Arthritis Information and Tips
What
is Arthritis?
Many people think of arthritis as aches and pains that older people get.
However, arthritis pain can affect people of all ages –
children and adults - and is a far more complex health problem.The
disease is more prevalent in women.
Arthritis is often mistakably referred to as single disease. However,
this is just the collectible term for 100 different types of the
disease.
Most types affect the joints, exactly where the bones meet.
However, arthritis often affects the whole musculoskeletal system.
There are also systemic types that affect the whole body.
In this case it can even affect the heart, lungs, kidneys or
skin.
Unfortunately, the number of people affected is growing.
Moreover, many Americans are soon reaching their 60s, the age when the
risk for the disease is higher.
Since 1985 the number of Americans with arthritis has increased from
35 million to over 70 million with at least 300,000 children
affected.
That means every third adult suffers from this painful health problem
making it the most common chronic disease in the
US.
It is leading more and more Americans to disability.
Most
common types
of the disease:
|
Osteoarthritis |
Causes pain and loss of movement because the cartilage that
covers the ends of the bones in the joint deteriorates. That
lets bones rub against other bones. This is the most common form
of the disease and mainly affects people above the age of 60. |
|
Rheumatoid: |
Causing pain and loss of movement because the joint lining is
inflamed and cannot function as part of the body’s immune system
anymore. Rheumatoid arthritis is more prevalent in women and is
referred to as an autoimmune disease. |
|
Gout: |
Causing pain in smaller joints of the body (often the big toe).
This type is more prevalent in men and can usually
be kept in control with medications and some diet changes.
|
|
Juvenile: |
This is the general term for all types of arthritis that affect
children. |
Cartilage:
Smooth but tough tissue that covers the ends of the bones and enables
the bones to glide against the other bones.
Currently there
is no cure for this painful disease. The only
hope at the moment is the use of pain relieving medications to keep the
disease in control.
What
are the symptoms?
·
Joint
pain
·
Stiffness
·
Inflammation of cartilage
·
Weakness of joints
·
Instability and visible deformities
These symptoms are turning the simplest daily tasks, such as
walking, climbing stairs, computer keyboarding or using knife and fork
into torture for people suffering from the disease.
Causes
Rheumatoid arthritis
may be caused by a virus that triggers the immune system to attack
itself. The immune system is responsible for the inflammatory reaction
of the body that leads to the loss of movement and the eventual
destruction of the joints.
Are
weather conditions related to the pain?
Theories about the weather’s effect on the perceived pain are
rather subjective. Many people state that they feel better in warm, dry
climates.
In
fact, the symptoms may get worse when the humidity and the
barometric pressure increase. Many people feel a difference when they
are in vacation in a warm climate, but that may be as well related to
other facts. Before you consider moving to a warmer climate you should
spend more time in the area to see how you well are really doing.
What are possible treatments?
Besides the
conventional expensive chemical medications with their numerous side
effects, there are also natural ways to treat the disease. One of them is
bee sting or
bee venom therapy.
However, this is a very painful procedure. Now there is an affordable
alternative medicine
that can work effectively and without causing pain or side effects.
Click here to
learn more about this natural
arthritis treatment
|
