Pain from our health problems can make us focus on the part of our body giving us trouble, although this could take attention away from important other changes in our wellness that indicate additional medical issues. When we get arthritic joints then they may swell, and become hot and painful, depending on the arthritis we have. Treating our affected joints with care is necessary when this happens, but we also need to lookout for changes to our wellness that could be linked to our bone condition.
Not Just Our Bones
Osteoarthritis is a common bone health problem that many of us will get in time. It’s caused by overuse of our joints to the point protective cartilage is worn down. Rheumatoid arthritis can also give us pains in the same joints, but it’s caused by our immune systems targeting our tissues, rather than wear and tear. This doesn’t only occur in our joints but in other areas of our body too. This response can lead to further health problems if we miss the symptoms.
What to look for
When we have rheumatoid arthritis, we can also get anaemia, which is when our blood cells struggle to deliver oxygen to cells. Classic signs of this condition are dizziness, fatigue and shortness of breath. As well as anaemia, we have an increased risk of heart disease, caused by hardening of our arteries. This can be difficult to detect but maintaining a healthy lifestyle can help keep our circulation in top condition. We should visit our GPs if we experience cardiovascular pains or tightness.
In addition to targeting linings in our joints, rheumatoid arthritis can also affect the tissue in our eyes leading to Sjogren’s syndrome. This can cause our eyes to become dry and affect our vision. Our bones can also develop osteoporosis, which is sometimes a side effect of medication. It results in brittle bones that fracture easily and may show as back pain or loss in height.
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