Joint swelling can be caused by various conditions, including arthritis, gout, infections, and injuries. Symptoms include pain, stiffness, redness, and difficulty moving the affected joint. Seeking medical attention is important if the swelling lasts longer than a week, is accompanied by fever or chills, or if the joint is punctured.
Joint swelling occurs when fluid builds up in the area around a joint. There are many different things that cause this, many of which also lead to stiffness, discomfort, and outright pain. One of the most common causes of joint swelling is arthritis. In addition to swelling, you may experience joint pain, stiffness, red skin around the affected joints, and difficulty moving the joint if you have arthritis. The condition occurs when the cartilage around a joint breaks down and allows bones to rub together.
Gout is another condition that can cause swelling. With this condition, symptoms start suddenly and often occur in the middle of the night; the affected person usually has no warning that a gout attack is about to begin. In addition to swollen joints, gout symptoms include redness around the affected joints and pain. The severe pain typically lasts for as little as five days or as long as 10 days if left untreated. Gout most often affects the big toe joint, but it can also cause damage to the joints in the feet, ankles, and knees. the joints in the hand and wrist may also be affected.
Sometimes infections, which can be viral, bacterial, or fungal in nature, cause swelling. For example, a rare fungal infection called blastomycosis can cause general swelling and discomfort, cough, shortness of breath, fever, fatigue, joint stiffness, skin lesions and rashes, chest pain, and a host of other symptoms. This infection can be fatal if left untreated.
Septic arthritis causes joint swelling but is caused by bacteria. Its other symptoms include severe joint pain, redness, low-grade fever, and the inability to move the part of the body that houses the affected joint. With antibiotic treatment, the chances of recovery from this condition are good. If the condition is allowed to worsen without treatment, however, the affected joint may be permanently damaged.
Rheumatoid arthritis is another common cause of swollen joints. This serious autoimmune condition is characterized by an immune system attacking healthy body tissue. It typically affects people between the ages of 25 and 55 and is mostly found in women. No one is sure of the exact cause of this form of arthritis, but both genes and infections have been implicated. Hormones can also play a role.
In addition to joint swelling, a person with this condition may experience loss of appetite, low-grade fever, limited movement, redness and inflammation of the skin, swollen glands, and numbness. A person with rheumatoid arthritis may also have eyes that itch, burn, or ooze discharge. Symptoms also include anemia and severely damaged or even destroyed joints. A person with this disease will need care throughout their life, and the average life span of a person with this disease can be shortened by several years.
Sometimes, an injury, such as a broken bone, can cause swelling. If the swelling is caused by something other than a minor injury, you should see a doctor right away. If you don’t have an obvious injury or it’s minor, call your doctor if the swelling lasts longer than a week or if the affected joint feels red and warm. Always call your doctor if joint swelling is accompanied by fever or chills. Likewise, seek immediate medical attention if your joint is punctured.
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