Arthritis is a painful and debilitating condition that causes swelling, stiffness and discomfort in one or more joints. There are a number of different types of arthritis and a number of different potential causes – and for this reason it can present itself in a variety of different ways.
In autoimmune conditions like rheumatoid arthritis for instance, the body is actually attacking itself and it is the patient’s own immune system that is responsible. On the other hand however, osteoarthritis is a degenerative condition that is caused over many years of repeated use – or which may be triggered by an old injury or accident. Fibromyalgia is a condition that is closely related to arthritis and for which the precise cause isn’t fully understood. Fibromyalgia appears to increase an individual’s sensitivity to pain generally and is likely linked to depression and stress via changes in the brain.
For this reason, it’s easy to mistake symptoms of arthritis for other conditions, or to mistakenly assume that certain symptoms aren’t related.
In this post, we will take a look at 15 different arthritis symptoms that many people find more surprising.
1. Tiredness
One of the lesser known symptoms of arthritis is tiredness, which can actually occur in many forms and for many reasons.
One reason for tiredness is simply lack of sleep. When you experience chronic pain, you will find it harder to get to sleep and to stay that way: and this can cause you to wake feeling unrested and even somewhat ill.
Tiredness can also be caused by the body fighting itself, by infections or by hormonal changes.
