Reasons for Swollen Knee

Posted by Rao K. Ali on September 16th, 2021

Do you feel your knee joint swelling? If yes, you must read this as here you will find some of the most common reasons for a swollen knee. It may impact your knee functionality and flexibility. For example, you won\'t be able to flex or flatten your knee fully. Besides, you may experience pain, redness, and extra weight, as shown in swollen knee pictures.

So, the first approach to safely treat the inflamed knee is to try RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation) method. However, if this treatment is not practical, you might require medical treatment. Your doctor will recommend you the proper treatment.

What are the Possible Reasons for Inflamed Knee?

No matter whether you have mild knee swelling or painful debilitation, you would want to know the underlying cause of the problem. Hence, you will be able to take the necessary measures for its cure. However, severe or long-term swelling indicates a tissue injury, cartilage degeneration, or bone softening, so medical intervention is essential.

Here are some common reasons for knee swelling:

Knee Injury

A damaged knee structure, tendons, ligament, bursa, or cartilage during an injury, leads to knee pain and swelling. However, severe damages can cause a flood of blood into the knee, leading to swelling, warmth, inflexibility, and bruising. In this condition, you must immediately see a doctor.

Osteoarthritis

If your knee cartilage is degenerating, it can lead to excessive joint fluid production, leading to swelling. So, you may also experience pain. Studies suggest that osteoarthritis is linked to joint pain and swelling. However, if the swelling is severe, the reason might be some other. Though, there are many home remedies to treat osteoarthritis. So, a doctor can suggest a better treatment like physical therapy or recommend therapeutic shots.  

Bursitis

Did you know your body comprises several bursae that are minute and fluid-filled sacs? These gliding surfaces diminish friction between the bone and soft tissue. Though there are 11 bursae, two are vulnerable to bursitis.

So, when your bursa becomes swollen, you may suffer from bursitis. A swollen bursa is usually filled with extra fluid, which is the primary reason for swelling. Hence, your knee may feel “mushy,” like a water balloon. Besides, it might also be tender and sore.

So, you can quickly treat most bursitis. However, infected bursitis can be risky. In this case, your bursa can become infected and be filled with pus. As a result, your knee may appear swollen, red, and warm. Sometimes, fever and chills can also accompany.

Gout

You experience a gout attack when microscopic uric acid crystals build up in your joint. This inflammation occurs at night-time when you rest. Also, you may experience sudden, sharp pain, redness, and warmth over your knee joint. Gout normally impacts one joint at a time. These attacks are typically common in men in their 30s, 40s, or 50s.

Usually, gout attacks settle by themselves. However, medical treatment can help relieve symptoms, and dietary changes improve the condition.

Pseudogout

It is a less prevalent health issue and is much similar to gout. It is also triggered due to the build-up of calcium pyrophosphate crystals in the joint. The accumulation of these crystals leads to pain and swelling in the knee joint. Also, the problematic joint may appear discolored.

Though pseudogout mainly attacks the knee, it can also affect your elbow, shoulder, wrist, hip, ankle, or backbone. Unlike gout, it can impact more than a single joint at one time and is commonly confused with rheumatoid arthritis.

Older adults are highly susceptible to this problem. However, an episode of pseudogout usually vanished within a few weeks. Again, though, medical treatment can help manage pain.

Rheumatoid Arthritis

It is an autoimmune disease that attacks the subtle joint lining and leads to pain, inflammation, rigidity, tenderness, and redness. Your knee may feel squishy when you press it.

Although the knees can exhibit symptoms, the hands, wrists, and feet are more often affected by rheumatoid arthritis. In addition, RA tends to affect joints symmetrically, so if the right knee is affected, the left knee may also be affected.

Apart from this, it may also cause fatigue, a low-level fever, and an unfit feeling. Hence, immediate diagnosis and treatment can help prevent long-term damage.

Loose Bodies

You may have a loose body in the knee due to a variety of reasons. For example, a hit, injury, or shock to your knee during sports, exercising, high-impact activity may loosen some of your bone cartilage. It can also be due to osteoarthritis.

Different varieties of loose bodies in knee regarded as “fibrinous” can occur when you suffer from an inflammatory condition that impacts your knee. Besides, a rare medical condition like synovial chondromatosis might also be a cause of loose fragments in your knee.

Tumour

Sometimes you may develop a tumor in your knee joint. It is mainly due to genetics, radiation, and bone injuries.  

When Should You Visit a Consultant?

You must schedule an appointment with a good consultant if you feel:

• Home remedies or self-care is not effective

• Prescribed medications are not easing symptoms

What Are the Risk Factors?

Age

As you grow older, your probability of developing an inflamed knee increases mainly due to arthritis.

High-Impact Activities

If you are involved in high-impact activities like rigorous exercises, sports, or weight-lifting, your chances of knee injury are high. Hence, it may cause pain and inflammation.

Overweight

If you have too much weight, your knee joints are likely to be stressed. Hence, it can lead to joint and tissue overload and knee degeneration. These problems are exhibited through swelling in the knee. Besides, being overweight elevates your risk of osteoarthritis.

What is the Complication?

Knee swelling complications can include:

Loss of Muscle

Fluid in your knee can damage the proper muscle functioning, thus weakening the thigh muscles.

Baker’s Cyst

If there is a build-up of watery fluid in your knee, you are highly susceptible to a baker’s cyst that develops in your knee. It can be painful and primarily treated through ice therapy and compression. However, in severe cases, you may have to get it removed.

How to Prevent?

If you want to protect your knee, you must practice muscle strengthening exercises, prefer low-impact activities and maintain healthy body weight.