Around 10 million people in the UK are thought to have arthritis, yet it isn't actually a single condition. With various types of arthritis recognised there are several symptoms that sufferers will experience in common.
What are the Symptoms of Arthritis?
The main symptoms of arthritis are:
- joint pain
- swelling
- stiffness
- restricted movement
- inflammation in the joints and around the body.
Arthritis can cause problems in any joint in the body, although the small joints in the hands and feet are often the first to be affected.
Typically, arthritis will affect the joints symmetrically (both sides of the body at the same time and to the same extent), but this is not always the case.
Symptoms will also vary from person to person, and may come and go or change over time. People can often suffer unexplained flare ups from time to time and their condition can worsen or even improve at random.
Joint pain and Stiffness
Sufferers usually experience a throbbing and aching pain around the joints, which is often worse in the mornings, in cold weather and after periods of inactivity.
Stiffness will come in conjunction with the joint pain and sufferers might struggle to fully open their fingers, form a fist, straighten their leg/knee or flex their ankle for example. Again, the stiffness in the joints will be worse in the morning, in lower temperatures and after long periods of rest. For example, if your hands are affected, you may not be able to fully bend your fingers or form a fist.
Inflammation and Redness
When the lining of affected joints become inflamed, they will swell and can become hot to the touch. This swelling or inflammation affects the mobility of those joints which in turn can increase the stiffness and pain.
Other Symptoms
Additional symptoms
Some other general symptoms associated with arthritis are:
- tiredness and a lack of energy
- a high temperature
- sweating
- a poor appetite
- weight loss
- dry eyes
- chest pain
So if you're experiencing any of these symptoms along with stiff, aching joints you should consult your GP to have it checked out.
Hacks to improve Day to Day Life
While prescriptive and holistic medicines can be used to improve the symptoms of your arthritis, there are several household accessories you can use to help with day to day life and chores around the house.
Hot and cold compresses for the arms and shoulders or knee and ankle cold/hot wraps can help ease the pain of an arthritis flare. Heat soothes joint pain by increasing blood flow to the painful area and relaxing the muscles. Cold eases inflammation by constricting the blood vessels. Both treatments should be done for no more than 15 minutes at a time, two to four times a day.
Around the kitchen there are lots of accessories to help make cooking, cleaning and household maintenance easier for arthritis sufferers.
The kettle tipper avoids spillages of hot water for those with weakened ankle, shoulder and elbow movement, while bendable cutlery is much more comfortable for arthritis sufferers to hold and use, as well as allowing those with limited movement to reach their mouth more easily to eat.
A tap turner is a simple, yet fantastically useful tool for turning on stiff taps and this can opener is ideal for people with stiff or limited finger movement to use for opening tins of beans etc.
We have lots of really useful tools and accessories to make life that bit easier for arthritis sufferers in our Mediworld Showroom in South London, or available for home delivery on our website.
Need more help? We're always here to help so get in touch today.
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October 2022