When thinking about symptoms of arthritis, swelling, stiffness and joint pain often come to mind. However, fatigue and fever, which are similar to COVID-19 symptoms, could also be a warning of the condition.
Fever
A low-grade fever may appear as part of the immune system’s natural response to fighting off infection, said Medical News Today.
It continued: “The exact cause of RA fever remains unclear, but many people assume it is a result of chronic inflammation, which is the hallmark symptom of RA.
“Research suggests that fever is a symptom of inflammation.
“Indeed, long-lasting, low-grade fever is a common symptom of some inflammatory and autoimmune conditions, including RA and lupus.”
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If someone with arthritis has a low-grade fever which lasts a long time, it may indicate arthritis fever.
Before diagnosing arthritis fever, a GP will need to rule out viral and bacterial infections such as COVID-19 first.
They will also have to eliminate other inflammatory or autoimmune conditions that cause fever.
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Fatigue
For many people, fatigue is a major symptom of arthritis.
The feeling can be common and just as troublesome as the pain felt.
However, because it’s an invisible symptom, many people with fatigue often don’t talk about it and mistake it for something else.
Arthritis Foundation added: “Fatigue significantly affects the quality of life for people with many forms of arthritis-related diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, spondyloarthritis, lupus, fibromyalgia and osteoarthritis.
“Your lack of energy may be caused by your inflammatory disease and other health conditions you have, as well as medications, side effects and lifestyle habits.
“Your fatigue is not always directly related to your arthritis disease activity, inflammation or pain. In fact – according to a 2017 study published in Current Rheumatology Reports – your fatigue level probably has more to do with other contributing factors, including obesity, physical inactivity, sleep disturbance and depression.”
Other arthritis symptoms include joint pain, inflammation, and restricted movement.
There are two key types of arthritis in the UK; osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis to be diagnosed in the UK – around nine million people are believed to have osteoarthritis.
Rheumatoid arthritis, meanwhile, is an auto-immune disease that has been diagnosed in about 400,000 individuals.
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