How to stay strong with ARTHRITIS (Part 2)

Arthritis is a broad term that covers a group of diseases. It has everything to do with your joints -- the places where your bones connect -- such as your wrists, knees, hips, or fingers. But some types of arthritis can also affect other connective tissues and organs, including your skin. 

About 1 out of 5 adults have some form of the condition. It can happen to anyone, but it becomes more common as you age.

Causes - With many forms of arthritis, the cause is unknown. But some things can raise your chances of getting it such as :

• Age - As you get older, your joints tend to get worn down.
• Gender - Most types of arthritis are more common among women, except for gout.
• Genes - Conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and ankylosing spondylitis are linked to certain genes.
• Excess weight - Carrying extra pounds makes arthritis in the knee start sooner and get worse faster.
• Injuries - They can cause joint damage that can bring on some types of the condition.
• Infection - Bacteria, viruses, or fungi can infect joints and trigger inflammation.
• Work - If you go hard on your knees at work -- knee bends and squats -- you might be more likely to get osteoarthriti

Some other types of arthritis include the following:

Gout

Gout (Gouty arthritis) is a common and complex form of arthritis that can affect anyone. It is a characterized by sudden onset of a painful, hot, red, swollen joint, particularly in the foot at the big toe. Gouty arthritis is reportedly the most common cause of inflammatory arthritis in men over the age of 40.

It is definitively diagnosed by detecting uric acid (monosodium urate) crystals in an aspirated sample of the joint fluid. These uric acid crystals can accumulate in the joint and tissues around the joint over years, intermittently triggering repeated bouts of acute inflammation. Repeated "attacks" of gouty arthritis, or "flares," can damage the joint and lead to chronic arthritis.

Symptoms

The signs and symptoms of gout almost always occur suddenly, and often at night. They include:

• Intense joint pain - Gout usually affects the large joint of your big toe, but it can occur in any joint. Other commonly affected joints include the ankles, knees, elbows, wrists and fingers.
• Lingering discomfort - After the most severe pain subsides, some joint discomfort may last from a few days to a few weeks.
• Inflammation and redness - The affected joint or joints become swollen, tender, warm and red.
• Limited range of motion - As gout progresses, you may not be able to move your joints normall

Treatment

Self-Care at Home

• Take medications as prescribed.
• While a joint is hot and swollen, you may want to use a cane or similar support to keep your weight off that joint.
• It may be helpful to keep the swollen joint elevated above your chest as much as possible.
• Ice packs can be helpful in relieving pain and reducing inflammation.
• Maintaining adequate hydration is key for minimizing the frequency and intensity of attacks.
• Cherry juice may decrease the intensity and severity of attacks.

If you are at risk for gout, you should do the following:

• Eat a low-cholesterol, low-fat diet. People with gout have a higher risk for heart disease. This diet would not only lower your risk for gout but also your risk for heart disease. Control your cholesterol.
• Avoid foods that are high in purines (the biochemical in foods that is metabolized into uric acid), including shellfish and red meats.
• Slowly lose weight. This can lower your uric acid levels. Losing weight too rapidly can occasionally precipitate gout attacks.
• Restrict your intake of alcohol, especially beer.
• Stay hydrated.
• Increase your intake of dairy products, such as nonfat milk and yogurt, because they can lower the frequency of gout attacks.
• Avoid fructose, such as in corn syrup.
• Talk to your doctor if you are taking thiazide diuretics (HCTZ), low-dose aspirin, levodopa (Larodopa), cyclosporine (Gengraf, Neoral, Sandimmune), or nicotinic acid.

Rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disorder that can affect more than just your joints. In some people, the condition also can damage a wide variety of body systems, including the skin, eyes, lungs, heart and blood vessels.

An autoimmune disorder, rheumatoid arthritis occurs when your immune system mistakenly attacks your own body's tissues.

Unlike the wear-and-tear damage of osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis affects the lining of your joints, causing a painful swelling that can eventually result in bone erosion and joint deformity. Early rheumatoid arthritis tends to affect your smaller joints first — particularly the joints that attach your fingers to your hands and your toes to your feet.

As the disease progresses, symptoms often spread to the wrists, knees, ankles, elbows, hips and shoulders. In most cases, symptoms occur in the same joints on both sides of your body. 

Symptoms

RA usually affects joints on both sides of the body equally. Wrists, fingers, knees, feet, and ankles are the most commonly affected.

The disease often begins slowly, usually with only minor joint pain, stiffness, and fatigue.

Joint symptoms may include:

• Morning stiffness, which lasts more than 1 hour, is common. Joints may feel warm, tender, and stiff when not used for an hour.
• Joint pain is often felt on the same joint on both sides of the body.
• Over time, joints may lose their range of motion and may become deformed.

Other symptoms include:

• Chest pain when taking a breath (pleurisy)
• Dry eyes and mouth (Sjogren syndrome)
• Eye burning, itching and discharge
• Nodules under the skin (usually a sign of more severe disease)
• Numbness, tingling, or burning in the hands and feet

Treatment

There’s no cure for RA, but there are treatments that can help you to manage it. Treatments for RA help to manage the pain and control the inflammatory response which can in many cases result in remission. Decreasing the inflammation can also help to prevent further joint and organ damage.

Treatments may include:

Medications - NSAIDS, steroids, Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) etc..

Physical therapy - Range-of-motion exercises and exercise programs prescribed by a physical therapist can delay the loss of joint function and help keep muscles strong. Sometimes therapists will use special machines to apply deep heat or electrical stimulation to reduce pain and improve joint movement.

Joint protection techniques, heat and cold treatments, and splints or orthotic devices to support and align joints may be very helpful.

Frequent rest periods between activities, as well as 8 to 10 hours of sleep per night, are recommended.

Exercise - Low-impact exercises can help to improve the range of motion in your joints and increase your mobility.

Surgery which may include - removal of the joint lining (synovectomy), total joint replacement in extreme cases; may include total knee,  hip replacement, ankle replacement, shoulder replacement, and others

Early, aggressive treatment for RA can delay joint destruction.

Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis

Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, also known as juvenile idiopathic arthritis, is the most common type of arthritis in children under the age of 16. Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis causes persistent joint pain, swelling and stiffness. Some children may experience symptoms for only a few months, while others have symptoms for the rest of their lives.

Some types of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis can cause serious complications, such as growth problems and eye inflammation. Treatment of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis focuses on controlling pain, improving function and preventing joint damage.

It is divided into several types:

• Systemic (bodywide) JRA involves joint swelling or pain, fevers, and rash. It is the least common type.

• Polyarticular JRA involves many joints. This form of JRA may turn into rheumatoid arthritis. It may involve five or more large and small joints of the legs and arms, as well as the jaw and neck.

• Pauciarticular JRA involves four or less joints, most often the wrists, or knees. It also affects the eyes.

Symptoms

Symptoms of JRA may begin with a swollen joint, limping, a spiking fever, or a new rash.

Symptoms can include:

• Joint stiffness and pain
• Limited range of motion
• Warm, swollen, or red joints
• A child may stop using an affected limb or may limp

Body-wide JRA symptoms:

• Fever, usually high fevers every day
• Rash (trunk and extremities) that comes and goes with the fever
• Pale skin
• Looks sick
• Swollen lymph nodes (glands)

JRA can also cause eye problems red eyes,  eye pain which may get worse when looking at light

Psoriatic arthritis

Psoriatic arthritis is a type of arthritis that often occurs with psoriasis of the skin.

Causes

Psoriasis is a common, chronic skin condition that causes red patches on the body. About 1 in 20 people with psoriasis will develop arthritis with the skin condition. In most cases, psoriasis comes before the arthritis.

The cause of psoriatic arthritis is not known, but genes may play a role. In general, people who have psoriasis have a higher rate of arthritis than the general population.

Symptoms

The arthritis may be mild and involve only a few joints, particularly those at the end of the fingers or toes. In some people the disease may be severe and affect many joints, including the spine. When the spine is affected, the symptoms are stiffness, burning, and pain, most often in the lower spine and sacrum.

People who also have arthritis usually have the skin and nail changes of psoriasis. Often, the skin gets worse at the same time as the arthritis.

Treatment

No cure exists for psoriatic arthritis, so treatment focuses on controlling inflammation in your affected joints to prevent joint pain and disability.

Medications used to treat psoriatic arthritis include: Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs, Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs, Immunosuppressants, TNF-alpha inhibitors etc..

Lifestyle and home remedies such as :

• Protect your joints. Changing the way you carry out everyday tasks can make a tremendous difference in how you feel. For example, you can avoid straining your finger joints by using gadgets, lifting heavy pans or other objects with both hands, and by pushing doors open with your whole body instead of just your fingers.

• Maintain a healthy weight. Maintaining a healthy weight places less strain on your joints, leading to reduced pain and increased energy and mobility. The best way to increase nutrients while limiting calories is to eat more plant-based foods — fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

• Exercise regularly. Exercise can help keep your joints flexible and your muscles strong. Types of exercises that are less stressful on joints include biking, swimming and walking.

• Pace yourself. Battling pain and inflammation can leave you feeling exhausted. Divide exercise or work activities into short segments. Find time to relax several times throughout the day.

Also Read:-

How to stay strong with ARTHRITIS (Part 1)

The Beauty Inside

FEEL YOUNG -Keep yourself physically and mentally fit

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