According to an Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) survey in 2022, arthritis affects around 22.5% of adults, signifying that one in every five adults grapples with this debilitating disease.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), 60% of people living with osteoarthritis are women. In fact, they are 40% more likely to develop knee osteoarthritis.
Research suggests that genetic, anatomical, and hormonal factors may be why postmenopausal women are at an increased risk of osteoarthritis.
Dr Rajiv Ranjan Kumar, CK Birla Hospital, Gurugram shares some of the early signs and symptoms of arthritis that one can experience as one ages.
Early signs and symptoms of arthritis
- Joint pain and stiffness for more than 6 weeks
- Swelling and redness in joints
- Fatigue or easy tiredness or malaise
- Early morning stiffness for more than 30 minutes
- Waking up at night because of joint pain
- Unexplained anemia
- Carpal tunnel syndrome (a neurological condition where the median nerve in the wrist’s carpal tunnel becomes compressed)
- Weight loss
- Decreased appetite
- Low-grade fever
- Depression
- Increased ESR/CRP (biomarkers of inflammation)
- Positive RF and or Anti-CCP (marker for rheumatoid arthritis)
Dr Akhilesh Yadav, Associate Director, Orthopaedic & Joint Replacement at Max Super Speciality Hospital said that a person could feel stiffness initially on prolonged sitting or standing in the case of osteoarthritis.
“They can also experience morning stiffness in the hands, and also increased symptoms during a change of weather (cold and humid weather),” said Dr Yadav.
Besides this, a person could have swelling in the joints either because of increased fluid or an inflamed synovial membrane (a thin barrier that lines the inside of some of the joints).
“A person may feel popping and cracking noise from the joints. Because of degradation of cartilage, they may have deformities like knocked knees or bow knees or deformities over small joints of hands,” cautioned Dr Yadav.
While there is no cure for arthritis, there are several ways to slow its progression. Besides medication like Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAID) to treat different types of arthritis, certain exercises could help ease the pain.
source: https://www.indiatoday.in/