Living With Your Arthritis: Causes, Symptoms and Treatments
For sufferers of arthritis, the next arthritis inflammation can bring a lot of pain. It is the inflammation of your joints in at least one area of your body. There are actually over 100 different kinds of arthritis, and they can appear suddenly or gradually over time. It is seen most in adults who are over the age of 65, but it can develop in children and teens as well. Arthritis pain is most common in women and in those who are overweight.
Some Causes of Arthritis
Cartilage is the flexible and connective tissue in your joints that absorbs pressure from any shock that is created from movements such as during walking and running. Your cartilage protects your joints and lets you experience smooth movement. Some arthritis is caused when your cartilage is reduced somehow. Osteoarthritis is one of the most common forms and it can be caused by the normal wear and tear that occurs over your lifetime. This is a natural breakdown of the cartilage tissue and can be made worse by an injury or infection to the joints.
Rheumatoid arthritis is another common type and happens when your body's immune system attacks the tissues in your body. This affects the synovium which is what nourishes your cartilage and lubricates your joints. Because of this, rheumatoid arthritis can cause the destruction of bone and cartilage inside your joints. It is still unknown what exactly causes this type of arthritis, but scientists have seen genetic markers that can increase your chances of having it.
How do You Know You Have Arthritis?
The most arthritis symptoms involve joint pain and stiffness, usually in the morning, plus swelling in your joints. You can experience a lowered range of motion in your joints and redness in the skin around the joint.
With rheumatoid arthritis you can also feel tired and have a loss of appetite because of the inflammation that is attacking your body's immune system. Anemia or a slight fever can also occur, and very severe rheumatoid arthritis can leave you with deformed joints if it goes untreated.
Diagnosing Arthritis
Usually during your normal physical examine your doctor can diagnose your arthritis. They will check to see if you have a limited range of motion in your joints and if there is any fluid, warmth or redness around your joints. Taking fluids such as blood and joint fluid will also help to tell your doctor what kind of arthritis you have by looking at the inflammation levels. They will also take image scans such as MRIs, X-rays or CT scans to make images of your bones and cartilage, which will better show them if a bone spur or something similar is the cause of your symptoms.
Common Arthritis Treatments
There are several different ways to treat arthritis, but the main goal is to reduce the amount of pain you are feeling and to also stop any further damage to your joints. Therefore, the improvement of your joint function is important so you might be given a combination of treatment methods so you can get the greatest results.
There are medications that can be given to control pain such as hydrocodone or Vicodin and acetaminophen or Tylenol. They do not decrease inflammation, however. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs will help with both the pain and the inflammation but they also provide a higher risk of heart attack and stroke. Some forms of this drug can also upset your stomach.
Surgery to have joints replaced with artificial ones is another option, and this is most commonly done for the knees and hips. If you have severe arthritis in your wrists and fingers your doctor could do a joint fusion, which is when the ends of your bones are locked together, making them heal and become one.
Physical therapy involves exercises which will help to strengthen your muscles around the damaged joint. Exercise is a main component of any treatment to improve your overall health. When you maintain a healthy weight, this will take a lot of pressure off of your joints and decrease your risk of developing osteoarthritis.
Alternative Methods of Treatment
Still others choose alternative medicine, and many choose to combine it with other treatments. One option that has been said to work is omega-3 fatty acids, the same oils found in fish. They are said to be anti-inflammatory and many RA sufferers have reported a reduction in pain and less fatigue while they are taking these fish oils.
Gingerroot has also been said to have properties that block the cyclooxygenase enzyme and reduce inflammation, the same enzyme that medicines such as Celebrex were made to suppress.
Other supplements include Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, B Vitamins and Calcium. These all have different properties that can help your joints and bones and the regular use of these can help to alleviate some of your arthritis pain and symptoms. For obvious reasons, calcium has always been important for the health of your bones, and women especially should be taking this supplement twice daily.
Some people believe that these natural treatments are safer than prescription drugs. There are several different options, but whatever you decide to take you should first talk to your doctor about it to make sure it is safe for you to take.
Some Causes of Arthritis
Cartilage is the flexible and connective tissue in your joints that absorbs pressure from any shock that is created from movements such as during walking and running. Your cartilage protects your joints and lets you experience smooth movement. Some arthritis is caused when your cartilage is reduced somehow. Osteoarthritis is one of the most common forms and it can be caused by the normal wear and tear that occurs over your lifetime. This is a natural breakdown of the cartilage tissue and can be made worse by an injury or infection to the joints.
Rheumatoid arthritis is another common type and happens when your body's immune system attacks the tissues in your body. This affects the synovium which is what nourishes your cartilage and lubricates your joints. Because of this, rheumatoid arthritis can cause the destruction of bone and cartilage inside your joints. It is still unknown what exactly causes this type of arthritis, but scientists have seen genetic markers that can increase your chances of having it.
How do You Know You Have Arthritis?
The most arthritis symptoms involve joint pain and stiffness, usually in the morning, plus swelling in your joints. You can experience a lowered range of motion in your joints and redness in the skin around the joint.
With rheumatoid arthritis you can also feel tired and have a loss of appetite because of the inflammation that is attacking your body's immune system. Anemia or a slight fever can also occur, and very severe rheumatoid arthritis can leave you with deformed joints if it goes untreated.
Diagnosing Arthritis
Usually during your normal physical examine your doctor can diagnose your arthritis. They will check to see if you have a limited range of motion in your joints and if there is any fluid, warmth or redness around your joints. Taking fluids such as blood and joint fluid will also help to tell your doctor what kind of arthritis you have by looking at the inflammation levels. They will also take image scans such as MRIs, X-rays or CT scans to make images of your bones and cartilage, which will better show them if a bone spur or something similar is the cause of your symptoms.
Common Arthritis Treatments
There are several different ways to treat arthritis, but the main goal is to reduce the amount of pain you are feeling and to also stop any further damage to your joints. Therefore, the improvement of your joint function is important so you might be given a combination of treatment methods so you can get the greatest results.
There are medications that can be given to control pain such as hydrocodone or Vicodin and acetaminophen or Tylenol. They do not decrease inflammation, however. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs will help with both the pain and the inflammation but they also provide a higher risk of heart attack and stroke. Some forms of this drug can also upset your stomach.
Surgery to have joints replaced with artificial ones is another option, and this is most commonly done for the knees and hips. If you have severe arthritis in your wrists and fingers your doctor could do a joint fusion, which is when the ends of your bones are locked together, making them heal and become one.
Physical therapy involves exercises which will help to strengthen your muscles around the damaged joint. Exercise is a main component of any treatment to improve your overall health. When you maintain a healthy weight, this will take a lot of pressure off of your joints and decrease your risk of developing osteoarthritis.
Alternative Methods of Treatment
Still others choose alternative medicine, and many choose to combine it with other treatments. One option that has been said to work is omega-3 fatty acids, the same oils found in fish. They are said to be anti-inflammatory and many RA sufferers have reported a reduction in pain and less fatigue while they are taking these fish oils.
Gingerroot has also been said to have properties that block the cyclooxygenase enzyme and reduce inflammation, the same enzyme that medicines such as Celebrex were made to suppress.
Other supplements include Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, B Vitamins and Calcium. These all have different properties that can help your joints and bones and the regular use of these can help to alleviate some of your arthritis pain and symptoms. For obvious reasons, calcium has always been important for the health of your bones, and women especially should be taking this supplement twice daily.
Some people believe that these natural treatments are safer than prescription drugs. There are several different options, but whatever you decide to take you should first talk to your doctor about it to make sure it is safe for you to take.
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