Getting a Grip on Arthritis
Arthritis – and the way it
can affect your health and quality of life – can be a difficult thing to come
to grips with. Arthritis isn't so much a specific disease as it is a condition
that can arise as a result of over 100 different illnesses. Generally,
arthritis involves degeneration or inflammation of the joints. However, it can
also include swelling, deformity, and – eventually – disability. Some forms of
arthritis can even damage seemingly unlikely organs like the heart, eyes,
urinary tract, and skin.
Arthritis affects over 46
million Americans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The CDC also estimates that more than one-fifth of our adult population has
some form of arthritic condition. Again, arthritis can come in many different
forms, and – although they are all related – its not always easy to recognize
arthritis in all of its different guises. The diseases gout and pseudogout are
forms of arthritis in which crystals form in the joints.
Psoriatic arthritis is a
condition that only affects those who already have the skin disease psoriasis,
and ankylosing spondylitis is a form of arthritis that is focused specifically
in the spine. Despite its more exotic incarnations, most Americans with arthritis
suffer from one of two types: rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and osteoarthritis
(OA).
Rheumatiod arthritis is an
autoimmune disease in which the body's own defenses are turned against healthy
tissues. RA can be a debilitating disease, characterized by a painful swelling
of the joints that can be quite severe. Arthritis can impact the lives of
people of all ages, and the most common form of arthritis in children is
juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.
Arthritis is so common that
many of the aches and pains we simply accept as “part of getting older,” are
symptoms of osteoarthritis. The bad knees and hips many of us have experienced
are – generally - the result of the degeneration of cartilage on these
load-bearing joints, caused by osteoarthritis. What options do we have when
faced with such a variable, widespread condition?
First, it is important to
determine whether or not you are in fact suffering from one of the many forms
of arthritis. The diagnosis of the condition can involve a physical exam,
evaluation of medical history, x-ray tests, ultrasound, and perhaps even blood
and urine tests. Once it is determined that you actually do have one of the
forms of arthritis , it is important to understand that there is no cure for
the disease. However, there are a number of treatment options that can help you
minimize the disease's painful symptoms, and maximize your quality of life.
Treatment of arthritis can
take on a variety of forms in order to address the three key issues for any
patient with the disease: alleviating pain, preventing degeneration, and
maintaining and improving joint mobility. Treatment can include: exercise, physical therapy, occupational therapy and
medications. In the most severe of cases, surgery may be required in order to
remove growths, or replace an entire joint. The replacement of an entire joint
in known as arthroplasty. Arthroplasty of knee joints has become a very common
and effective procedure for patients with severe degeneration of cartilage in
their joints. In addition to these various forms of treatments, there are now a
number of lifestyle products that are custom-designed for people of all ages
who's lives have been affected by arthritis.
One of the most difficult
aspects of dealing with arthritis is that it can make simple tasks you have
always taken for granted painful and difficult. We rarely worry about opening a
jar or a door, but arthritis can make even these basic tasks challenging. With Great
Grips, you can open any door or jar. Just
stretch the Grip over the knob or lid, and you suddenly have the leverage and
gripping surface you need to make any gripping task a snap. The cordless,
ergonomic, automatic Gizmo
Can Opener can bring the same kind of ease
to your kitchen tasks, insuring that arthritis won't sideline the home-gourmet
in you.
The Evoluent company has even
built
a better mouse so the computer -savvy
arthritis sufferer can stay logged-in without stress or strain.
Consult your doctor. Find out if you are suffering
from arthritis, and what you can do about it. With the right treatments – and
the right products – arthritis doesn't have to be such a pain.
Active and Able: Daily Living Made Easier
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