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~

The post Easy Ways to Minimize Painful Arthritis Attacks first appeared on Age With Charm.

Have you suffered from gout I did, for one day, several years ago. But it was a day of pure suffering. I had it in my left foot which made walking excruciatingly painful that I had to limp. I thought, for a while, that my active life was coming to an end.

To my relief, it was gone the following day and has never come back since then.

How it left as fast as it came is the subject of this article. But before that, here are interesting things you must know about gout.

What is gout?

Gout is one of about 100 types of arthritis, and the fourth among the most common (the other are osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and fibromyalgia).

it was once dubbed as the “disease of the kings” because it only afflicted those who can afford to overindulge in food and wine. But with the growing middle class, the abundance of food resulting in an increase in obesity cases, it has become one of the most common medical issues of the elderly.

In fact, in 2008, 9% of Americans, aged 60 to 79, had bouts of gout. The percentage was higher, 13%, for those in the 80s and above.

So what causes gout?

It is caused by excess uric acid in the blood. Some of these form uric acid crystals that deposit in joints like the big toe, ankle, knee, elbow, wrist, and others.

Joints affected by gout are often reddish, swollen, soft to the touch, but always very painful.

Living with the disease can be a very painful experience, but it can be done.

How to live with gout?

Though mine lasted only for a day, a typical bout episode can be between three to ten days. In a few cases, it becomes chronic resulting in deformities of the affected joint.

Living with gout can only be done two ways: through drugs or discipline.

I am not a medicines man for two reasons: First, they are an additional expense and, second, they cause dependencies.

So if you want to avoid it on a long-term basis, self-discipline is the way to go.

Here’s how:

1. Keep away from food high in purine:

Purines are chemical compounds in foods and drinks we normally take as part of our diet.

If you have experienced bouts of gout, limit or keep away from organ meats like liver, kidney, pancreas, and brain; bacon, beef, pork, and lamb; anchovies, sardines, herring, mackerel, and scallops.

And keep away from too much beer.

Even beans with moderate amounts of purines can trigger gout if taken in excess – which it did in my case. I love tinned pork and beans.

2.  Be hydrated always:

Being always hydrated reduces the risk of this medical issue; it reduces the risk of urate crystals from forming.

So make sure you take no less than 1 liter of water per day. Skimmed milk will do, as well as fruit juices provided they are not laden with sugar.

Some evidence suggests coffee also helps prevent the occurrence of gout because of its diuretic properties.

This makes sense to me because coffee helped me get rid of it.

3.  Exercise:

Exercise is necessary for people of all ages. If you are senior suffering from gout, it is almost mandatory.

Not while you are suffering from its pain, of course. But you must hit the road as soon as the episode passes.

Exercise eases stiffness, improves joint movement, strengthens muscles and bones, and maintains bone density.

And if you don’t Well, as the saying goes, “you will lose it if you don’t use it.” If you don’t exercise your muscles become weak and stiff making movements even more difficult and painful.

4.  Lose weight:

I know of some people losing weight after they have experienced gout arthritis. While this may be commendable, it’s kind of having the airbags inflate after the collision. commendable, it is not the right way to do it;

With or without it, reduce weight. It is for your own good.

Lose weight gradually. A drastic weight loss from a crash diet can cause cell breakdown, resulting in an increase in urate levels.

The best way to lose weight gradually is to have a nutritious diet coupled with exercise. Try to hit your ideal BMI (body mass index) if you want to avoid this old-age health issue for good.

5. Keep away from alcohol, particularly beer:

Here’s a good news/bad news about alcohol consumption and gout. are the good news and bad news regarding gout and alcohol.

The bad news is that alcohol,  particularly beer is bad if you have gout. Even if you don’t, drinking in excess puts you at risk of developing one, especially if you are obese.

The good news is that studies upon studies have not established why they are bad for gout sufferers.

So keep drinking – but keep it within limits.

I drink two cans of beer each Saturday evening. That’s discipline.

Like you, I have several among my circle of friends who have gout. It’s kind of sad to see them suffer so much for something they could have avoided or have full control of. They rely too much on drugs to alleviate their suffering when all they need to do is to have a change in lifestyle to avoid such unnecessary expenses.

Please share with other gout sufferers so they can find lasting relief from this health issue common to people our age. 

~oOo~

The post Are You Suffering from Gout Do These! first appeared on Age With Charm.