Osteoarthritis tends to affect more people than any other type of arthritis. How can you tell if you have this crippling condition – what are the warning signs?

The charity Arthritis Foundation noted osteoarthritis tends to appear in middle age, or due to an injury or obesity.

This condition can affect any joint, but it often appears in the hip joint – affecting more women than men.

The progressive disease has a hereditary link, so if you had a close member of the family with osteoarthritis, you’re more likely to develop it yourself.

Symptoms tend to build up slowly, with the tell-tale sign of osteoarthritis being “pain felt in the groin area or buttocks”.

This is the clear-cut sign of osteoarthritis in the hip joint; pain can also be felt on the inside of the knee or thigh.

Other joints more likely to suffer from osteoarthritis include the knees, fingers and feet.

For people with the condition, there may be a “grafting” or “scraping” feeling when moving the knee.

In addition, the knees may give way – buckling as the joint becomes unstable.

Bony growths – known as spurs – can appear at the edge of joints in the fingers.

This can cause the fingers to become swollen, tender and red, and there may be pain at the base of the thumb.

On the feet, the big toe may feel painful and tender, and the toes may swell, as well as the ankle.

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There may be clicking or cracking sounds when a joint bends, and limited motion that go away after movement.

Joint stiffness usually occurs after waking up in the morning and after periods of rest.

People with this condition “experience as much as 30 percent more falls” than those without osteoarthritis.

A diagnosis can be made once a number of diagnostic tools have been run by a professional.

Tests can include an X-ray and MRI scan to bring to light joint or bone damage.

An additional metros is called “joint aspiration”; this is when fluid is extracted from the joint.

The area will be numbed first, before a needle is inserted to draw out fluid.

This is to look for infection or crystals in the fluid to rule out other medical conditions.

Unfortunately, there’s no cure for osteoarthritis but treatments include medications, exercise, weight loss, and surgery.

If you’re found to have osteoarthritis in the hip, it’s more likely you’ll have surgery down the line.

An orthopaedic surgeon can determine the best treatment based on how basalt the joint is affected.

For more information on any type of arthritis, visit the charity website Arthritis Foundation.

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