Diagnosing Arthritis Early

At 56 one might think that a diagnosis of arthritis is a little early but sad to say even some children are affected by this debilitating condition.

One early symptom of the disease is viewable to the naked eye as tiny bumps that develop on the top knuckles of one’s fingers or increased stiffness of finger and/or wrist joints. Osteoarthritis is the most common kind of arthritis and has often been described as the “wear and tear” arthritis. However, it isn’t just usage that causes these joints to develop arthritis but also aging, genes, previous injury, and hormones.

While this type of arthritis is infrequent prior to age 40 it is often diagnosed in the 50s.

What happens is that the cartilage that covers the ends of two bones splits causing fissures which crumble over time. The result is stiff,  painful joints that increases with activity. Osteoarthritis most often affects the hands, fingers, knees, hips, the lower back and neck. 

One form of osteoarthritis is more common in women, occurring in the fingers and hands. The small nodules or bumps that form on the knuckles are known as Heberden’s nodes and are definitive indicators of osteoarthritis. These bumps are actually bony growths.

Fortunately, osteoarthritis is a slowly progressive illness that often remains limited to the hands and fingers. For more information on this disease you may obtain a booklet by writing Dr. Donahue - No. 301, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. Your request will need to be accompanied by a check or money order for $4.75 with your name and address attached to it.

To find more information on arthritis you can use your google search engine.

[tags]arthritis, osteoarthritis, disease diagnosis, Dr. Donahue, stiff fingers, bony growths, nodules, age-related diseases[/tags]