It goes without saying that knee joint infections are really a significant medical condition; if appropriate treatments are not performed in proper time, then very serious complications may arise like the extent of injury in a joint or loss of normal movement. Knee joints therefore, are very significant for walking, running, jumping, and all kinds of movements. Infection of a knee joint is such a destructive condition that can severely reduce the quality of your life. Thus, it demands early detection of signs so that the person can promptly seek medical treatment to avoid further complications.
In this article, we shall discuss five common warning signs of knee joint infection. Knowing this information is important because these warning signs can help you find the problem early enough, thus not worsening the condition and allowing appropriate treatment. Let’s dive deeper into these signs.
- Knee Joint Pain: Pain is the most common and noticeable symptom of a knee joint infection. It is caused by harmful bacteria or viruses attacking the joint; this pain occurs as the body’s immune system fights to eliminate the invaders. A swollen, inflamed, and irritated knee joint will also hurt as the bacteria or viruses infect the area. The pain could be sharp, aching, or throbbing depending on how severe the infection is.
The infection cause of pain would normally be more severe and chronic than the ordinary pain from a knee sprain. It may start as a dull ache but will rapidly escalate. It may even become much worse when you try to move or put weight on your knee. If it does not improve with rest and over-the-counter medications, then see a doctor so that he or she might diagnose any chance of having an infection.
Sometimes, the pain from a knee joint is mistaken for overuse or minor injury. In any case, if you still find that the pain does not get any better and even gets worse, consider it might be an infection. It is always advisable to seek medical advice sooner than later to prevent the infection’s spread or cause permanent damage in the joint.
- Swelling around the Knee Joint: Another symptom that is commonly found is swelling of the knee joint due to infection. The immune response attracts more fluids to the infected site; therefore, swelling and the knee joint will be swollen. Swelling may be accompanied by a feeling of fullness or tightness in the knee.
This swelling is apparent, and it could also be painful to bend or extend the knee. The feeling can be that the infected knee feels heavy or stiff, or else it becomes hard to walk and do other things. It sometimes appears that swelling could easily be noticed, hence it looks bigger and puffier on one knee as opposed to the other. When it has developed suddenly without any evident cause like injury, this usually calls for infection.
If the swelling is painful or warm, you are likely to have infection beyond injury or sprain. Visit a doctor when your knee continues swelling and getting worse, or is even more painful than what you initially noticed.
- Knee Redness and Warmth: The key signs of infection at the knee joint include redness and warmth at the affected site. These signs occur because the body increases blood flow to fight the infection. The increase in blood flow makes the skin around the knee red and warm.
It is normally reddish-red around the knee joint. If not, it may also become painful to touch. In most cases, there is often an appearance of redness and heat, even on the skin, in some instances. An over-heated knee means that this means the body is actively trying to fight off this infection.
In some cases, the redness may spread to the surrounding area around the knee. This is a cause of medical attention if accompanied by pain and swelling in this area with red rashes or warm patches around the knee. This indicates a more serious infection that may be spreading. The sooner you treat the symptoms, the easier it will be to cure.
- Fever and Chills: As the spread of the pathogen starts showing its effects, one may begin experiencing general systemic symptoms such as fever and chills. Fever is, in itself a natural immunity reaction to infection due mainly to the body’s efforts of eliminating harmful bacteria and viruses. Sometimes, a fever with knee joint pain and swelling is one of the many indicators that infections are dangerous and have progressed to higher portions of the body.
Other common presenting symptoms are chills accompanied by high fever. The body attempts to control spiking temperatures by shivering and is therefore self-regulating. Besides infection signs occurring in the knee joint: there could be things like pain, swelling, redness, and warmth in pain caused due to the fever; this is severe enough to need emergent medical attention.
- Painful Movement of the Knee: Another warning sign that might be wrong with the knee joint is the difficulty in moving the knee. When there is an infection, it may lead to stiffness and loss of motion in the knee. This can make it challenging to bend or straighten the knee. You might also find it hard to walk or put weight on the knee without feeling any pain or discomfort.
At times, it may feel unstable or weak, and movement or any other activity would not be easy to do. If you find any of these signs, accompanied by the usual pain, swelling, and redness, then visiting a doctor is necessary. The longer you wait before solving this problem, the harder it will be for the infection to be cured, and even the simplest function of the knee could become challenging.
Conclusion
Knee joint infections are very serious diseases that might result from their detection and treatment. They might be detected through extreme symptoms like pains in the knees, swelling, redness, warmth, fever, chills, and being unable to move one’s knee. The presence of any of these conditions calls for visiting to seek medical care within the shortest time possible to prevent the infections from getting worse.
The joint can be permanently damaged, and one might need more invasive treatment, including surgery. A sufferer in Delhi needs to consult a knee replacement surgeon in delhi for the right professional advice and treatment. Only by intervention in time can one prevent permanent damage and enable the preservation of good health in knees.