What Is Water on the Knee? | What Causes Water on the Knee? | How Is Water on the Knee Diagnosed? | How Is Water on the Knee Treated? | How Can You Prevent Water on the Knee?
Namaste everyone, this is Nitin from Igyani, the one stop guide to health for your wonderful city. Today, I’m going to talk about a common problem that affects many people: a break and pause on the knee. Some questions that individuals who are affected by this disorder, well, those who want to know more about it usually ask include: What is it? What causes it? How can I treat it? Let’s find out!
Table of Contents
What Is Water on the Knee?
Knee effusion also referred to as fluid on the knee or water on the knee, is a condition in which there is accumulation of some fluid both in the knee joint and surrounding area. This results in inflammation, pain, stiffness, and limitation of the knee joint movement. Symptoms of water on the knee can be observed in anybody, but most cases are registered among the elderly, sportsmen and patients with some ailments.
What Causes Water on the Knee?
There are many possible causes of water on the knee, but some of the most common ones are:
- Injury: Injury to the knee for example a torn ligament, torn cartilage or broken bone results in inflamed tissue resulting to production of fluid. This is tied to the fact that my body has some mechanism of protecting and repairing the affected tissue. However, the liquid that is included at times becomes a problem as opposed to being an advantage as shown below.
- Arthritis: Arthritis is actually a group of ailments that impacts the joints and can cause inflammation as well as destruction of tissues present in these regions. The forms of arthritis affecting the knee include; Firstly, osteoarthritis; secondly, rheumatoid arthritis; thirdly, gout; and finally, pseudogout. These conditions are able to produce inflammation and degeneration of the cartilage that rests at the heads of the bones, this leads to development of joint clicking, bone to bone rubbing and formation of fluid filled sacs.
- Infection: It is a skin infection that can affect knee joint or the skin, muscles or bursae which are sac like structures found in knee joint. Bacteria may become introduced into the knee through some form of a wound, surgery, or a blood stream. Infection causes fever, redness, warmth and pus formation with effusion in joint, which in this case is the knee.
- Cysts: Cysts are the formation of fluid filled sac which may develop at or around the knee joint. One of them is a Baker’s cyst which is a condition in which the contents of the knee joint seep into a small pouch behind the knee. It can lead to a swelling or a kind of lump in the back of the knee, such is usually characterized. Cysts can be brought on by an injury or arthritis and other issues that have an impact on the knee joint.
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How Is Water on the Knee Diagnosed?
A person who has developed some of the water on knee symptoms is required to seek the services of a doctor for a checkup. A doctor to his/her patient and inquire with general questions with regards to the symptoms and the causes that are compressing the ailment at hand. The doctor will also examine your knee and perform some tests, such as:The doctor may also physically assess knee among other tests including:
- X-ray: X-ray helps in determining if a person has fractures, arthritis, or any other knee concerns.
- Ultrasound: An ultrasound is useful in that instance because it remunerates part of the soft tissues of the knee including the ligaments, tendons cartilage and fluid. It can also locate any cicatrices that might be there or an infection that the cat might be having.
- MRI: It is useful in illustrating the inside view of the knee and any form of injury within the knee joint of the patient. It also allows it to find any tumor or another disturbance that might be contained in the patient.
- Arthrocentesis: Arthrocentesis is one of the procedures in which the doctor makes the needle penetrate the knee joint and then remove some quantity of the joint fluid. It can be useful in identifying features of the fluid and type of the tap and to also rule out infection or crystals.
How Is Water on the Knee Treated?
The management of this knee condition depends on the cause, severity and presenting signs and symptoms. Some of the common treatments are:Some of the common treatments are:
- Medication: The doctor may suggest some medication because the knee is paining, inflamed, and infected. These may range from non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like the ibuprofen, naproxen or the corticosteroid like prednisone, hydrocortisone or even the antibiotics like the penicillin, cephalexin among others.
- Aspiration: Arthrocentesis is one of the procedures that involve the application of a needle and syringe to instil or pull out the fluid from the knee joint. This can help in giving quick relief from the pressure and pain in that knee at that certain moment. But this is not a long-term solution as sometimes the fluid may reappear if the cause has not been treated.
- Arthroscopy: Arthroscopy is less complex than other techniques of surgeries and the GP inserts into the knee joint a thin tube having light and a camera, all this will be done through a small incision. The doctor can then use small instruments to fix the problem for any injured structures within the joint in question that include removing any scar tissue, shaped torn cartilage, or reconstructing any torn ligament. This can help bring back normal movement and loose grind of the knee joint so that no more fluids can be build up.
- Physical therapy: In this case, it was possible to note that the physical therapy aids in the building of the strength of the muscles around the knee as well as in improving the functional abnormally of the knee joint. This will help ease the pressure exerted on the knee to avoid worsening or the inception of inflammation. Physical therapy may encompass exercises, stretches, a massage, heat, or ice application and electrical stimulation.
How Can You Prevent Water on the Knee?
This can be avoided by following some basic techniques to take care and protect your knee joint from it, namely:
- By building up the muscles: Strong muscles can help to support and stabilize your knee joint and decrease the possibility of getting injured or having arthritis. You can perform some exercises which will strengthen your quadriceps, hamstrings and calf muscles, for example squats, lunges, leg presses, or leg curls. You can also use some resistances bands, weight or machines to make the workout a bit more challenging.
- If you choose low-impact activities: high-impact activities like running, playing tennis, or aerobics dance can help you to keep fit and healthy without straining too much your knee joint. You should additionally abstain from engaging in activities that require you to twist, jump or pivot your knee as those of basketball, soccer or tennis since they can injure you or develop arthritis.
- By maintaining a healthy weight : you will be preventing the possibility of going through many chronic diseases since overweight applies extra stress especially on your knees. Thus, overweight is a faster way to wear away cartilages. This get complicated in osteoarthritis and fluid accumulation. Proper nutrition that includes a balanced diet, avoiding too much sugar, salt, and fat may help you keep a healthy weight. You should also drink enough water and stay away from alcohol and tobacco.
- Wearing proper footwear: Wear shoes that fit well and provide cushioning and support for the heel, and ball of the foot to help reduce impact on the knee joint. You may benefit from orthotics – heel pads or insoles worn inside your shoe – or arch supports in your shoe if you have flat feet. You may also wear a knee brace, sleeve, or pad to help protect the knee from injury or inflammation.
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Conclusion
Swelling in the knee (also known as water on the knee) is a common symptom that can cause pain, stiffness, and difficulty with activities. The most common causes of knee swelling are injuries, such as a ruptured ligament or torn cartilage. Some types of arthritis and more advanced forms of cartilage wear can also cause swelling.
Infections in the joint may cause swelling, pain, and fever. Cysts can also form in the back of the knee. A doctor can usually determine the type of swelling based on an examination, X-rays ultrasound , or MRI . An arthrocentesis may be done to help diagnose and treat causes such as infection and crystals from gout and pseudogout. Treatment depends on your diagnosis.