Whenever you think about the disease arthritis, an image of an elderly or injured person might come to mind. However, arthritis is a disease that transcends people of all age, sex, ethnicity, and ability. Some risk factors are preventable, while others are not. However, knowing what causes arthritis and how susceptible you are will keep you on the look out for arthritis signs and symptoms, meaning earlier diagnosis and treatment of the terrible condition.

The Causes Of Arthritis

One of the main risk factors for developing arthritis is age. As people age, the likelihood of developing arthritis increases. Usually, arthritis begins to affect people after the age of forty.

Another risk factor for developing arthritis is gender. This comes as a surprise to most people; however, arthritis does occur more commonly in women than in men. Furthermore, women are more likely than men to develop various types of arthritis, such as rheumatoid arthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis can begin in women as young as thirty.

One of the major causes of arthritis is obesity. The more obese a person is, the higher their chances are of developing arthritis, particularly in the knees. This is because excess weight increases the amount of pressure on the joints, which in turn causes cartilage to deteriorate even faster than it might otherwise. As little as ten additional pounds can put you at increased risk for developing obesity.

Have you ever heard someone complain about an old injury flaring up? Well, they might not be far off. Past severe injuries, such as those from accidents, can lead to an increased risk of developing arthritis in that particular area. For example, an old knee injury could lead to the development of arthritis in the knee.

Ethnicity and genetics also can increase the risk of developing arthritis. Although more research needs to be done regarding what role these arthritis causes have in the development of the condition, you might be able to determine how at risk you are for the disease by simply looking at your family history.

Arthritis Causes—What To Do To Prevent The Worst

Knowing what causes arthritis can be helpful in determining how at risk you are for developing arthritis. In order to determine your risk factor, you should examine your family history, past injuries, age, gender, and weight. Based on these factors, you might consider seeing a doctor yearly to check for the development of arthritis.

Future Knowledge

In some cases, the causes of certain types of arthritis aren’t known. However, researchers have come very far in figuring out what causes arthritis. Future research might lead to better diagnosis and treatment of the disease. 

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