Arthritis can be difficult to detect in older patients, as many of its symptoms can be taken as “typical signs of aging” and are not diagnosed until they get progressively worse. However, early-onset arthritis, also known as juvenile-onset arthritis (JA), is typically brought on in significantly younger individuals due to prior injuries or susceptibility to arthritic symptoms. Below are five symptoms commonly associated with early-onset arthritis and the warning symptoms for which to look.
#1: Joint stiffness in the morning
One of the primary symptoms of early-onset arthritis is joint pain and stiffness in the morning that lasts for an hour or more, and that occurs regularly. This prolonged stiffness is an important distinction, as other types of arthritis can have symptoms lasting half an hour or less. In addition, early-onset arthritis can be characterized by joint stiffness after sitting or laying still for even a short amount of time.
#2: Joint swelling and pain
Joints which are inflamed typically feel warm to the touch and look swollen. They may also feel soft or “boggy,” and the pain is usually symmetrical on both sides of the body. While the joint on one side of the body may hurt more than the other, the location of the pain is the same and present in both cases. This is an indication of early-onset arthritis rather than arthritis caused by overuse of the same joint over many years.
#3: Wrists, hands, and knuckles are affected
While different types of arthritis attack all areas of the body, early-onset arthritis nearly always appears in the wrists, hands, and knuckles, as well as other places. The knees and feet may also be affected, as can be the spine, but the bones and joints of the wrist to the fingers give the surest sign of early-onset arthritis being a diagnosis.
#4: Fluid buildup in the joints
Especially in the joints most prone to build-up through gravitational means (i.e. those closest to the ground), fluid can buildup around the inflamed areas. The ankles are a common place of fluid build-up, as are the knees. In both cases, symptoms include swelling that feels more like a tumor and may actually bulge out from the joint. (A “Baker cyst” behind the knee is one such example.) In these cases, the fluid puts additional pressure on the joints and increases pain.
#5: Nodules
Nodules (small, hard bumps beneath the skin) occur in some early-onset arthritis patients, and are about the size of a small bean. They are most typically found near the elbow when the joint is inflamed, but they rarely cause pain. A minority of nodules cause additional health issues, though they should be monitored by a healthcare professional.
Understanding the signs and symptoms of early-onset arthritis is imperative to getting the earliest and most effective treatment for the disease. However, a physician should always be consulted before treatment decisions are made.
Source: The Arthritis Foundation, www.arthritisfoundation.org
