollen and gnarled, and small, hard knobs can form on the joint. Osteoarthritis in the hips can cause pain in the hips, groin, inner thigh, or knees. Osteoarthritis in the spine can cause pain or stiffness in the neck or lower back.

-- Chris Woolston is a health and medical writer with a master's degree in biology. A former staff writer for Hippocrates, a magazine for physicians, he has written for WebMD, Health, the Chronicle of Higher Education, and other publications.

References

First published June 24, 2004
Last updated January 18, 2007
Copyright © 2002 Consumer Health Interactive

• If you think you might have arthritis, make an appointment with your doctor for a complete check-up. Print out our Questions for You and Your Doctor so you know what questions to expect from your doctor as well as what questions you should ask to be sure you leave with the information you need. • Stay active: It will help keep your cartilage healthy and the muscles supporting your joints strong, which will help protect you against disability. Walk, stretch and do simple exercises daily to keep your joints moving. • Water exercises are especially easy on arthritic joints -- check with your gym or YMCA, or contact the Arthritis Foundation to find an aquatics therapy class near you. • Check your weight. Extra pounds put additional strain on your joints, so if you're overweight, now's a good time to get started on a sensible eating plan. Ask your doctor for a good plan to follow, or check out our Weight Control Center for tips, articles, and tools that can help you reach your goal. • Find support. The Arthritis Foundation's Web site has bulletin boards where you can exchange experiences and information with other people who have arthritis. You can also sign up for the foundation's newsletter and find out about products that make daily tasks less painful.

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