Symptoms of osteoarthritis can range from mild to severe.  They may include:

Pain. Your joints may ache, or the pain may feel burning or sharp. For some people, the pain may come and go. Constant pain or pain while you sleep may be a sign that your arthritis is getting worse.

Stiffness. When you have arthritis, getting up in the morning can be hard. Your joints may feel stiff and creaky for a short time, until you get moving. You may also get stiff from sitting.

Muscle weakness. The muscles around the joint may get weaker. This happens a lot with arthritis in the knee.

Swelling. Osteoarthritis does not usually cause much swelling but may cause a little, especially in the knees.

Deformed joints. Joints can start to look like they are the wrong shape, especially as arthritis gets worse.

Reduced range of motion and loss of use of the joint. As your arthritis gets worse, you may not be able to fully bend, flex, or extend your joints. Or you may not be able to use them at all.

Cracking and creaking. Your joints may make crunching, creaking sounds. This creaking may also occur in a normal joint. But in most cases, it doesn't hurt and doesn't mean that there is anything wrong with the joint.

Sleep problems. The pain and stiffness of arthritis can disrupt sleep. And sleep problems may make it harder to cope with pain.

What causes osteoarthritis? Here are some factors that may increase your risk of developing OA:

- Age
- Gender
- Joint injury or overuse caused by physical labor or sports
- Obesity
- Joint Alignment
- Heredity