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Arthritis isn’t a single disease; the term refers to joint pain or joint disease, and there are more than 100 types of arthritis and related conditions. People of all ages, races and sexes live with arthritis, and it is the leading cause of disability in the U.S. It’s most common among women, and although it’s not a disease of aging, some types of arthritis occur in older people more than younger people.

Common arthritis symptoms include swelling, pain, stiffness and diminished range of motion in joints. Symptoms vary from mild to severe and may come and go. Some may stay about the same for years, but symptoms can also progress and get worse over time. Severe arthritis can result in chronic pain, difficulty performing daily activities and make walking and climbing stairs painful and grueling.

Arthritis can also cause permanent joint changes. These may be visible, such as knobby finger joints, but often the damage can be seen only on X-rays. Some types of arthritis affect the heart, eyes, lungs, kidneys and skin as well as the joints.

There are many forms of inflammatory arthritis; signs that are typical for most include:

• Pain, swelling and stiffness in one or multiple joints.
• Morning stiffness in and around the affected joints lasting at least one hour.
• Pain and stiffness that worsens with inactivity and improves with physical activity.
• Reduced range of motion.
• Sometimes fever, weight loss, fatigue and/or anemia.

• Osteoarthritis: The most common type of arthritis. It's often related to aging or to an injury.
• Autoimmune: When your body's immune system attacks healthy cells in your body by mistake. Rheumatoid arthritis is the most common form of this kind of arthritis.
• Juvenile: Type of arthritis that happens in children.
• Infectious: An infection that has spread from another part of the body to the joint.
• Psoriatic: Affects people with psoriasis.
• Gout: A painful type of arthritis that happens when too much uric acid builds up in the body. It often starts in the big toe.