You hurt your ankle. So you rushed to a ligament specialist doctor in Kolkata for treatment. Over the next few weeks, the injury eventually heals and you’re back to your old self.
Sadly, that’s now how things pan out with osteoarthritis. It’s a type of arthritis that is progressive in nature. People usually miss out on the early symptoms, eventually ending with a severe condition that hurts their mobility and overall lifestyle. Millions of people suffer from osteoarthritis.
Now while it’s important to have proper awareness about the symptoms so as to make an early intervention, it’s equally important to know about the risk factors of this arthritis. Basis that, if you’re more likely to have osteoarthritis, you can take precautionary measures to prevent its progression and ensure good orthopedic health.
Here are some of the risk factors of osteoarthritis:
- Age: This is unsurprising. As you grow old, you’re more prone to a range of orthopedic problems, including osteoarthritis.
- Genes: It’s not fully understood why but having osteoarthritis can have genetic roots. Meaning, if people in your family (father side) have had osteoarthritis, you’re more likely to have it too.
- Injuries: If you’re getting injured over and again, although that injury will heal, it also increases your chances of getting osteoarthritis.
- Sports: If you play any kind of aggressive or physically demanding sports like football and ice hockey, your joints may wear down relatively quickly. This makes you more prone to osteoarthritis.
- Obesity: Obesity or being overweight poses numerous health problems, including orthopedic issues. It increases your chances of developing osteoarthritis.
These are some of the common risk factors of osteoarthritis. Other factors like metabolic diseases and bone deformities may play a critical contribution in arthritis as well.
If you fall under this risk factor bracket, it’s important to get more careful about your orthopedic health. At the same time, you also want to keep an eye on the basic symptoms of osteoarthritis. The symptoms include pain, inflexibility, swelling, tenderness, and stiffness. If you notice any of these signs, consult the best osteoarthritis doctor in Kolkata. Even if it’s not arthritis, such symptoms can mean other underlying issues as well. So, it’s best to get help from an experienced doctor.