By Dr. Sree Hari Reddy Gadekallu , General Physician
Arthritis has a tendency to develop in both males and females in their middle ages. Though, a trend shows that it develops more in females than in males. However, it is manifested through various signs. Here are ten simple and easy to understand signs that would help you in recognizing whether you are suffering from Arthritis or not.
- Weakness: You would start feeling weak and short of breath after working for a little as thirty minutes. Weakness is a sign which is often misunderstood by any. It is rather neglected, although it is the earliest manifestation of arthritis in the body.
- Stiffness: At times, you wake up in the morning and feel rather stiff. But this feeling lasts only for a few minutes and disappears. One might feel it is a chanced case of stiffness but it is not so. Regular morning stiffness can be a symptom of arthritis.
- Joint Stiffness: This happens especially with the joints of the smaller parts of the body like the wrist and the hands. This can occur at any time of the day.
- Joint Pain: This includes sharp pains in areas like neck muscles, back, spinal cord etc.
- Joint Swelling: Often misunderstood as swelling caused by pain, these joint pains and swellings together are signs of rheumatoid arthritis.
- Fever: Fever is looked upon as a minor and common disease. But often it is forgotten that fever itself is a symptom of some bigger disease that will strike the body soon after. Arthritis is one such disease which is preceded by fever.
- Numbness: At times, inflammation of tendons can cause numbness in the fingers of the hands and the legs. This sign should not be over-read and one should go to the doctor for a check up if such numbness prevails frequently.
- Affects Bowel Movement: In case you find any of the above symptoms coupled with a change in your bowel movement, it might be arthritis taking the better of you.
- Insomnia: Our sleep patterns are connected to the manifestation of a lot of diseases. This includes arthritis as well. Lack of sleep or change in sleeping patterns might be the time for you to go for a check up.
- Weight Loss: This is often preceded by a loss of appetite. One feels less hungry and avoids food.
Thus, these are ten early signs that you might be suffering from arthritis. If any of the above signs or two or more of them are manifested by our body, then it might be the time for a body check up to prevent the pains caused by arthritis.
