The problem of swelling and stiffness in the joints is called arthritis in the medical language. Pain, swelling, and stiffness increase with age in the disease of arthritis. Usually, this problem is seen in people above 65 years of age, but nowadays children and young adults are also falling prey to this disease. The most common type of arthritis among the youth is rheumatoid arthritis (RA). About 1-3% of young adults are said to be suffering from rheumatoid arthritis; a study found that out of one lakh people aged 18 to 34 years, about 8 were suffering from RA.

(Read more: Joint pain)

Why does arthritis occur in young adults

There can be many reasons for arthritis to develop during one’s youth:

Heredity

If the disease of arthritis is already running in the family, that is, if your parents have this disorder, then you may be more likely to develop arthritis. You may become more vulnerable to arthritis due to environmental triggers as well.

(Read more: Ayurvedic medicine for Arthritis)

Loss of cartilage

Due to movement, there is pressure on the joints and the cartilage (a type of connective tissue) present in them absorbs that pressure, protecting the bones. However, when the amount of cartilage present in the joints decreases, it can lead to arthritis.

(Read more: Homeopathic medicine for Arthritis)

Excessive use of mobile

In today's time, due to playing video games and texting on mobile phones, cases of arthritis are increasing among the youth. Research by the Cancer Family Foundation found that middle-school and high-school students spend an average of 95 minutes texting every day, which can easily lead or contribute to the development of arthritis.

Obesity

Due to obesity, there is more stress on the joints, especially the knees, hips and spine. Young people who are obese have a higher risk of developing arthritis.

(Read more: Exercises for Arthritis)

Smoking

The body may also develop rheumatoid arthritis due to smoking as the risk of rheumatoid arthritis increases in people who smoke more. Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease, which occurs when the body's immune system attacks tissue. Due to this, the synovium (the fluid that nourishes the cartilage) present in the joints gets affected.

(Read more: Diet for Rheumatoid Arthritis)

Abnormality in metabolism

Due to the deteriorating metabolism of the body, young adults can get arthritis. For example, the problem of gout is caused by increased uric acid levels.

(Read more: Arthritis diet)

Symptoms of arthritis

The symptoms of arthritis during one’s youth can prove to be serious. They may have more problems with swelling in the joints of their hands and feet. Along with this, the risk of developing rheumatoid nodules while they’re young also increases. Rheumatoid nodules are a kind of hard lump, which can occur under the skin, usually on the fingers. After this condition, one may eventually develop psoriatic arthritis.

Apart from this, similar symptoms of arthritis are seen in patients of all ages, whether they are young or old. In this disease, people see symptoms like stiffness in the joints, swelling, redness, pain, burning, pain in the fingers and toes and knots, difficulty in doing daily tasks, and difficulty in walking and sitting. Apart from this, in severe cases of arthritis, symptoms like fever, weight loss, swollen lymph nodes, and fatigue can be seen. Lung, heart, and kidney-related diseases may also be experienced.

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Doctors for Arthritis in young adults
Dr. G Sowrabh Kulkarni

Dr. G Sowrabh Kulkarni

Orthopedics
1 Years of Experience

Dr. Shivanshu Mittal

Dr. Shivanshu Mittal

Orthopedics
10 Years of Experience

Dr. Saumya Agarwal

Dr. Saumya Agarwal

Orthopedics
9 Years of Experience

Dr Srinivas Bandam

Dr Srinivas Bandam

Orthopedics
2 Years of Experience

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