Questions and Answers

The Arthritis Society routinely receives frequently asked questions and some not so common ones. While the questions are asked by people with varied forms of arthritis and from different regions of the country, they do have something in common - they represent a hunger for knowledge and understanding. We've created this resource area for you to review some of the questions and responses our staff and volunteers gathered. We hope they offer some insights and encourage you to browse further into the site.

The questions are not organized in any particular order. You can browse them twenty questions at a time, or use the search feature to find if any questions were asked about a topic that interests you.

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Question 1
Is arthritis hereditary?

There are some forms of arthritis which are clearly inherited, but most are not.  There is evidence that one type of arthritis of the spine - ankylosing spondylitis - and gouty arthritis are inherited, but other common forms such as osteoarthritis and rhuematoid arthritis show only a weak tendency to be inherited.

Question 2
Is it possible that my children will contract arthritis?

Apart from a few rare forms of arthritis, there is little danger that your children will develop arthritis. Gout is inherited but usually skips a generation, so the grandson may be affected but not the son.

Question 3
Are physically active people more prone to arthritis?

As far as physically active people are concerned, there are certainly some occupations which predispose to arthritis, in particular osteoarthritis. Miners who have to kneel to dig in the coal-seam are prone to develop arthritis of their spines and knees. Footballers also tend to develop arthritis of their knees and ankles with the repeated injuries they receive to these parts while playing. There is no evidence that someone who is generally physically active and who is not exposed to injury in sport or by virtue of his occupation, is any more prone to develop arthritis than is the individual who does not take much exercise.

Question 4
What are the psychological effects of arthritis?

These vary in different people. In the early stages, most people are  fearful and anxious about what will happen to them, how their lives will be  affected and how bad the pain will be. Young people often attempt to deny the  presence of their arthritis. Another reaction is frustration, irritability and anger at the difficulty or time it takes to do simple tasks. Depression and withdrawal from society may occur in people with chronic arthritis, especially if pain is prolonged and sleep difficult. Most people with arthritis, however, learn to cope with their disabilities and remain cheerful and outgoing.

Question 5
Does climate affect my arthritis?

Living in a cold damp climate may make you feel your arthritis more than living in a hot, dry one. Change of weather, such as a rise in humidity and a fall in barometric pressure may also make the joints worse temporarily, but not everyone with arthritis can predict weather change. Climate does not otherwise have an effect on the arthritis and it will not make its course any worse in the long term. Thus, theoretically, a warm climate with low humidity would be best but such places are not without people suffering from arthritis and no place in the world has a reputation for curing arthritis.

Question 6
Why does treatment only appear to help some people?


This is usually because among the people who improve are those with different sorts of arthritis, some of which get better without treatment.  Moreover, certain chronic types of arthritis may vary in their severity from  time to time and appear to be cured.  In pregnancy and jaundice, arthritis may  spontaneously improve for months on end.

Question 7
When I have a bad day, how can I tell it's just my arthritis, and not  something else? 

Everyone has bad days and someone with arthritis is no exception.  Arthritis being a chronic painful disease, can make a person feel very tired in  the evening in addition to causing pain and stiffness.  If you are worried that  you are feeling more tired than you would expect from your arthritis, you should  consult your doctor about this.  Anxiety, depression and anemia are common  causes of fatigue.

Question 8
Does arthritis produce any new symptoms or are these purely side effects from my pills?  

Many forms of arthritis produce symptoms in addition to those of pain,  swelling and tenderness in the joints.  They may also affect the skin, eyes and  internal organs.  Other symptoms may be due to the medications you are taking, so you should consult your doctor about new symptoms.

Question 9
What is ESR?  

ESR are the initials standing for erythrocyte sedimentation rate, commonly known as 'sed rate'.  It measures the amount of inflammation when an  arthritis problem is present. A high sed rate means a high amount of  inflammation.  This is an old and simple test, which consists of determining the  rate at which the red blood cells in the blood settle in a tube when it is left standing for an hour.  Normally the red cells will settle at the rate of no more  than 15mm of fall in the first hour, but in severe cases of arthritis they  exceed 50mm. If there is no inflammation, the sedimentation rate is usually less  than 20 mm per hour.This is a very common test that may be repeated fairly  frequently, depending on the course and activity of the disease. The ESR is  useful as a guide to the doctor of activity of arthritis and is helpful in determining treatment and progress.

Question 10
Can arthritis conceal the symptoms of other diseases?  

In general, arthritis produces a fairly characteristic clinical picture.  Your doctor will be able to advise you if any symptoms you are having due to  the arthritis or to some other disease.  In general, arthritis does not conceal  symptoms of other illnesses. 

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