What is Osteoarthritis? - Vista Winds Retirement

Osteoarthritis is the most widespread type of arthritis, impacting millions of people throughout the world. It happens when the protective cartilage that pads the tips of the bones wears away over the years.

Even though osteoarthritis can cause damage to any joint, the ailment most commonly impacts joints in the hands, hips, knees, and spine.

Osteoarthritis symptoms can typically be managed, even though the damage to joints cannot be reversed. Maintaining an active lifestyle, keeping a healthy weight, and receiving specific treatments could slow progression of the disease and help enrich pain and joint function.

Symptoms of Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis symptoms typically progress slowly and get worse over time. The symptoms of the disease comprise of:

Swelling. This could be caused by soft tissue tenderness around the joint.
Stiffness. Joint stiffness might be most obvious upon waking up or after being inactive.
Flexibility Loss. You may not be allowed to move your joint through its full-range of motion.
Bone spurs. These additional pieces of bone, that feel like hard nodules, can form around the impacted joint.
Grating sensation. You could feel a grating sensation when using the joint, and you could hear crackling or popping.
Pain. Impacted joints might hurt throughout or following movement.
Tenderness. Your joint could feel tender when applying light pressure to or close to it.

When to go to a Doctor

When you have joint pain or stiffness that will not go away, schedule a meeting with your doctor.

Causes of Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis happens when the cartilage that pads the tips of bones in your joints over time deteriorates. Cartilage is a firm, slick tissue that allows practically frictionless joint motion.

Over time, should the cartilage wear down completely, bone is going to rub on bone.

Osteoarthritis has sometimes been called a “wear & tear “disease. But aside from the breakdown of cartilage, osteoarthritis alters the whole joint. It makes changes in the bone and weakening of the connecting tissues that holds the joints together and connects muscle to bone. It also creates inflammation to the lining of the joint.

Factors of Risk for Osteoarthritis

Factors that could increase your risk of osteoarthritis comprise of:

Older age. The osteoarthritis risk increases as people get older.
Sex. Women have more potential to develop osteoarthritis, however it’s not clear why.
Obesity. Bearing extra body weight contributes to osteoarthritis in a multitude of ways, and the more you weigh, the increase of risk. Additional weight strains weight-carrying joints, like your hips and knees. Also, fatty tissues creates proteins that can cause detrimental inflammation in and around your joints.
Joint injuries. Injuries, like those that happen when participating in sports or from accidents, can increase the risk of osteoarthritis. Even those that happened years ago and appears to have healed can also raise your risk.
Repeated stress on the joint. If your job or the sport you participate in places repeated stress on a joint, that joint could eventually produce osteoarthritis.
Genetics. Many individuals inherit an inclination to develop osteoarthritis.
Bone deformities. Many individuals are born with malformed joints or imperfect cartilage.
Specific metabolic diseases. These comprise of diabetes and a condition called hemochromatosis.

Complications of Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is a degenerating disease that gets worse over time, usually chronic pain as a result. Joint pain and stiffness can become relentless enough to make day-to-day tasks challenging.

Depression and sleep disruption can result from the pain and debilitation of osteoarthritis.

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