Things You Should Know About Arthritis

Things You Should Know About Arthritis

Researches in Nursing and other fields

The first thing you should know about arthritis is I have it. Lol! That’s true. I have acquired it because of my diet since young. I love beans and legumes – the types of food that will really trigger the development of arthritis because of their high uric acid content. I was also an active athlete (basketball, soccer and sepak takraw) until college and the strain caused by playing those sports must have taken their toll on my knees, now I have to suffer the consequences. It might sound shameful but my arthritis attacks started when I was only 23 years old.

For those of you suffering from arthritis, here are some things that you should know about this condition:

Wikipedia defines arthritis as a group of conditions involving damage to the joints of the body. Arthritis is the leading cause of disability in people older than fifty-five years.

There are different forms of arthritis; each has a different cause. The most common form of arthritis, osteoarthritis (degenerative joint disease) is a result of trauma to the joint, infection of the joint, or age. Emerging evidence suggests that abnormal anatomy might contribute to the early development of osteoarthritis. Other arthritis forms are rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis, autoimmune diseases in which the body attacks itself. Septic arthritis is caused by joint infection. Gouty arthritis is caused by deposition of uric acid crystals in the joint, causing inflammation. There is also an uncommon form of gout caused by the formation of rhomboid crystals of calcium pyrophosphate. This gout is known as pseudogout.

All arthritides feature pain. Pain patterns may differ depending on the arthritides and the location. Rheumatoid arthritis is generally worse in the morning and associated with stiffness; in the early stages, patients often have no symptoms after a morning shower. In the aged and children, pain might not be the main feature; the aged patient simply moves less, the infantile patient refuses to use the affected limb.

Elements of the history of the disorder guide diagnosis. Important features are speed and time of onset, pattern of joint involvement, symmetry of symptoms, early morning stiffness, tenderness, gelling or locking with inactivity, aggravating and relieving factors, and other systemic symptoms. Physical examination may confirm the diagnosis, or may indicate systemic disease. Radiographs are often used to follow progression or assess severity in a more quantitative manner.

Primary forms of arthritis are:

Primary forms of arthritis:

1. Osteoarthritis
2. Rheumatoid arthritis
3. Septic arthritis
4. Gout and pseudogout
5. Juvenile idiopathic arthritis
6. Still’s disease
7. Ankylosing spondylitis

Treatment options vary depending on the type of arthritis and include physical and occupational therapy, lifestyle changes (including exercise and weight control), medications and dietary supplements (symptomatic or targeted at the disease process causing the arthritis). Arthroplasty (joint replacement surgery) may be required in eroding forms of arthritis.

In general, studies have shown that physical exercising of the affected joint can have noticeable improvement in terms of long-term pain relief. Furthermore, exercising of the arthritic joint is encouraged to maintain the health of the particular joint and the overall body of the person.

Another form of non-drug treatment that does have a body of proper research to support its efficacy is marine oil, from both fish and the New Zealand green-lipped mussel (Perna canaliculus). Diets high in marine oils from cold-water fish such as salmon, mackerel, and tuna have been shown to reduce the inflammation of joint conditions such as arthritis.

For Filipinos, the incidence of arthritis is high primarily because of our diet here in the Philippines. Pinoys are fond of eating “laman-loob” (internal organs of animals) used as ingredients in native recipes like adobo and paksiw. Among the internal organs, a separate study conducted reveal that “atay” (liver) has the highest amount of uric acid. Now, if you want to avoid developing arthritis, you have to regulate eating these types of food (high in uric acid) which also include beans and legumes, as stated in the first paragraph.

To learn more about other causes of illness and its prevention open this website; Health and Wellness