You can suspect any of the types of arthritis at home. The first signal is unpleasant sensations in the joint area. But this early symptom of arthritis is ignored by many or not noticed at all. In place of discomfort in arthritis comes the standard five signs of inflammation:

1. Redness of the skin over the affected joint. If the inflammation is purulent, redness can “spill” beyond the joint.
2. Edema.
3. Soreness when trying to feel the skin and nearby tissues.
4. Impaired mobility: it is impossible to completely bend / straighten the limb.
5. Swelling of soft tissues.

Often (but not always) with arthritis, there may be a crunch or click when moving. All of these signs appear with any type of inflammation. To suspect what kind of arthritis appeared, you can use the following “tips”.

• For example, the gouty form is characterized by a lesion primarily of the big toe. Less often, it affects the elbow and knee joint, fingers.

• Traumatic arthritis occurs some time after a bruise or other injury to a particular joint. In a fracture, the articular surfaces may be visible in the wound.

• The psoriatic type of arthritis is accompanied by red itchy rashes throughout the body, covered with scales. More often, it affects the joints of the fingers of the hands and feet.

• Reactive arthritis is characterized by a deterioration in the general condition: frequent urination, temperature and weakness, abundant discharge from the eyes.

• A distinctive feature of rheumatoid arthritis is the appearance of “nodules” in the area of the affected joints.

• The infectious form occurs with fever or chills, nausea, vomiting or headache may appear.

If a person ignores the manifestations of arthritis for a long time, over time, inflammation leads to the growth of articular cartilage. The new tissue is denser, which limits movement in the joint, there is a constant crunch and a desire to “warm up”. The result of the complete lack of treatment is the “gluing” of the articular surfaces and the lack of movement in the limb.