Really, just about anyone has a chance of developing osteoarthritis. However, some things can make you more susceptible than other people.
- Your age. Age is the number one risk factor for osteoarthritis; the disease is most often seen in older people. However, osteoarthritis can start in younger people, often due to a joint injury. Experts predict that by the year 2030, approximately seventy million people will be at risk for osteoarthritis.
- Your gender. Before the age of forty five, osteoarthritis is more often seen in men. After that, osteoarthritis — especially in the hand — is seen more often in women.
- A joint injury or overuse. If you’ve had a traumatic injury to a joint, you’re more at risk for developing osteoarthritis. If you use certain joints repeatedly in your work, you’re more at risk for developing osteoarthritis.
- Your weight. The more weight a joint has to bear, the higher your risk of developing osteoarthritis. This is especially a problem for knee joints, where every pound of weight equals three pounds of pressure.
- Joint alignment. If your joints already move or fit together oddly — bowlegs, or double-jointedness, for example — you are more likely to develop osteoarthritis in those places.
- A hereditary gene defect. Some people have defects in their genes that cause the breakdown of cartilage.
- Certain diseases. If you have rheumatoid arthritis or another disease that changes the structure and function of your cartilage, you may have a higher risk of developing osteoarthritis.
If you are experiencing symptoms of osteoarthritis like joint pain, stiffness, and swelling for more than two weeks, you should talk to your doctor. Mention your symptoms and any of these risk factors you may have. The sooner you get diagnosed, the better luck you’ll have with treatment. Early diagnosis can help minimize your pain and suffering and keep you as mobile as possible. Your doctor will probably give you a physical exam and may order x-rays or a joint aspiration to determine how much damage there is.