Recognizing Early Arthritis Symptoms

Paying Attention to Symptoms Paves Way to Accurate Diagnosis

Early arthritis symptoms can be vague and confusing, but they are important to recognize. Newly diagnosed arthritis patients quickly realize that early symptoms are just the first layer to be uncovered before a definitive diagnosis and treatment plan can be established.


Early symptoms linked to arthritis usually include:

Joint pain
Joint stiffness
Tenderness in and around the joint
Limited range of motion in one or more joints
Redness and warmth around the affected joint

Though early symptoms are the first indication of an arthritic condition, there is much more information which needs to be gathered. There are more than 100 types of arthritis and related rheumatic conditions. For a patient to obtain a specific diagnosis (i.e. What type of arthritis do I have?), a doctor must evaluate the patient's:

Medical history
Current physical examination
Diagnostic tests
Assessment of disease progression
Together, the criteria formulate a clinical picture which must be routinely re-assessed by your doctor. It's important for you to learn the major differences between the various types of arthritis. An understanding of the primary characteristics associated with each type of arthritis will help you recognize what is and is not important to report to your doctor with regard to your own condition.

Know the Symptoms of Major Types of Arthritis

A basic knowledge of the major types of arthritis and symptoms also will better prepare you for doctor appointments. You will find it easier to formulate questions and communicate with your doctor once you are confident that you understand basic facts about arthritis symptoms.
Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid Arthritis is an inflammatory type of arthritis. The joints are primarily affected, but there can be systemic effects (i.e. organs) as well. Morning stiffness lasting more than an hour, involvement of the small bones of the hands and feet, extreme fatigue, rheumatoid nodules, and symmetrical joint involvement (i.e. both knees not one knee) are all characteristics of rheumatoid arthritis.

Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis predominantly affects the joints, unlike other types of arthritis which may have systemic effects. The most common symptom associated with osteoarthritis is pain in the affected joint after repeated use. Joint pain is often worse later in the day. The affected joints can swell, feel warm, and become stiff after prolonged inactivity. Osteoarthritis can occur with other forms of arthritis simultaneously. Bone spurs and bony enlargements are also characteristic of osteoarthritis.

Psoriatic arthritis is a type of arthritis associated with psoriasis (a skin condition characterized by red, patchy, raised or scaly areas) and chronic joint symptoms. The symptoms of psoriasis and joint inflammation often develop separately. Symptoms associated with psoriatic arthritis vary in how they occur (i.e. symmetrical or asymmetrical) and what joints are affected. Any joint in the body can be affected. When psoriasis causes pitting and thickened or discolored fingernails, the joints nearest the fingertips are likely to become arthritic.


Ankylosing spondylitis is commonly associated with inflammation which starts at the lower spine or sacroiliac joints. The earliest symptoms are often chronic pain and stiffness in the lower back region and hips. Typical ankylosing spondylitis pain in the back worsens following rest or inactivity. As symptoms of pain and stiffness progress up the spine to the neck, possibly including the rib cage area, bones may fuse.

Lupus

Lupus can affect the joints, skin, kidneys, lungs, heart, nervous system and other organs of the body. It is not uncommon for symptoms associated with lupus to resemble symptoms associated with other types of arthritis and rheumatic disease, making lupus difficult to diagnose. A butterfly-shaped rash appearing on the cheeks and over the bridge of the nose (malar rash) is just one of the distinguishing characteristics of lupus.

Gout

Gout is considered one of the most intensely painful types of arthritis. Gout is characterized by sudden onset of severe pain, tenderness, warmth, redness, and swelling from inflammation of the affected joint. Gout usually affects a single joint and most often the big toe is affected. The knee, ankle, foot, hand, wrist, and elbow may also be affected. Shoulders, hips, and spine may eventually be affected by gout, but rarely. Often the first gout attack occurs at night.

There are other types of arthritis and joint inflammation conditions to consider as well:

Fibromyalgia
Sjogren's Syndrome
Scleroderma
Reactive Arthritis
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Lyme Disease
Pseudogout
Raynaud's Phenomenon
Polymyositis
Tendinitis
As you learn about them, you and your doctor will decide which of your symptoms matches the diagnostic scheme of a particular type of arthritis. The process of identifying a specific type of arthritis is not always quick. Individual symptoms and symptom patterns can make diagnosing arthritis tricky. Being aware of early symptoms is a definite advantage however.

Sources:

Arthritis Foundation, Diseases and Conditions.
http://www.arthritis.org

American College of Rheumatology. Diseases.
http://www.rheumatology.org
http://arthritis.about.com/od/arthritissignssymptoms/a/early_symptoms.htm

What Are The Symptoms Of High Blood Pressure?

Do you know what the symptoms of high blood pressure are? If you think you do, chances are you are probably wrong, but now that you’re here I will set the record straight and debunk and eliminate the myths you may have heard about the symptoms of high blood pressure.

Facial Flushing

One of the most common misconceptions about high blood pressure symptoms is that the face becomes flushed. The truth is that facial flushing does occur due to temporary elevated blood pressure, but it is not one of the high blood pressure symptoms. What’s the difference? Temporary elevated blood pressure can be triggered by exercise, drinking alcohol, hot water or a stressor, all things that temporarily raise your blood pressure. A red, burning face can also be caused by cold weather, spicy food, exposure to the sun and embarrassment. So, as you can see, high blood pressure symptoms do not include a flushed face. And for the times that elevated blood pressure causes facial flushing, there are too many other factors which contribute that make this symptom a non-factor.

Headache Symptoms

It’s often thought that headaches are part of high blood pressure symptoms. Once again, they aren’t. This misconception about high blood pressure symptoms was widely spread by the medical field well into the 1900s.

But now we know that in fact, the opposite is true. According to a study published in the popular medical journal Neurology, higher systolic blood pressure actually decreases your chance of developing headaches by 40% when compared to a person with normal blood pressure. Further, it was found that those with a higher pulse pressure (found by subtracting your diastolic reading from your systolic reading, or in layman’s terms, the bottom number from the top number), has up to 50% less headaches! This is thought to be due in part to the pulse pressure stiffening the blood vessels which in turn disrupt nerve endings, which then sedate the pain a headache would cause.

What Are The Symptoms Of High Blood Pressure? 

 
The only thing that’s clear is that headaches, or the lack thereof, cannot be considered part of high blood pressure symptoms.

Nosebleeds

This is another common misconception about high blood pressure symptoms. This is because nosebleeds are often caused by dry air as well as allergies, colds, blowing your nose too hard or medications. But in regard to high blood pressure symptoms, over 80% of patients in hospitals treated for high blood pressure report no sign of nosebleeds, thus debunking it a common symptom of high blood pressure.

Dizziness

Because dizziness is a common side effect of high blood pressure medications, it is often thought of as part of the high blood pressure symptoms group. In fact, it is not. What it is, though, is a warning sign for a stroke, something which high blood pressure is a leading cause of.

What Are Actual High Blood Pressure Symptoms

The truth is there are very few cases of high blood pressure symptoms that can reliably indicate high blood pressure. Most people with high blood pressure will never have any symptoms, this is why it is know as the ‘silent killer’. That said, if you are repeatedly experiencing any of the symptoms above, you should visit your doctor for a check up to rule out any other serious illness.

The fact is – checking your blood pressure at the doctors or on your own via a home blood pressure monitor is the only reliable way to know if you have high blood pressure.

Note: Sometimes routine eye examinations at the opticians can indicate high blood pressure, this is due to damage to the blood vessels in the eyes which can be cause by high blood pressure.

High Blood Pressure Causes 62% of all Strokes and 49% of all Heart Attacks… No matter what your age – if your BP is above 140/90 you should set about lowering it.

http://knowledgeweighsnothing.com/what-are-the-symptoms-of-high-blood-pressure/

10 Symptoms of Gluten Intolerance

By Dr. Amy Myers

More than 55 diseases have been linked to gluten, the protein found in wheat, rye, and barley. It’s estimated that 99% of the people who have either gluten intolerance or celiac disease are never diagnosed.

It is also estimated that as much as 15% of the US population is gluten intolerant. Could you be one of them?

If you have any of the following symptoms it could be a sign that you have gluten intolerance:

1. Digestive issues such as gas, bloating, diarrhea and even constipation. I see the constipation particularly in children after eating gluten.
   

2. Keratosis Pilaris, (also known as ‘chicken skin’ on the back of your arms). This tends be as a result of a fatty acid deficiency and vitamin A deficiency secondary to fat-malabsorption caused by gluten damaging the gut.
   

3. Fatigue, brain fog or feeling tired after eating a meal that contains gluten.

4. Diagnosis of an autoimmune disease such as Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, Rheumatoid arthritis, Ulcerative colitis, Lupus, Psoriasis, Scleroderma or Multiple sclerosis.
   

5. Neurologic symptoms such as dizziness or feeling of being off balance.
   

6. Hormone imbalances such as PMS, PCOS or unexplained infertility.
   

7. Migraine headaches.
   

8. Diagnosis of chronic fatigue or fibromyalgia. These diagnoses simply indicate your conventional doctor cannot pin point the cause of your fatigue or pain.
   

9. Inflammation, swelling or pain in your joints such as fingers, knees or hips.
   

10. Mood issues such as anxiety, depression, mood swings and ADD.

http://eatlocalgrown.com/article/11266-wheat-gluten-the-culprit-for-so-many-ills.html