Embarrassing Illnesses

The main symptoms of osteoarthritis are:

• pain,
• stiffness (which is worst when you wake up in the morning but improves within about 30 minutes when you start to move), and
• difficulty moving your affected joints.

However, in some cases of osteoarthritis, you may not have any symptoms at all. Usually, you will only experience symptoms in one joint or a few joints at any one time. You may also find that your symptoms develop slowly.

Other symptoms of osteoarthritis may include:

• joint tenderness,
• increased pain and stiffness when you have not moved your joints for a while,
• joints appearing slightly larger, or more 'knobbly' than usual,
• a grating or crackling sound or sensation in your joints,
• limited range of movement in your joints,
• weakness and muscle wasting (loss of muscle bulk), and
• warm joints.

You are most likely to develop osteoarthritis in the joints of your knees, hips or hands.

Symptoms of osteoarthritis in the knees

If you have osteoarthritis in your knees, it is likely that both of your knees will be affected, unless it has occurred as the result of an injury or another condition.

Your knees may be most painful when you walk, particularly when walking uphill or going up stairs. Sometimes your knees may 'give way' beneath you or lock into position so that you cannot straighten your legs. You may also hear a soft, grating sound when you move the affected joint.

Symptoms of osteoarthritis in the hips

Osteoarthritis in your hips often causes difficulty moving your hip joints. You may find it difficult to put your shoes and socks on or to get in and out of a car.

If you have osteoarthritis in your hips, you may have pain in your hips. However, it is quite common to have pain in your knee and not in your hip. Rarely, you may have pain in other areas such as the thighs, buttocks, knees and ankles. In most cases, pain will be at its worst when you walk, although it can also affect you when you are resting.

Symptoms of osteoarthritis in the hands

There are three main areas of your hand that are often affected by osteoarthritis - the base of your thumb, the joints closest to your fingertips, and the middle joints of your fingers.

Your fingers may become stiff, painful and swollen and you may develop bumps on your finger joints. However, over time the pain in your fingers may decrease and eventually disappear altogether, although the bumps and swelling may remain.

You may find that your fingers bend sideways slightly at your affected joints, or that you develop painful cysts (fluid-filled lumps) on the backs of your fingers.

In some cases you may also develop a bump at the base of your thumb where it joins your wrist. This can be painful and you may find it difficult to perform some manual tasks, such as writing, opening jars or turning keys.