Tag: Diseases

What is Arthritis? A Definition

What is Arthritis? A Definition
Wendy Owen

Copyright 2006 Wendy Owen

Arthritis is known to affect around forty percent of the
Americans and over fifty percent of the people globally. This is
one disease that is responsible for the maximum amount of pain
worldwide and thousands of dollars have been spent on pain
relief medications because of this.

Arthritis is one of the oldest diseases known to mankind which
could date back to thousands of years – in fact the Romans were
believed to have built the roman baths for therapeutic reasons
other than hygiene – as the hot water baths were used by ancient
Romans to ease the pains associated with arthritis.

The word ‘arthritis’ is a blend of the ancient Greek word
‘arthron’ which translated literally means ‘joint’ and the word
‘it is’ which means inflammation – the disease being
inflammation of the joint.

Arthritis is an autoimmune disease disorder, which causes
inflammation, pain and stiffness of the joints and connective
tissues. This may be accompanied by redness, swelling and warmth
of the joints, which are medically identified as signs of
inflammation of the joints.

Connective tissues are a set of supporting tissues for the
joints – typical examples of connective tissue being –
cartilages, tendons, ligaments and muscles. Arthritis is a wide
spectrum of disease conditions that include well over one
hundred diseases – predominantly those of ‘Rheumatoid Arthritis’
which can occur at any age and ‘Osteoarthritis ‘ which usually
occurs after sixty years of age.

Arthritis is an autoimmune disease that is known to occur due to
a disorder of the immune system and usually continues throughout
life with periods of remission (characterized by total absence
of disease symptoms) and exacerbation (with increasing severity
of disease). The disease is known to occur more often in women
as compared to men.

Arthritis is known to present in a variety of ways such as some
arthritic conditions are chronic while others are intermittent
such as Gout. The arthritic conditions are either inflammatory
or degenerative. The inflammatory form of arthritis is
characterized by the presence of swelling, redness and warmth of
the involved joints while the degenerative form of arthritis is
best identified as having a small element of inflammation and
being predominantly degenerative – which is best known for the
wearing out of the cartilages lining the joints.

Simply put, arthritis can be defines as any inflammation of the
joint and could either be chronic or short term in duration.
There is no simple cure for arthritis, however there are many
natural remedies available which can ease the severity of
arthritis symptoms and effect a repair on cartilage,

About the author:
Visit http://www.natural-arthritis-medication.com your resource
for information on natural remedies for arthritis. The author
Wendy Owen is a health writer and researcher. Join our list and
receive a free 6 part arthritis mini course

What Is Arthritis?

What Is Arthritis?
Michael Russell

Arthritis is probably one of the most misunderstood of all diseases.
Quite honestly if you ask the average person in the street exactly what
arthritis is you won’t get an answer that’s even close. All they know is
that something hurts but don’t have a clue as to exactly what or why.
Before I go into the types and causes of arthritis I’m just going to throw
some facts at you. All of this can be gotten at the official web site if you
look hard enough for it.
1. In 1985 about 35 million people were diagnosed with arthritis.
Twenty years later the number is up to over 65 million.
2. Arthritis is the most common disability of Americans over the age of
15. Yes, young people can get arthritis.
3. Only heart disease is a greater cause of work disability.
4. The cost for treating arthritis in the US alone is over 86 billion
dollars each year.
5. Over 300,000 children have arthritis.
6. Half the people who have arthritis think there is nothing that can be
done for the condition.
7. There are actually over 100 different diseases associated with
arthritis.
8. Woman are more affected than men. The current numbers are 26
million women and 16 million men with doctor diagnosed arthritis.
How many of us knew all this? I certainly didn’t until doing some
research. Oh I knew about the poor lady in my church who’s about to
go in for knee replacement surgery and lives on pain killers. But I had
no idea this disease was this common.
So what IS arthritis?
A book can be written on the various forms of arthritis but the most
common MYTH of what arthritis is, aches and pains associated with
getting older, needs to be dispelled with quickly if people are going to
understand the disease. As I stated earlier, arthritis has nothing to do
with age as many children get it. Yes, it is more prevalent in older
people but it is not restricted to the elderly. Arthritis is a disease of the
skeletal system, mostly the joints which is where two or more bones
meet. Joint problems include pain, stiffness, inflammation, and
damage to the joint cartilage, which is the tough, smooth tissue that
covers the ends of the bones so that they can glide against each
other. It is the deterioration of this tissue that causes the pain because
what happens is you get bone rubbing against bone. The pain can
become so bad that it can interfere with everyday activities such as
walking or even trying to stand up from a chair.
However this is only one form of arthritis and only part of the problem.
Some forms of arthritis, called Rheumatoid arthritis effects the body’s
immune system and can ultimately end up damaging the heart,
lungs, kidneys, blood vessels and skin.
This is the most serious form of arthritis.
In my next article I am going to cover various treatments for arthritis
and their side effects.

About the Author
Michael Russell provides an online guide to arthritis which includes useful articles and resources for humans and pets.

Food Allergies in Kids

Food allergies are a common problem in kids. Nearly two million children have food allergies in the United States. Some food allergies are life threatening, even if the food is taken in very little quantity. Peanut tops the list of notorious foods which cause allergies. Following it are milk, especially cows milk, soy, eggs, wheat, seafood and other nuts.

Food allergies are caused when the immune system is confused. The job of the immune system is to protect the body from diseases, bacteria, viruses and germs. The antibodies produced by the immune system helps to fight these minute external organisms which makes the person sick. But if the body is allergic to certain food, the immune system mistakes the food to a harmful foreign substance and takes action towards it thinking that it is dangerous to the body. The body acts adversely, when it isnt supposed to do so.

When the immune system detects allergic substance, the antibodies produce mast cells. They are a kind of immune system cell which release a chemicals, such as histamine, in the bloodstream. These chemicals affect the respiratory system, digestive system, nose, eyes, throat, and skin. Initial symptoms are runny nose, tingling sensation in the lips or tongue, and itchy skin rash like hives. The reaction can be mild to severe and depends on every individual. The symptoms can appear right after the food is consumed or after few hours. Other symptoms are cough, wheezing, nausea, hoarse voice, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach ache, and throat tightness.

A sudden and harsh allergic reaction is known as anaphylaxis. The patient encounters many problems, all at once which involve blood vessels, the heart, digestion, breathing, and skin. The blood pressure drops very steeply, the tongue swells and there is swelling in the breathing tubes. Patients who have such allergic reactions should be ready to handle emergencies. They should always carry some type of medicine which will help to combat or reduce the adverse affect of the food.

Most of the times, it is very easy to detect the cause of food allergy. Problems such as hives begin to surface as soon as the child eats the substance he is allergic to. At other times, it becomes very difficult to determine the cause of allergy. In such cases, everything should be observed under close surveillance. Food items which are made out of many ingredients should be thoroughly checked for the allergic cause. Most of the times, allergies are inherited from other family members or other kids born with food allergies. Changes in the surroundings and the body play a major role in these kinds of cases. Some of the kids arent actually allergic to the food and show only mild reaction. Like people who are lactose intolerant suffer from diarrhea and belly pain after consuming milk and diary products. This is not an indication that the child is allergic to milk. This reaction happens because their body is incapable of breaking down the sugars which are found in diary products and milk.

If the conditions are severe, a doctor should be consulted immediately. If food allergy is diagnosed, the doctor refers to an allergy specialist. The doctor asks questions like eating patterns, past allergic reactions and the time period between the consumption of food and the surfacing of the symptoms. The specialist can also ask about allergy related conditions like asthma or eczema and whether allergic reactions are hereditary. Usually skin test and blood test is done to test the antibodies and the reaction they have on the skin when it is exposed to the allergic substance.

Kids who are allergic to egg and milk outgrow them as the age progresses. But allergies which are severe and are related to items such as peanut, shrimps, and some kind of fish, last for a lifetime. Other than food, children can be allergic to certain medicines and flower pollen. The best way to avoid allergies is to avoid the cause of it. No specific medicine has been developed for the cure of allergies.

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Rheumatoid Arthritis: Will It Strike You?

Rheumatoid Arthritis: Will It Strike You?
Travis Lawrence

Many think that when they get older they will deal with rheumatoid arthritis. But, many are sadly mistaken if they think that this condition is far off for them. In many cases, it starts much earlier than you would think. Having the knowledge you need, though, can help you to see the symptoms, understand what is happening to you and to seek out the right treatment for it. Rheumatoid arthritis strikes thousands of people every day. Will it strike you?
An Overview
Rheumatoid arthritis is a condition that is chronic meaning that it does not go away. Most of the time, it is thought of as a condition of inflamed joints. Long term damage to the joints is what leads to severe pain. Eventually, it will worsen to an extreme in which the individual can no longer use the joint and can become disabled for it.
There are three stages of the disease. In the first, there is often swelling in the synovial lining. This is the lining of the joints. The swelling will cause pain, stiffness and even a feeling of warmth in the area. The joint and the area surrounding it will be swollen.
In the second stage, the disease is characterized by the growth of cells. The cells will grow and reproduce quickly. This causes the lining or synovium to thicken rapidly.
In the last stage, these cells are now inflamed. They are releasing enzymes that will begin to actually work away at the bone and cartilage of the joint. The joint will become misshapen and its alignment will be off. In turn, this causes more pain and leads to the loss of function of the joint all together.
It is also important to note that Rheumatoid arthritis can lead to other conditions throughout the body. The disease can effect many organs and therefore cripple the lifestyle that you know. It is important to seek treatment early on before the condition worsens beyond control.
Rheumatoid arthritis affects about two million people within the United States. There is no cure for it, but medications can slow and even stop the progression of the disease and therefore prevent it from becoming severe. The cause of the disease is also unknown.
Do I Have it?
Understanding the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis can help you to know when you should take action. It can affect any joint within the body. Smaller joints are the most common area for it to begin. For example, fingers, the hands and the wrists are the mot common first signs of the disease. Most common systems include the following.
 Stiffness in any joint. It tends to be worse in the morning or after sitting still for long periods of time. The longer this stiffness lasts, the worse the diseases is.
 Fatigue can be a symptom as well.
 Flu like symptoms including a fever may be present.
 Feelings of weakness.
 Pain may be evident especially when there are long periods of sitting or stillness.
 The disease can go into remission in which it may not feel as bad. Many mistakenly think that they are better. But, it will flare up again.
 Muscle pain may be evident.
 Also, a loss of appetite, the onset of depression, anemia, sweaty hands and feet and weight loss can be a sign that there is something happening.
As the disease progresses, symptoms will worsen. Pain becomes more so and there is a withdrawal from activity because it is just too painful.
Seeking Help
The treatment that you will receive will be fitted to your specific conditions. Because the disease of rheumatoid arthritis is so varied, treatment must be administered to your severity and your symptoms. It is important to seek the advice of a doctor when you begin to experience pain because early detection can slow and stop the progression of the disease. It can help to stop the spread as well.
It is important for you to seek early treatment for any joint pain that you may have. As mentioned, rheumatoid arthritis is a condition that can affect other systems within the body. These will worsen as the disease progresses. Taking the first steps when you first see a problem can help you to maintain your lifestyle without having to stop because of the pain that rheumatoid arthritis is bound to cause.
About the Author
For more rheumatoid arthritis treatment information visit http://www.rheumatoid-arthritis-info.org/ . You may freely reprint this article on your website or in your newsletter provided this courtesy notice, link and URL remain intact.