Signs and Symptoms of Arthritis   Approaching Arthritis disease positively   Each of the different types of Arthritis have one or more different signs, so  below is just a general outline for most types but it could be helpful for the person who has not yet been diagnosed with any one type of Arthritis but who may find something recognizable in the general signs.    Signs and symptoms come and go over time.  They can include.   -         Pain and swelling in your joints, especially in the smaller joints of hands and feet.            -         Generalized aching or stiffness of the joints and muscles, especially after sleep or rest period.            -         Loss of motion of the affected joints           -         Loss of strength in the muscles attached to the affected joints.           -         Fatigue, which can be severe during times of flare ups            -         Low grade fever            -         Deformity of the joints over time.            -        General sense of not feeling well.                    1.  Finding it difficult to turn door knobs, tighten fixtures, opening bottles which normally are quite simple but now seem like have been made 'child proof'.  It may be enough for you to let out a quick yell, but when this happens often, please get it checked out.   2.  Stiffness in the joints in the morning.  Finding it difficult to climb out of bed or change positions.  In addition to this you may be finding it more and more difficult to climb stairs without the use of the handrail.    3.  Swelling and redness or heat in any of  the joints, including tenderness to the touch.  This can be noticed in the fingers, knees elbows and other joints as well.    4.  Low grade fever with no known cause may be present with certain types of Arthritis.  No other illness is present yet the fever is there.   5.  Pain in various degrees will come with almost any type of Arthritis.  We all have different levels of pain tolerance also, and what is painful to you may not be to me.  Pain is not fun, and it can slow you down enough to make you feel like a good 20 years have just been added to your life.   6.  Disjointed joints can eventually leave you totally dependent on others and, or, the possibility of becoming wheelchair bound.  This may be found in the later stages of the disease.  You may recall seeing loved ones or other people you meet with joints that are so distended and gnarly and never have been made aware that they are suffering from this crippling condition.  Keep in mind though that they haven't been this way (should the cause be Arthritis) from birth, as Arthritis is a Degenerative Disease.   7.  Finding it more and more difficult to bear weight.  This will happen especially after a torn ligament of that particular joint.  You will find this prominent in the young and the old.  Young athletes fall a lot and get pushed and shoved around during practice.  They are expected to get right back up and continue, or often after injury takes place they are urged to recommence playing again just as soon as they feel they are fit enough.  In a lot of cases the injury is not healed properly and this causes multiple problems later on in life.  In seniors there has been bone loss over the years.  This is a natural process, but can lead to falls.  Once again the joint or bone is damaged and if Arthritis is not yet present or only just showing it's face, it will for sure be hastened now that there has been an injury.   Rheumatoid Arthritis - signs and symptoms:   Rheumatoid Arthritis is a progressive autoimmune disease of unknown aetiology occurring in approximately 3% of the population.  It is characterized by inflammation of the membranes lining the joint, which in turn causes pain, stiffness, redness and swelling.  Bone and cartilage become damaged and the joint eventually loses its shape which contributes to pain and stiffness.  The synovium becomes inflamed and painful. This usually affects hands, knees ankles and feet.   Causes .  The causes of Rheumatoid Arthritis are not known.  It is theorized that endocrine, infectious, or generic factors may play a role.   Stages .  This disease progresses from inflammation of the synovial membranes to destruction of the joint capsule and bone, and finally to bony ankylosis and immobility.   Rheumatoid Arthritis usually causes problems in several joints at the same time.  Early in Rheumatoid Arthritis, the joints in the wrist, hands, feet and knees are the ones most affected.  As the disease progresses, - the shoulders, elbows, hips, jaw and neck can become involved.  R.A. generally affects both sides of the body at the same time.  The knuckles in both hands are a good example.   Small lumps, called Rheumatoid Nodules, may form under your skin at pressure points.  These can be at elbows, hands, feet and Achilles tendons.  These nodules may also occur elsewhere, including the back of your scalp, your knees and even in your lungs.  These nodules can range in size from as small as a pea to as large as a walnut.  These lumps are usually not painful.    Rheumatoid Arthritis  can also cause inflammation of the glands, salivary glands, and linings of your heart and lungs, your lungs themselves, and in rare cases your blood vessels.   Although Rheumatoid Arthritis is often classed as a chronic disease, it tends to vary in severity and even come and go.   This is in contrast to Osteoarthritis, which affects only your bones and joints.   Osteoarthritis - signs and symptoms:    There are two types of Osteoarthritis; primary and secondary.  While the difference is not always clinically obvious, cases are divided by the cause. .  Primary Osteoarthritis has no known cause, but is usually related to aging.   .  Secondary Osteoarthritis results from obesity, repeated trauma, congenital abnormalities, gout, diabetes, hormone disorders, and other identifiable causes. Those generally at risk are the elderly and people experiencing any of the problems that can cause the secondary type.   Osteoarthritis develops slowly; some may not experience any signs or symptoms.  However some sufferers can experience these following signs.   .  Pain in a joint during or after use, or after a period of inactivity.   .  Discomfort or pain of a joint before, or during weather change.   .  Swelling or stiffness in a joint particularly after use.   .  Bony lumps in the middle, or end joints of your fingers, or the base of your thumb.   .  Loss of joint flexibility.   The acute pain of early Osteoarthritis tends to fade within a year or so of its appearance, but it may return if you use the affected joints - this is true especially of fingers affected by Osteoarthritis.   Areas Osteoarthritis typically affects include:   .  FINGERS - bony knobs can affect your finger joints creating gnarled appearances.  Early in the course of the disease, your joints may feel stiff and numb.  Eventually the pain subsides, leaving just bony nodes that affect the mobility of the joints at the end of your fingers.  These nodes tend to run in families and affect more women than men.   .  SPINE - slow deterioration of discs between the bones along your spine can lead to back and neck pain and stiffness.   .  WEIGHT-BEARING JOINTS - the parts of your body that bear the majority of your weight - hips,knees and feet are more susceptible to Osteoarthritis.  As cartilage slowly deteriorates over the years, you can develop chronic pain and varying amounts of discomfort when you stand or walk.  Swelling may occur especially in your knees. Unless you have been injured or placed unusual stress on a joint, it's uncommon for Osteoarthritis to affect your jaw, shoulders, elbows, wrists or ankles.   Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis - signs and symptoms:   Watch for these signs particularly in young children.   .  Joint swelling with pain and stiffness:  This may be pronounced after a nap or in  early in the morning.  Commonly it affects the knees and the joints of hands and feet.  Children may complain of pain or you may notice them limping.   .  Fever and Rash which may appear and then quickly disappear.  These symptoms can also be associated with any other medical condition. Please check this with your Medical Provider.   .  Swelling of lymph nodes   .  Eye inflammation   Like other forms of Arthritis, Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis is characterised by times when symptoms are present, and at times of remission.      Some of these signs and symptoms are present with any type of Arthritis. While with some, they are more noticeable  in certain types than others.  They start slowly but believe me they do become more and more prominent as time passes.  That swelling of the fingers, possibly just present in the morning in the beginning phases, can easily be pushed to the back of your mind by thinking that you may have slept on that hand. Or if you have taken notice of the swelling you may think that it was just because you have gained a little weight lately. All different reasons will go through your mind, as at the beginning these signs will usually pass rather quickly and like the swelling for instance, you will have noticed it has gone before another reason for it enters your head.    Quite sly, isn't it the way it can creep up on you.   This is not a disease that will typically shorten one's life, but will certainly cause significant pain and disability if left untreated.   Arthritis doesn't have to be a totally disabling disease.  There are many things we can do to help ourselves.    Click here  for our list of Hints and Tips to make living with Arthritis more comfortable for you. Putting "Tips" in the subject line and your preferred email address - if different - will help us to get this information to you as soon as possible.   Disclaimer: This article is not meant to replace consultation with trained health care professionals. The publisher and author are not responsible for any adverse consequences of effects resulting from the use of any of the information or suggestions contained in this article. All research has been done in good faith, using recognized sources