Tag: inflammation

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.

What do you need to know about rheumatoid arthritis

What do you need to know about rheumatoid arthritis
Mansi gupta

What is meant by Rheumatoid Arthritis?
Rheumatoid Arthritis is a very commonly found form of arthritis. It is a disease that gets worsened over a period of time and leads to painful swelling and permanent damage in the joints of the body particularly the fingers, wrists, feet and ankle. Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease i.e. a disease in which the body’s immune system damages its own tissues. The injured tissues cause reddening, swelling and pain in the particular area. Apart from inflammatory joints, this disease can even hit one’s internal organs such as lungs, eyes and heart. It is therefore a systemic ailment that often produces excruciating intolerable pain.

People prone to Rheumatoid Arthritis
Women especially between 20 to 60 years of age are more susceptible to develop Rheumatoid arthritis due to the innumerable hormonal alterations in their body because of various reasons. However, young and the old, anyone can be afflicted by this autoimmune systemic disease.
Symptoms and Causes of Rheumatoid Arthritis
Pain, irritation, stiffness, extreme weariness after doing day’s work and even swelling of joints, mark the onset of arthritis. If the situation deteriorates gradually, it is definitely Rheumatoid arthritis.
Contrary to gradual development, in some cases the disease might just hit within few seconds with inflammation and fever.

The stiffness of joints and tiredness because of Rheumatoid arthritis is extreme and hampers the individual’s daily activities. The problem may trouble more during winter season.
A burning pain in the joints (left or right hand, cartilage and bone etc.) that prolongs for six weeks or more at a stretch indicates Rheumatoid Arthritis. But if the pain travels to individual’s sacroiliac joints of lower back or to the upper spine, the disease is other than this one

Factors that invoke the disease
No strict causes for Rheumatoid Arthritis have been discovered as yet. But investigations and experience have revealed many some constantly occurring or usual factors that have led to its development.
The individual with a family history of Rheumatoid Arthritis is greatly liable to be afflicted by it. But particularly what infested thing gets passed on from affected ancestors to the patient still needs to be explored.
Acute stress is supposed to be another reason behind Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Different viruses such as mononucleosis can cause Rheumatoid Arthritis. Other than this, infections like strep throat lead to the ailment.

Prevention and Cures
Diagnosis commences with some crucial tests. These tests determine the severity or the stage of rheumatoid arthritis for the individual. Once rheumatoid arthritis is confirmed, anti-rheumatic drugs are prescribed. Anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin, ibuprofen etc. are prescribed initially and more often to those who are suffering from mild form of the disease. But when the case gets worse, disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs or DMARDs are given. Corticosteroids like prednisone, narcotics; chemotherapy drugs for instance Cytoxan; anti-organ rejection medicines such as cyclosporine are examples of DMARDs. Arava, Enbrel or Etanercept and Methotrexate are by and large recommended medicines to patients of Rheumatoid arthritis. But as many other antibiotics, these drugs too have numerous side-effects which should be borne in mind before advising them.
Besides medicines patients even find therapies like acupressure and acupuncture quite relieving. In many cases of Rheumatoid arthritis, patients also desire to go for a surgery About the Author
Mansi gupta writes about. rheumatoid arthritis Learn more at http://www.arthritiseffects.com

What Causes Childhood Arthritis?

What Causes Childhood Arthritis?
David Chandler

What is childhood arthritis?Childhood arthritis is a disease that occurs in children under the age of 16. It causes pain, stiffness, and swelling in one or more of the joints. This pain, stiffness, and swelling are called inflammation. With childhood arthritis, the inflammation lasts longer than six weeks, and is not caused by an injury or other illness. Childhood arthritis is also called juvenile arthritis.How common is childhood arthritis? It affects 1 in 1,000 US children under the age of 16. Both boys and girls are affected by childhood arthritis. Arthritis is not just a disease of old people. In fact, approximately one in 1,000 children under the age of 16 suffers from arthritis. Juvenile arthritis is among the most common chronic childhood disorders.What causes childhood arthritis?The exact cause of childhood arthritis is unknown. Childhood arthritis does not usually run in families and cannot be passed from one person to another. The onset of childhood arthritis may follow an infection or injury, but these events do not cause the arthritis. With childhood arthritis, the body’s immune system stops working properly. The immune system’s job is to fight off germs and disease. However, in a child with childhood arthritis the immune system attacks healthy tissues. What triggers this process is unknown.What can you do about childhood arthritis? If your child has inflammation, in one or more joints for more than six weeks your doctor may perform a physical examination of your child and order tests, such as x-rays and blood tests to find out what is causing the inflammation. There is not just one single symptom, sign, or test that will give a diagnosis of childhood arthritis.If your doctor thinks your child has childhood arthritis, he or she will usually refer your child to a rheumatologist (pronounced room-a-tol-o-jist). A rheumatologist is a doctor who has received special training in the diagnosis and treatment of problems involving inflammation of the joints, muscles and other parts of the body. About the Author
For more information, visit www.ArthritisInfoCenter.com

Using essential fatty acids for reducing arthritis joint pain

Using essential fatty acids for reducing arthritis joint pain
rudy silva

Essential fatty acids provide protection for the whole body. In particular it is effective in reducing inflammation as experienced in joint pain or arthritis.

Most people will have to deal with arthritis especially as they get older. One way to eliminate or minimize this pain is to supplement with the essential fatty acids.

Osteoarthritis, the most common arthritis, is not the only arthritis that affects so many people:

* rheumatoid arthritis

* arthritis from lupus

* gout

* psoriatic arthritis

* reiters disease

* infective arthritis

As you age, the constant movement of the joints creates wear and tear. Toxic wastes that circulate in the blood, dead cells, and liquid can accumulate in the various joints and cause inflammation and pain. Continual inflammation can cause damage to the joints. In some cases the cartilage that coats the bone ends, wears down and joints then rub bone to bone causing extreme pain.

Using the essential fatty acids provides lubrication for the joints as the move against each other. This reduces the wear that can occur at these joints and this results in less inflammation.

There are several conditions and lifestyles that contribute to arthritis,

* Obesity

* Diabetes

* Heredity

* Poor nutrition

* Poor digestion

* Lack of water

* Allergies

* Repetitive use of fingers, hands, legs or arms

* Body injuries sports or accidents

Arthritis is a difficult disease to treat because there is usually more than one cause. Just working on one cause may not help enough to give pain relief. But it always helps to know the many things that contribute to arthritis so that different nutritional and lifestyles changes can be made.

The use of flax seed oil, omega-3, is known to provide anti-inflammatory benefits. Omega-3 breaks down into prostaglandins. It is the prostaglandins that provide the anti-inflammatory results.

So by using the omega-3, GLA, and EPA/DHA supplements, you can get some relief from arthritis. These oils reduce inflammation and pain and provide lubrication, thereby preventing some damage from occurring in your joints.

It is recommended that you use a good dose of,

* Borage oil

* Primrose oil

* NKO oil

Using these oil spread across the day, provides the benefit of feeling reduce joint stiffness and pain in the morning. Use the different oils one bottle at a time. This gives you the health benefits that these different oil provide.

One additional benefit to using these oils is the coating protection that GLA has in the stomach lining.

The standard treatment for arthritis is the use of NSAIDs and COX-2 inhibitors. These, however, have undesirable side effects such as attacking the stomach lining. Thousands of deaths and visits to the emergency are associated with the use of NSAIDs.

You can benefit greatly if you use NSAIDs by adding GLA oils to your diet and help to prevent the serious side effects of the NSAIDs.

There you have it. Eat the essential fatty acids and provide your body with what it needs to build strong and healthy joints.
Rudy Silva has a degree in Physics and is a Natural Nutritionist. He is the author of Constipation, Acne, Hemorrhoid, and Fatty Acid ebooks. He writes a newsletter called “Natural Remedies Thatwork.com”. For more information on arthritis go to: http://www.arthritis-remedies.for–you.info