The Arthritis Medical Forum

The percentage of people suffering from arthritis is increasing at an alarming rate.  Arthritis causes lot of pain and discomfort in the joints.  Some parts affected by this disease are knees, elbows and ankles.  Joint inflammation is the main symptoms of arthritis and the joints also become red and get swollen.  Injury or damage of joint tissue is another cause.  Tissue damage leads to pain which leads to a muscle pull.  The condition worsens when there is stress on the affected joint.

There is no hard and fast rule that the disease attracts only elder people.  Even young people get this condition, irrespective of their race, gender or age group.  There have been cases where six month old babies have attracted this condition.  People over the age of forty have greater chances of arthritis.

There is a variety of factors which accelerates the risk associated with arthritis.  Sports injury is one such factor.  The affected person should not discontinue the treatment as the condition could worsen and it could lead to grave problems at a latter date. Obesity is another major factor.  People who are overweight by thirty pounds have a greater chance of getting affected.  All those excess pounds which you accumulate exert stress on your joints which increase the pain and suffering.  However, you can prevent this condition from worsening by keeping a check on your weight.  Exercising daily and brisk walking need to be followed strictly.  Moreover, exercising diet control helps to fight the battle of the flab.

Heredity is the third factor.  Genetics does play a role but we cannot really do much about it.  Ensure that you visit your doctor regularly and lead an active lifestyle.  People who have a sedentary lifestyle get these problems very early in their life.  The fairer sex that is women top the list when it comes to Arthritis, thanks to the hormonal changes which affect their body during various stages of their life.  Hormonal imbalance also leads to overweight and obesity which indirectly strains the joints.  Hence, regular checkups and visits to the doctor is advised.

Rheumatoid Arthritis is a condition wherein the body organs, tissues and joints are infected due to inflammation.  It is true that RA not only results in inflammation of joints like legs, elbows and hands, but there are cases of inflammation of heart, skin and lungs as well in many cases.  As per statistics, the percentage of people affected by rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is 1% and people between the age group of 40 to 50 attract this condition.

Some of the noticeable symptoms of Rheumatoid Arthritis in the initial stages include pain the cervix region, swelling of joints of hands and feet.  Synovitis is the advanced stage of Rheumatoid Arthritis.  In this condition, the membranes which surround the joints get inflamed.  When the condition worsens it could lead to deterioration of the synovial lining, deformation of joints and functional problems.  People suffering from this condition may find it difficult to perform their normal daily functions or routine. Other side effects include problems like skin problems, formation of nodules surrounding the joints, skin fragility, Sweet’s syndrome and skin thinning are other skin conditions which may rise due to Rheumatoid Arthritis.