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My Arthritis
Cures
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Welcome to MyArthritisCures
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Check out the new website and our recommended
resources all designed to aid and assist you in becoming more
informed about arthritis.
We have spent countless hours scouring the Internet to only
pick and choose the best resources for you to use and to
find out what works best for you. |
Featured
Article: Arthritis Information
Arthritis Defined
Arthritis literally means joint inflammation, and it can affect
joints in any part of the body. Joints are places in the body where
two bones meet.
Many people use the term arthritis to refer to rheumatic diseases;
however, the different kinds of arthritis comprise just a portion of
the rheumatic diseases.
Arthritis is often a chronic disease, which means that it can affect
you over a long period of time. Many forms of arthritis cause
swelling, redness, heat, and pain.
Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis among older
people.
Osteoarthritis occurs when cartilage, the tissue that cushions the
ends of the bones within the joints, breaks down and wears away. In
some cases, all of the cartilage may wear away, leaving bones that
rub up against each other.
Symptoms range from stiffness and mild pain that comes and goes to
severe joint pain. Osteoarthritis affects hands, low back, neck, and
weight-bearing joints such as knees, hips, and feet.
Osteoarthritis is one of the most frequent causes of physical
disability among older adults.
The disease affects both men and women. Before age 45,
osteoarthritis is more common in men than in women. After age 45,
osteoarthritis is more common in women. By age 65, more than half of
the population has x-ray evidence of osteoarthritis in at least one
joint.
Osteoarthritis affects only joints, not internal organs.
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis not only affects the joints, but may also
attack tissue in the skin, lungs, eyes, and blood vessels. People
with rheumatoid arthritis may feel sick, tired, and sometimes
feverish.
Rheumatoid arthritis is classified as an autoimmune disease. An
autoimmune disease occurs when the immune system turns against parts
of the body it is designed to protect.
Rheumatoid arthritis generally occurs in a symmetrical pattern. This
means that if one knee or hand is involved, the other one is, too.
It can occur at any age, but usually begins during a person's most
productive years.
Rheumatoid arthritis occurs much more frequently in women than in
men. About two to three times as many women as men have the disease.
Gout
Gout is a disease that causes the sudden onset of intense pain and
swelling in the joints, which also may be warm and red. Attacks
frequently occur at night and can be triggered by stressful events,
alcohol or drugs, or the presence of another illness.
Before an attack, needle-like crystals of uric acid build up in
connective tissue, in the joint space between two bones, or in both.
Uric acid is a substance that results from the breakdown of purines,
which are part of all human tissue and are found in many foods.
Early attacks usually subside within 3 to 10 days, even without
treatment, and the next attack may not occur for months or even
years.
Adult men, particularly those between the ages of 40 and 50, are
more likely to develop gout than women, who rarely develop the
disease before menstruation ends.
Sometime during the course of the disease, gout will affect the big
toe in about 75 percent of patients. Gout frequently affects joints
in the lower part of the body such as the ankles, heels, knees, or
toes.
Causes and Risk Factors
Scientists do not yet fully understand what causes the various forms
of arthritis. They are studying risk factors to determine why some
people develop the disease and others do not.
Scientists have some understanding of the factors that cause
osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and gout. These are the three
most common forms of arthritis among older adults.
Causes and Risk Factors - Osteoarthritis
Researchers suspect that osteoarthritis is caused by a combination
of factors in the body and the environment. The chance of developing
osteoarthritis increases with age. By age 65, half of the population
has x-ray evidence of osteoarthritis in at least one joint, most
often in the hips, knees, or fingers.
Osteoarthritis often results from years of wear and tear on joints.
This wear and tear mostly affects the cartilage, the tissue that
cushions the ends of bones within the joint. Osteoarthritis occurs
when the cartilage begins to fray, wear away, and decay.
Putting too much stress on a joint that has been previously injured,
improper alignment of joints, and excess weight all may lead to the
development of osteoarthritis.
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