Osteoarthritis is the most common musculoskeletal condition, followed by fibromyalgia. Most of the time, fibromyalgia is misunderstood and misdiagnosed. Characteristics of this disorder/condition include pain/tingling in the muscles and joints, fatigue, and many other symptoms. Very often, people who have fibromyalgia also experience social isolation and depression. Many also experience bloating and fibromyalgia.
Fibromyalgia is very difficult to diagnose. The main reason for this is that the symptoms of fibromyalgia are often in line with the symptoms of other diseases, leading to the individual being misdiagnosed. One of the most basic symptoms of fibromyalgia is swelling and inflammation. Due to this inflammation of fibromyalgia, it can sometimes be confused with arthritis. This is due to the fact that both fibromyalgia and arthritis affect the joints.
Fibromyalgia and arthritis compared
Although fibromyalgia has many of the same symptoms as arthritis and the two conditions are often confused, there are some differences.
People who have fibromyalgia generally experience more of a feeling that their joints are swollen rather than swollen. Also, an individual who has fibromyalgia may actually experience what is known as a “fluffy” feeling in their bodies, which is very uncomfortable for them. Although it is much the same as with arthritis, the “swelling” of the joints that is part of fibromyalgia is not actually a swelling, but a feeling of swelling.
Arthritis is actually swelling and damage within the joints. People affected by arthritis can also be affected by fibromyalgia. The swelling caused by fibromyalgia in this case is usually in the feet and hands.
This can be used to find out if the person has fibromyalgia or arthritis. Swelling of the hands and feet in fibromyalgia sufferers actually resembles edema, while the swelling in arthritis sufferers is mostly localized to the joints.
There is no specific cause of fibromyalgia. However, there are several risk factors that contribute to the development of arthritis in individuals.
Genetic variations may contribute to arthritis, although researchers don’t fully understand the role that genetics plays in this disorder. Due to the fact that as individuals age, cartilage becomes much more brittle and loses its ability to repair itself.
Joint damage depends on the amount of weight the joints have to support, so body weight can cause a person to develop arthritis. These and other factors can contribute to arthritis, but are not necessarily involved in an individual developing fibromyalgia.
How to control fibromyalgia swelling
One of the most important things to remember is that the inflammation in people with fibromyalgia will never be located in the areas that are painful. The amount of swelling and fibromyalgia is actually directly related to the amount of stress the affected individual is currently undergoing.
If the individual is under minimal emotional stress, the swelling in their body will hardly be noticeable. If the individual is under a lot of emotional stress, then the swelling will be obvious. Therefore, the amount of swelling in the individual’s body indicates their present emotional condition. This exacerbates swelling and fibromyalgia.
If you find that as a fibromyalgia patient you are experiencing bloating and fibromyalgia, do what you can to calm down and relax. The more stressed you get, the more it will start to swell. The calmer you are, the more the swelling will go away.
Swelling is one of the most common symptoms a person with fibromyalgia will experience. Both swelling and inflammation are one of the first things an individual will notice when there is a diagnosis of fibromyalgia. This is what makes it so difficult to diagnose: the inflammation takes on the appearance of arthritis. Swelling can occur at any time and almost anywhere on your body. It can last a short time or a long time.
Understanding swelling and fibromyalgia
Many times, medical professionals will diagnose arthritis, when in fact the swelling and inflammation is due to fibromyalgia. However, as mentioned above, there is a big difference between the two: arthritis affects the joints, while the swelling and inflammation due to fibromyalgia does not. Since the swelling in individuals with fibromyalgia is not found in the joints, it may actually look more like edema. Most of the time, those who experience this type of swelling also complain that the skin in those swollen areas becomes red, but this is not always the case.
Although fibromyalgia swelling can occur almost anywhere in the body, it is most commonly found in the feet and hands. Most of the time, those who report swelling in their feet often report that the swelling extends down to their lower legs. Some people even report that their swelling is only in a few of their fingers.
Fibromyalgia-related swelling can come and go without warning. It can last for a few hours, days or weeks at a time. Sometimes people even report that their feet swell up so much that they can’t wear their shoes. If you are experiencing this level of bloating, you should know that there are a few things you can do to counter this.
As mentioned above, many people believe that the inflammation and swelling associated with fibromyalgia is directly related to the level of stress in an individual’s life. So if you have fibromyalgia and suffer from bloating due to your disorder, you’ll want to do what you can to reduce, or even completely avoid, stress in your personal life. Also, getting plenty of rest can help reduce or prevent swelling.
Although swelling and fibromyalgia are very common for those with the disorder, it is not the same inflammation and swelling that occurs with arthritis. Also, while there really isn’t a specific cause or cure that can be pointed to, researchers are hopeful that a few simple lifestyle changes can help control it. By simply making sure you get plenty of rest and relaxation, and removing as much stress from your life as possible, you can ensure that swelling and inflammation don’t keep happening.
