Arthritis is a health condition in which a person suffers from joint inflammation. It is a degenerative disease that causes problems such as joint pain, stiffness, and limited mobility and flexibility. While arthritis generally occurs in senior citizens, even young adults can suffer from this condition. Diagnosing the disease in its early stages is necessary to slow down its progress. Considering that, some of the early signs of arthritis are discussed below:

Joint stiffness in the morning
One of the earliest signs of arthritis can be experienced right when one wakes up in the morning. People with this condition feel a lack of flexibility after sleeping or sitting for a prolonged period. This sensation makes such individuals feel the need for lubricating their stiff, rusty joints.

Early morning stiffness is usually a common occurrence. However, if this stiffness lasts more than 30 minutes, it is an indicator of rheumatoid arthritis, one of the most debilitative kinds of arthritis. So, if one feels prolonged stiffness in their joints on waking up with alarming frequency, they need to consult their healthcare provider immediately.

Pain in the limbs
In addition to the stiffness of the joints, pain in the hands and legs is an early sign of all kinds of arthritis. Rheumatoid and other forms of arthritis initially develop in the small joints of a person’s hands and feet before aggressively spreading to other joints. This causes not only stiffness when a person wakes up in the morning but also acute pain in the arms and legs.

Additionally, unlike normal joint stiffness or pain, this symptom tends to linger for longer than 30 minutes. During this phase, individuals will find it difficult to bend their elbows and toes due to excruciating pain in those joints.

Joint swelling
Joint swelling accompanies stiffness and pain in the limbs in the early stages of arthritis. Joints tend to swell due to an increase in the synovial fluid in them.

In normal circumstances, the synovial fluid is a useful and natural lubricant that offers a cushioning effect in the joints and other transitional parts between bones and muscles. However, during arthritis, an excessive amount of this fluid enlarges the joints unnaturally and severely restricts one’s movement.

Prominent cracking noise in joints
Arthritis often involves a loss of cartilage in a person’s joints. This causes friction between the various bones and joints during movement. As a result, when a person with arthritis moves or bends their joints, a cracking or grinding noise is heard from their bones.

Frequent fatigue
Naturally, arthritis involves the weakening of a person’s bones and joints. This is often accompanied by frequent instances of tiredness and fever. These symptoms occur as a person steadily loses the strength in their bones.

Unexplained appetite loss
Apart from fever and tiredness, certain types of arthritis, such as rheumatoid arthritis also lead to a distinct loss of appetite. Due to this, muscle loss is felt by people living with this condition.