RAISING AWARENESS COMMON WARNING SIGNS OF ARTHRITIS

By Metro Creative Connection

Arthritis has name recognition, even among people who are not suffering from it. But despite that recognition, arthritis is not as well understood as one might think. The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases says “arthritis” means “joint inflammation.” According to the Arthritis Foundation, arthritis is not a single disease, but rather an informal way of referring to joint pain or joint disease. In fact, the term “arthritis” is so wide-ranging that it actually refers to more than 100 types of conditions. Arthritis is also the No. 1 cause of disability in the United States, affecting around 60 million adults and 300,000 children. Despite its complexity, arthritis often produces four important warning signs, regardless of which type of arthritis a person may have.

The Arthritis Foundation notes that arthritis-related pain may be constant or intermittent. One common misconception about arthritis pain is that it only occurs during or shortly after a body is at rest. However, arthritisrelated pain can occur while the body is at rest and is not always triggered by an activity that incorporates a part of the body affected by arthritis. In addition, pain from arthritis can be isolated to one area of the body or affect various parts of the body.

Skin over the joints affected by arthritis may become red and swollen. This skin also may feel warm to the touch. The Arthritis Foundation advises anyone who experiences this swelling for three days or longer or more than three times per month to contact a physician.

This warning sign is, along with pain, the one that is most often associated with arthritis, even by people who don’t suffer from the condition. Stiffness when waking up in the morning or after long periods of being sedentary, such as sitting at a desk during the workday or taking a long car ride, can be symptomatic of arthritis, especially if the stiffness lasts an hour or longer.

The Arthritis Foundation notes that people should not experience difficulty moving, such as when getting out of bed. People who experience such difficulty may have arthritis.

People who recognize any of these warning signs should report them to their physicians immediately. Be as specific as possible when describing these symptoms, as specificity can help physicians design the most effective course of treatment.

Doctors will ask questions and perform blood tests to check for arthritis markers. A general practitioner may recommend a patient see a rheumatologist to get a better arthritis diagnosis as well as a treatment plan.

Treatments include analgesic medications, anti-inflammatory drugs that may be NSAID or steroid formulations, capsaicin creams to block pain signals or immunosuppressants and biologics if arthritis is autoimmune in nature.

Treatment may be customized to each patient. Because there are more than 100 different types of arthritis, men and women diagnosed with the condition can benefit greatly from individualized care. For example, occupational therapy practitioners may recommend personalized adaptive

Each has different causes and treatment methods, but some are more common than others. Here is a deeper look at some of the more commonly occurring types of arthritis.

Healthline says osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common type of arthritis in the U.S. It develops after the age of 50 or 60 years, and tends to be more prevalent in individuals who are overweight. With OA, joint paint tends to occur after rest or inactivity. It is a degenerative joint disease in which the tissues break down over time.

Unlike OA, which is marked by a breakdown of joint tissue over time, generally due to aging, RA is a chronic autoimmune disease in which the body’s own immune system attacks the joints and other tissues. In fact, the NIAMS says RA can cause medical problems in areas such as the eyes, lungs, blood, nerves, and heart in addition to the joints.

RA is more common in women than men, and people are likely to get the disease if there is a family history of it.

equipment to patients with arthritis who are experiencing pressure and discomfort in their hands when holding or working with objects. One-sizefits-all solutions may not work for arthritis sufferers, who can benefit from one-on-one interactions with occupational therapists.

While there’s no cure or surefire way to prevent arthritis, exercising, losing weight, managing stress, and eating healthy foods could limit symptoms. Working with a doctor also can help manage arthritis.

Psoriatic arthritis is another inflammatory condition linked to an autoimmune disorder. Individuals with the skin condition psoriasis can develop psoriatic arthritis after skin symptoms occur. It is believed that stressful events, trauma to the joints or bones or infections may trigger the disease in those who already have psoriasis.

Gout is a type of arthritis that causes flares, often beginning in the big toe or a lower limb. It occurs when a high level of serum urate builds up in the body, which then forms needleshaped crystals in and around the joint. Gout usually happens in middle age, with men developing it earlier than women. Some people with gout may be more likely to develop chronic kidney disease, obesity, hypertension, and diabetes.