How Do You Know You Have Arthritis? The Early Signs

"Should I read this article? I'm still young and I know that arthritis is a disease afflicting seniors and those pushing near their senior years."

Don't be too sure about that and better invest a few minutes to read this. Diseases have been undergoing mutations that even children can now contract arthritis,
much like they can now be also  afflicted with type 2 diabetes, or adult-onset diabetes, at a very young age. This was unthinkable decades ago, but now, times have changed. One's age is no longer an assurance that a person is still out of the reach of certain diseases.

So, how do you know now that you might already have arthritis developing in your system?

First, you must understand the complexity of the disease since there are hundreds of types and categories of arthritis which pose a big challenge for physicians just identifying the type alone. Fortunately, there are 3 common symptoms present in almost all types of arthritis at certain stages of the disease which can help us address the question.

3 Early Warning Signs To Watch Out For

Joint Pain or Tenderness

These are the earliest warning symptoms of arthritis. Usually, arthritic joint pain is not continuous. Sometimes the joint pain is there, at other times it is not there. It can come and go depending on your movement which can affect  the afflicted joint.

Stiffness/Rigidity in the Joints

Another common sign normally linked to arthritis is the difficulty in moving affected joints. A classic scenario with rheumatoid arthritis sufferers is stiffness of the joint in the morning that comes with pain. If the pain worsens within the morning and lasts for an hour or 30 minutes before easing up, this is already a clearcut sign of the affliction.

Joint Swelling

The presence of joint swelling is a typical symptom of osteoarthritis, an inflammatory arthritis which is also the most common type. It is often accompanied by intermittent redness and increase in temperature in the affected area.

While the aforementioned warning signs are considered as the classic symptoms of arthritis, they do not always necessarily manifest together in every case. In many instances, they appear one at a time, with pain usually being the first to be felt.

Next to heart disease, arthritis is the second biggest cause of disability among Americans. It can attack anyone in any age bracket. By 2020, 20% of the American population, or nearly 60 million, is projected to suffer from arthritis. If the present trend does not change, 2/3 of this will be women.

So, if you're experiencing joint pain or tenderness, joint stiffness and rigidity, and swelling in the joint, it is advisable to seek medical assistance as soon as possible to avoid further damage. Don't dismiss it and assume that it will just go away, believing  you're still young for the disease. Remember, if diagnosed and treated early, it is extremely manageable and can be slowed down to make you live and enjoy a normal life.

You might want to look into this new help for arthritis pain which has been getting a lot of raves lately for its safety and efficacy. I would highly recommend it over dangerous and side-effect laden drugs.