What makes joints ache when sick

Gonococcus is the name of the bacterium that causes gonorrhea. Gonorrhea is a sexually transmitted disease. It primarily affects the genital area. However the gonococcus bacterium can travel through the blood stream to other parts of the body. If it settles in one or more joints, infectious arthritis can develop in those joints and the area that surrounds the joints.

Gonococcus generally affects the knee joints and can also affect the tendons and bursae to cause tendonitis and bursitis. This infectious arthritis can occur within days or weeks after the symptoms of gonorrhea appear. It occurs more often in women than in men.

The symptoms of gonorrhea are not as obvious for women. Therefore, women generally seek treatment later than men. This delay in treatment gives the bacteria more time to travel through the bloodstream. This type of arthritis should be treated immediately--as soon as you notice symptoms--to prevent serious damage to the joints.

Gonorrhea is spread from person to person by sexual contact. Therefore care should be taken in sexual relationships where there may be a chance of getting the disease. The spread of gonorrhea can usually be prevented by the correct use of condoms. Anyone who thinks he or she may have gonorrhea should see a doctor as soon as possible.

Appropriate treatment with antibiotics can prevent damage to joints and other parts of the body. There are several different kinds of Gram-positive bacteria. They are called Gram-positive because when mixed in the laboratory with a solution called "Gram's stain," they take on a bluish-purple stain or color.

Some of the Gram-positive bacteria that can cause infectious arthritis are: staphylococcus, streptococcus, and pneumococcus. These Gram-positive bacteria cause other illnesses such as meningitis, pneumonia, or an abscess.

Often people with these illnesses develop infectious arthritis when the bacteria spread to a joint and produce inflammation. In other cases, Gram-positive bacteria cause infectious arthritis, but no other illness is detected. Staphylococcus is the second most common cause of infectious arthritis. It is often called a "staph infection. People who have rheumatoid arthritis or who take steroids or immunosuppressive agents such as imuran, cytoxan and methotrexate are more apt to get infectious arthritis from staphylococcus bacteria.

These bacteria are called Gram-negative because they do not take on a bluish-purple color when mixed with the Gram's stain. They are less likely to produce infectious arthritis than Gram-positive bacteria. Gram-negative bacteria commonly infect people whose bacteria-fighting defense system immune system is already weak.

Hemophilus is a Gram-negative bacterium that causes severe sore throat and meningitis. It is a major cause of infectious arthritis in infants but rarely causes it in adults. Spirochetes are bacteria that appear spiral shaped under a microscope. There are many different kinds of spirochetes.

One kind called Borrelia causes a form of infectious arthritis called Lyme disease. This disease occurs in people as a result of a tick bite. Anyone can get Lyme disease but it is more common in children. The Borrelia spirochete is carried by a small tick called Ixodes that lives on deer and mice. It is found in wooded areas during the spring and early summer. Many areas of the country have reported cases of Lyme disease. People infected may not have seen the tick because it is very tiny.

It is oval, has eight legs and is often no larger than a pinhead or match head. When the tick bites someone, it injects the spirochete into the person's blood stream. Symptoms of the infection usually do not appear until weeks after the bite. You may want to protect yourself and others from Lyme disease when you visit wooded or lake areas as suggested below.

If untreated, the spirochete may spread to the person's brain, heart and nervous system. This could lead to symptoms such as:. With proper medication, Lyme disease usually goes away in a short time. However, if not diagnosed and treated properly, symptoms can become more severe and recur several times over a year or more.

The bacterium that causes tuberculosis can also cause infectious arthritis. In many of those cases, the virus was accompanied by muscle and joint aches. When a body is infected with a virus, the immune system works to fight the infection. Donaldson says this fight could lead you to feel muscle inflammation and weakness — called myositis — or joint and muscle pain — called myalgia.

Pain manifested in the joints is called arthralgia is also a commonly associated with a fever. Select personalised content. Create a personalised content profile. Measure ad performance. Select basic ads. Create a personalised ads profile. Select personalised ads. Apply market research to generate audience insights. Measure content performance. Develop and improve products. List of Partners vendors. One of the most distinct symptoms of the flu influenza is painful body aches.

Additionally, body aches can leave you feeling weak, fatigued, and extremely exhausted. Fortunately, they can be treated and managed successfully. When a person gets the flu, natural chemicals are released in the body to help it fight off the infection. Muscle aches and pain are produced by this immune response.

While it may not feel like it, body aches are a good sign because your body is doing what it is supposed to do to help you get better.

Dehydration may also contribute to body aches when you have the flu. The body always needs water to prevent muscle cramping and soreness, and this is even more important when you are sick. Some people experience aches and pains every time they get the flu, while others rarely do. Older adults and people with chronic conditions, such as diabetes and autoimmune diseases , tend to experience more aches when they have the flu because their bodies have a harder time fighting off the infection.

Anytime the body has to work harder, more aches and pains are experienced. People who live in colder climates may experience more body aches with the flu as well. When the body is exposed to cold temperatures, it is more prone to soreness. In addition to body aches, common flu symptoms include cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, headaches, and fatigue.

Some people may have a fever, and less commonly, vomiting or diarrhea. There are several things you can do to help manage your body aches as you try to recover from the flu. Over-the-counter pain relievers may help make you more comfortable.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications NSAIDs are more likely to help with aches than other pain relievers like Tylenol acetaminophen. If you can't take NSAID pain relievers due to kidney problems, stomach issues, or other medical concerns, talk to your healthcare provider about alternative treatments for your body aches.

While mild aches associated with the flu shouldn't be a cause for concern, there is a small risk it could develop into something more serious. World globe An icon of the world globe, indicating different international options. Get the Insider App. Click here to learn more. A leading-edge research firm focused on digital transformation. Women's Health. Primary Care. Mental Health.