Arthritis pain can be frustrating. Nagging and crippling arthritis pain can continue day after day. How much would you be happy if you can stop your arthritis pain now and feel great all day? Knowing the nature of the disease can really bring you the right answer.
What is arthritis?
Arthritis comprises more than 100 different diseases and conditions. The word arthritis means "joint inflammation". When joints are inflamed, causing pain and usually also limits movement of the affected joints. For many people, arthritis pain has a huge impact on their lives. Arthritis is second only to heart disease as a cause of work disability. Arthritis limits everyday activities such as walking, dressing and bathing for more than 16 million Americans. Each year, arthritis produces 750,000 hospitalizations and 36 million outpatient visits. Arthritis is not just a disease of the elderly. Nearly two-thirds of people with arthritis are younger than 65 years, including nearly 300,000 children. Arthritis affects children and people of all races and ethnic groups but is more common in women and older adults.
This disease can affect various body parts. The two most common forms are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease in which the joint lining becomes inflamed as part of immune system activity. RA is one of the most serious and disabling, affecting mostly women. Rheumatoid arthritis is two to three times more common in women than men and generally attacks between the ages of 20 and 50. Both sides of the body are usually affected at the same time. Symptoms of RA differ from person to person but generally can include:
Joint tenderness, warmth, and swelling.
Pain and stiffness lasting for more than 1 hour in the morning or after a long break.
Arthritis wrist and finger joints closest to the hand.
Fatigue, occasional fever, and general sense of malaise.
Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis. It is a degenerative joint disease in which the cartilage that covers the ends of bones in the joint deteriorates, causing pain and loss of movement as bone begins to rub against bone. OA usually affects the joints of the fingers, knees, hips, and spine. Osteoarthritis is more common in older people because they have been using their joints longer. Using the joints to do the same task over and over again or just use them from time to time can make osteoarthritis worse. Young people can also get osteoarthritis. Athletes are at risk because they use their joints so much. People who have jobs that require repetitive movements which are also at risk. Joint injuries increase the risk of arthritis in the joints at a later date. Being overweight can accelerate arthritis in, hips knees and spine. The most common symptom of osteoarthritis is pain in the affected joint (s) after repeated use. Joint pain is usually worse in the future. There can be swelling, warmth, and creaking of the affected joint. OA symptoms may vary greatly. Some patients can be debilitated by their symptoms. On the other hand, others may have very few symptoms despite a dramatic degeneration of the joints seen on x-ray. Symptoms can also be intermittent.
These 2 forms have very different causes, risk factors, and effects on the body, but they often share a common symptom - persistent joint pain.
What causes arthritis?
Primary OA is mostly related to aging. With aging, the water content of cartilage increases and protein composition of cartilage degenerates. Repeated use of the joints over the years irritate and inflame the cartilage, causing pain and swelling of joints. Eventually, cartilage begins to drop with flaking or forming tiny crevices. Inflammation of the cartilage can also stimulate new bone growth (spurs) to form around the joints. Sometimes osteoarthritis following joint injury. For example, a young person might hurt his knee playing football badly. Then, years after the knee has apparently healed, he can get arthritis in his knee joints.
RA is an autoimmune disease. This means the body's natural immune system is not operating as it should, but it attacks healthy joint tissue, initiating a process of inflammation and joint damage. RA is a type of chronic arthritis that occurs in joints on both sides of the body (such as the hands, wrists or knees). This symmetry helps distinguish RA from other types of arthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis occurs most frequently in the 30-50 age group, although it can begin at any age. It is strongly associated with HLA marker DR4 - hence family history is an important risk factor. This disease affects women: Men in a ratio of 4:1.
Other conditions can also cause arthritis. Some include:
Gout, in which crystals build up in joints. Usually affects the big toe.
Lupus, in which the body's defense system can harm the joints, heart, skin, kidneys and other organs.
Viral hepatitis, in which an infection of the liver can cause arthritis.
What can you do about it?
Some people may worry that arthritis means they will not be able to work or take care of their children and their families. Other people think that you just have to accept things like arthritis.
Although there is no cure for arthritis, much can be done today to reduce pain and improve joint function. Learning how to manage pain in the long run it is important to maintain good quality of life. There are things you can do to keep the damage from getting worse. They also can make you feel better.Here few simple things to do:
Lose weight if you are overweight
Exercise regularly for short periods. Go for a walk every day will help too.
Use sticks and other special devices to protect your joints.
Avoid lifting heavy objects.
Do not pull on an object to move them, encouraging them not
Use heat or cold to reduce pain or stiffness.
The pain and disability that accompany arthritis can be decreased through early diagnosis and appropriate management.So if you have persistent symptoms lasting more than a few days - go see a doctor. The doctor will examine you and may take x rays (pictures) from the bones or joints you to decide whether you have arthritis and what type you have.
Once the doctor knows what type of arthritis you have, he will talk with you about the best way to treat it. Doctors may prescribe medications that will help with the pain, stiffness, and inflammation.
The good news is that now there is a way to stop the pain with medication. Celebrex is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), especially COX-2 inhibitors, which reduce pain and swelling (inflammation). This is a major breakthrough in the treatment of pain, inflammation, and stiffness of arthritis. Celebrex is believed to fight pain and inflammation by inhibiting the effects of a natural enzyme called COX-2. Unlike the older medications, however, does not interfere with the same substance, called COX-1, which provides a protective effect on stomach.Celebrex layer does not cause stomach bleeding and ulcers that traditional non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) possible.
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