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One of the major reasons behind the persistent pain and the impaired mobility in the senior member, Arthritis is one of the major illnesses, hitting the aged population across the world. Affecting both the male and female population, mostly above the age of 55 years, arthritis results in the damage which affects the joints of the body, making them turgid and rigid most often. It has been seen through medical researches, that the disease is one of the major causes of immobility or decreased mobility in the senior citizens. Appearing in several avatars, there could be varied reasons for the outbreak of arthritis in the individual. Statistics show that almost 65% of the senior population across the world is affected by arthritis. On a note of comparison, it is the female population which is more affected by the disease than their male counterparts. Among the different forms of the disease, the common and rampant is osteoarthritis, better known as degenerative joint disease. There could be different Causes of Arthritis, depending on what form of the disease has affected the senior patient.

Typical features of arthritis: Whatever the form or cause of the arthritis is, all arthritides show some common symptoms, which are good premonition of the disease. Some of the most common symptoms of arthritis are a grueling pain accompanied by inflammation or rigidity and stiffness of joints. In most of the senior patients, the pain can also increase in the night or even in the cold winter days. If the senior patient has been suffering from chronic arthritis, in that case there can also be impaired mobility or pain in moving or while standing for long.

Common forms of arthritis in seniors: One of the most common is Osteoarthritis, in which there is low inflammation along with pain in the joints. Under these conditions, the bone surfaces become less protected by cartilage, as a result the senior patient experiences pain upon weight bearing, including walking and standing. It has been proved through medical surveys that Osteoarthritis affects nearly 80% of the population aged over 65 years. Another common form of arthritis in the seniors is Septic arthritis, which outbreaks due to the invasion of a joint by an infectious agent which produces arthritis. This is most common in senior patients who have to undergo hospitalization several times. As in case of chronic arthritis affecting the seniors is Rheumatoid arthritis, gouts and pseudo gouts.

With general life expectancy on the rise, and the changing societal conditions, the seniors might often feel a dearth of love and security. Browse through our informative pages on the various aspects of senior health care from sitagita.