What's wrong with stiff joints and inability to stretch legs when I wake up from sleep? Why does the knee ache faintly when going up and down stairs? Why do joints always feel unbearable pain during cold weather... These are likely caused by osteoarthritis. Winter is a high incidence season for osteoarthritis. How can osteoarthritis patients survive the winter smoothly? How to correctly prevent arthritis and maintain joints? Experts provided detailed answers to this. More than 50% of people aged 65 and above suffer from osteoarthritis. Since the beginning of winter, some patients have worsened their arthritis symptoms due to the influence of cold weather, and the number of patients seeking medical treatment in orthopedics hospitals has increased. What is arthritis? According to Song Yang, the attending physician of the Orthopedics Department at Beijing Jishuitan Hospital, arthritis is a general term for various types of inflammatory diseases, which can be roughly divided into osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, infectious arthritis, gouty arthritis, idiopathic arthritis in young children, secondary arthritis, etc. This is a disease in which articular cartilage undergoes degenerative changes, often commonly referred to as "long bone spurs" or "bone hyperplasia". In fact, it not only involves changes in bone, but also changes in soft tissues such as synovium, ligaments, and muscles around the joint bones. "Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis, commonly referred to as' old cold legs' and elderly people with weak legs and feet, which is basically within the scope of osteoarthritis." Song Yang introduced that osteoarthritis is one of the most common chronic diseases, which is more common in middle-aged and elderly people. More than 50% of people aged 65 and above suffer from osteoarthritis. According to data released by the World Health Organization, the number of people suffering from osteoarthritis worldwide has exceeded 500 million. According to data released by the National Health Commission, the total incidence rate of osteoarthritis in China is 15%, with a conservative estimate of over 100 million patients. Song Yang introduced that in daily life, one can determine whether they have arthritis based on the following symptoms - joint pain: Joint pain is the most common clinical manifestation of osteoarthritis, with mild initial pain and gradually worsening. The pain also increases when climbing stairs or squatting and standing up. Morning stiffness: Osteoarthritis may present with brief morning stiffness, which means that the joints become stiff and tight when waking up in the morning, usually lasting for a few minutes to ten minutes, rarely exceeding half an hour. Dysfunction: Arthritis attacks can cause joint swelling, edema of surrounding tissues, and sometimes joint stiffness, often resulting in difficulty in stretching or bending, and limited mobility. Song Yang reminds that if the above symptoms appear in the joints and cannot be relieved for a long time, it is necessary to seek medical attention in a timely manner to avoid prolonged inflammatory reactions causing more serious damage to the joints. Low temperature is not a direct cause of arthritis, but rather the coldest three to nine days of the year after the winter solstice. The elderly often say, "If you don't wear autumn pants now, you will get arthritis when you get old." Is osteoarthritis frozen out? "At present, medical research shows that low temperature is not a direct cause of osteoarthritis, but it can make the symptoms of arthritis more obvious." Song Yang introduced that when the weather is cold, arthritis patients' blood vessels contract, which is not conducive to blood circulation and the function of soft tissues such as muscles, and can easily worsen arthritis. Therefore, it is recommended that osteoarthritis patients do a good job of cold prevention and warmth preservation; In cold weather, keeping warm is more beneficial for joint health. Some young people dress up to look good