Osteoarthritis how do you get it

If you work at a desk, make sure your chair is at the correct height, and take regular breaks to move around. Find out more about common posture mistakes and fixes. Being overweight or obese increases the strain on your joints and your risk of developing osteoarthritis. If you're overweight, losing weight may help lower your chances of developing the condition. Use the healthy weight calculator to find out whether you're overweight or obese.

Find out more more about losing weight. Page last reviewed: 19 August Next review due: 19 August Symptoms of osteoarthritis The main symptoms of osteoarthritis are joint pain and stiffness, and problems moving the joint. Some people also have symptoms such as: - swelling - tenderness - grating or crackling sound when moving the affected joints The severity of osteoarthritis symptoms can vary greatly from person to person, and between different affected joints.

Causes of osteoarthritis As part of normal life, your joints are exposed to a constant low level of damage. The exact cause is not known, but several things are thought to increase your risk of developing osteoarthritis, including: joint injury — overusing your joint when it has not had enough time to heal after an injury or operation other conditions secondary arthritis — osteoarthritis can happen in joints severely damaged by a previous or existing condition, such as rheumatoid arthritis or gout age — your risk of developing the condition increases as you get older.

Diagnosing osteoarthritis To help determine whether you have osteoarthritis, a GP will first ask you about your symptoms and examine your joints. A GP may suspect osteoarthritis if: you're aged 45 or older you have joint pain that gets worse the more you use your joints the stiffness in your joints is not there in the mornings, or lasts less than 30 minutes If your symptoms are slightly different, this may indicate another joint condition. Treating osteoarthritis Osteoarthritis is a long-term condition and cannot be cured, but it doesn't necessarily get any worse over time and it can sometimes gradually improve.

Mild symptoms can sometimes be managed with simple measures including: regular exercise losing weight if you're overweight wearing suitable footwear using special devices to reduce the strain on your joints during your everyday activities If your symptoms are more severe, you may need additional treatments such as painkillers and a structured exercise plan with a physiotherapist. Find out more about treating osteoarthritis.

Living with osteoarthritis As osteoarthritis is a long-term condition, it's important you receive support to help you cope with any issues such as reduced mobility, and advice on any necessary financial support. Preventing osteoarthritis It's not possible to prevent osteoarthritis altogether. Exercise Avoid exercise that puts strain on your joints and forces them to bear an excessive load, such as running and weight training.

Osteoarthritis affects people of all ages, genders, and sizes. OA can also cause cartilage damage, the hallmark of the condition. Medical conditions that involve bleeding near a joint can cause osteoarthritis to become worse or new symptoms to develop.

People with the bleeding disorder hemophilia, or avascular necrosis — the death of bone tissue due to a lack of blood supply — could also experience symptoms associated with OA. Osteoarthritis is a chronic and progressive medical condition. Most people find that their symptoms increase over time. Make an appointment with your doctor as soon as you suspect you might have arthritis.

If you live with osteoarthritis, you know it's a complex condition with a broad range of treatments and risk factors. Here's a detailed, top-to-bottom…. Left untreated, osteoarthritis can become a serious condition leading to major complications. From obesity and joint injury to repetitive joint stress, we'll fill you in on the major risk factors for osteoarthritis. Advanced osteoarthritis OA can significantly affect your quality of life. Find out what advanced OA involves and how to manage it.

Researchers say physical activity does not increase the risk of developing osteoarthritis in the knee and may actually help reduce symptoms. Erosive osteoarthritis has many of the same symptoms as traditional osteoarthritis, though the earmarks of the disease are usually limited to the…. Find out what Healthline readers are wearing, and what you should look for the next time you go shoe shopping. Synvisc and Hyalgan are both viscosupplements used to treat osteoarthritis.

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Osteoarthritis of the hip Open pop-up dialog box Close. Osteoarthritis of the hip The hip joint shown on the left side of the image is normal, but the hip joint shown on the right side of the image shows deterioration of cartilage and the formation of bone spurs due to osteoarthritis. Request an Appointment at Mayo Clinic. Share on: Facebook Twitter. Show references Osteoarthritis.

Accessed March 7, Osteoarthritis adult. Mayo Clinic; Kellerman RD, et al. In: Conn's Current Therapy Elsevier; Accessed March 2, Rakel D, ed. In: Integrative Medicine. Deveza, LA.