How much do you know about arthritis? Not much, maybe, except that it is painful. As if a thousand needles are plunged into your big toe, foot, ankle, wrist, hands, or any joint in your body.
The pain may range from mild, to severe, to crippling and can last for a day or two, a week, months or years.
When arthritis attacks, you immediately blame it on the food you ate. But is food the only cause of arthritis flare-ups?
Read on and learn the basics of arthritis before you plop a tablet or two o painkillers down your throat when you will have another flair-up.
This will give you bits and pieces of useful information about the disease, and help you ward it off or how to cope with it.
What is arthritis
Arthritis is not a single disease but a common term for any disease affecting the joints. It can affect people of all ages, sex, and race.
There are more than 100 types of arthritis and related conditions but they share the same symptoms, i.e., swelling, pain, stiffness and decreased mobility. Some types of arthritis may also affect the heart, eyes, lungs, kidneys, and skin.
More than 50 million people in the U.S. have arthritis, with more than half of them are people aged 65 and above. – mostly women and elderly people. They are prone to arthritis because of stress and strain of their joints over the years.
Arthritis types among seniors and how to cope with them
If you never had any bout with arthritis before then start feeling any of its early symptoms )shown below), consult a doctor. It’s better to be sure than suffer pain and agony later.
Early symptoms of arthritis:
- Joint swelling
- Joint stiffness
- Tenderness or pain when touching a joint
- Problems moving the joint
- Warmth and redness of a joint
Seeing a doctor will let you know if you have an early onset of the disease, what type, and possible treatment options.
There are four types of arthritis common to elderly people. These are:
Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis afflicting about 54 million adults in the U.S. aged 65 and above.
This type is not triggered by the food you eat but by torn and worn-out cartilage between the joints of the hands, neck, lower back knees, and hips.
Note: The author has osteoarthritis on both knees.
How to cope with it
There is no cure for osteoarthritis. Nothing can repair worn out cartilage despite claims by glucosamine food supplement suppliers. You can only minimize the pain by taking acetaminophen (Tylenol). But don’t take beyond the recommended dosage because it may cause liver damage.
Another is by having steroid injections on affected areas. This is done twice a year and is a bit expensive.
Or you may opt for surgical interventions, like a titanium implant, if the pain becomes chronic and unbearable.
There are also non-medical treatment options like:
- Exercise – to boost your energy, strengthen your muscles and bones, and keep your joints flexible.
- Eat a balanced diet – foods rich in vitamin C, Omega 3 fatty acids, fruits and vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy, and lean meat are known to ease symptoms of the disease.
- Lose weight – to minimize pressure on the knees, spine, hips, ankles, and feet.
- Use hot or cold packs – to increase blood flow and ease pain and stiffness. Cold compress reduces swelling.
- Use splints, braces, and other aids – so you can move around with less pain on the joints.
Rheumatoid arthritis
RA is an autoimmune disease – meaning the body attacks the lining of the joints like it should, to protect it from diseases – even if they are healthy. This abnormality results in the swelling and inflammation of the affected joints.
Rheumatoid arthritis mostly affects the fingers, wrist, shoulders, elbows, hips, knees, ankles, feet, and neck. It may also affect the heart, blood vessels, and the nervous system.
One peculiar trait of RA is that if it affects one side of the body, it will also affect the other side. And it occurs mostly among women.
People with RA gets tired easily, and sometimes run a fever.
How to cope with it:
There are several prescription drugs for rheumatoid arthritis, like Azulfidine, Aralen, Plaquenil, etc. But like any prescription drug, there may be negative side-effects. So consult your doctor before trying any of the above.
You may opt for other treatment options like a therapist (physical or occupational), surgery, or lifestyle change.
Gout
This is triggered by the foods you eat – foods rich in uric acid like shellfish, liver, dried beans, peas, nuts, anchovies, or gravy.
Gout is caused by excessive deposits of uric acid crystals on the connective tissues or joint spaces, causing swelling, pain, and heat in the affected areas.
This is considered one of the most painful types of arthritis. It mostly affects the big toes, ankle, wrist, knee, or hand.
How to cope with it:
Mild cases of gout can be washed away after a day of urination. The more serious ones need medication.
There are several over-the-counter and prescribed drugs to ease the pain of gout but never buy any without prior consultation with your doctor. Different people react differently to drugs.
Like the other types of arthritis. there are things you can do to minimize the pain such as:
- Use ice packs to help ease the pain and inflammation
- Drink plenty of fluids to flush out excess uric acid crystals from the affected joints and prevent kidney stones (from excess uric acid crystals)
- Avoid food rich in uric acid like seafood and shellfish, sardines, anchovies, herring, liver, bacon, turkey, veal, etc.,
- Eat lots of fruits and vegetables
- Avoid alcoholic beverages at all costs.
Reactive arthritis
This is type of arthritis is caused by an infection in other parts of your body. It causes joint inflammation and swelling just like true arthritis.
How to cope with it:
Treating the infection will make this go away. Hence, the importance of seeing a doctor when you detect any symptoms of a flair-up.
Arthritis is the number one medical issue faced by the elderly because it affects so many of them. It is chronic and incurable and flare-ups can cause so much pain and misery at a time when they are supposed to enjoy the best time of their lives.
But this need not be, provided you equip yourself with the knowledge of what you are up against and how to cope with it.
~oOo~
