Joints, where two bones come together, hold the skeleton together and allow the body to move. Joint pain, caused by injury or disease, can affect movement and lead to debilitation. Conditions and diseases characterized by inflammation, the process in which the cells of the immune system release chemicals, can cause redness and swelling of the joints that leads to joint pain, stiffness and loss of motion. These same diseases can also cause fatigue, a feeling of extreme tiredness, as the body utilizes its energy to fight the disease.
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis, classified as an autoimmune disease, occurs when the immune system mistakenly attacks the tissues that line the joints—known as the synovial tissue. The synovium produces a fluid that provides a cushion to protect the joints and surrounding bones from damage. Inflammation caused by the immune system response leads to chronic joint pain, warmth and redness.
Rheumatoid arthritis, a disease affecting 1.3 million Americans, occurs in cycles of flare-ups, when symptoms worsen, and remissions, when symptoms subside, according to the Arthritis Foundation. During a flare-up, patients experience fatigue, weakness, flu-like symptoms, muscle pain and loss of appetite in addition to joint pain.
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
Systemic lupus erythematosus, also known as lupus, describes a chronic autoimmune disease that usually affects women. Several factors contribute to the onset of lupus, including environmental factors, infections and genetic factors. In patients with lupus, the immune system malfunctions, attacking healthy tissues and producing increased levels of cytokines—chemicals that trigger the immune response—which can cause dangerous levels of inflammation that result in damage to tissues.
The University of Maryland Medical Center reports that joint pain is the most common symptom of lupus, with 90 percent of patients developing joint pain accompanied by swelling and redness. Additional symptoms include fatigue, fever, skin rashes, loss of appetite and chest pain.
Hypothyroidism
The thyroid, a butterfly-shaped gland in the neck, produces two thyroid hormones: thyroxine, or T4, and triiodothyronine, T3. Because these hormones regulate metabolism, the conversion of food into energy, all cells require these hormones in order to function properly. Hypothyroidism, a condition in which the thyroid fails to produce enough hormones, therefore affects many functions throughout the body.
Without enough thyroid hormones, the metabolism slows down, causing weight gain, slower heart beat and cold intolerance. Hypothyroidism causes the body to produce less energy, resulting in fatigue, often one of the first symptoms noticed, according to MayoClinic.com. Hypothyroidism also affects the muscles, causing muscle weakness with pain, cramps and stiffness and joints, and joint pain and stiffness.
