Arthritis is a very common chronic disease that affects members of any age group. Many people wrongly believe that it is only old people who can contract this disease. The truth of the matter is that anybody can get the disease. In many countries, arthritis is a threat of the same scale just like back pain and non-food allergies. These three conditions are a bother to many people all over the world and their chronic nature only makes matters worse.
Arthritis has no boundaries; its severe characteristics can strike at any time. It comes in many forms, some of which have been known to affect children while they are still in diapers. However, the majority of sufferers are affected while at the prime of their lives. A survey conducted in two thousand revealed that three out of every five patients who suffer from arthritis are over the age of forty-five.
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Basically, the prevalence rate of many forms of arthritis climbs with age. An osteoarthritis is a unique form of arthritis that affects women and men in equal proportion. There are several different kinds of treatments for this disease. To begin with, timely treatment can greatly help avert a major health crisis that can result from this disease. Many people wrongly believe that arthritis is just a minor case of slight pains and aches. The truth of the matter is that this disease can be very debilitating when it is left untreated. The FDA has recently approved various treatment options for both rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis.
Arthritis is a general term that refers to about 100 conditions. Each of these conditions has signs and symptoms that differ slightly from each other. One such condition is inflammation, which refers to the nature of the body to injuries of any kind. The main warning signs of inflammation are redness, heat, pain, and swelling. This is the same kind of reaction that is experienced by the body when there is a sliver in the hand. When a joint has been inflamed, a few or all of these symptoms are experienced. They might prevent the normal functioning of the joint and might in some cases even lead to loss of the function of the joint.
One of the important steps in controlling arthritis is early diagnosis. Once it has been diagnosed, treatment can follow. Each and every form of arthritis has an effective treatment option that medical specialists have come up with. It is a matter of time before a person is healed of this potentially debilitating disease. Just ensure that you are able to access the right kind of treatment.
One of the most common warning signs of this disease is persistent back pain. When you visit your doctor, it is important that you describe in full detail when you started experiencing the pain. You should also describe the pain in as much detail as possible. Out of the 100 conditions that are known to constitute arthritis, you have to help your doctor determine which specific condition it is that he should treat you against. In order for you to be confirmed to be suffering from osteoarthritis, an x-ray test is very important. On the other hand, hand, gout is diagnosed through a test of the levels of uric acid in the body.
Osteoarthritis is an arthritic condition that results when the cartilage is broken down. Cartilage is a very elastic material that covers and protects the edges of bones. This is by far the most commonly occurring form of arthritis. For instance, in Canada alone, it affects 1 in every 10 Canadians. It is characterized by extreme pain, swelling around joints, and stiffness. The pain often lasts for more than two weeks.
The joints that are mostly affected by osteoarthritis are knees, joints, feet, and the spine. Many treatment options for this condition are available today. One may choose analgesics, corticosteroids, gels, creams, and anti-inflammatory drugs.
On the other hand, rheumatoid arthritis is a very common autoimmune disease that leads to pain, redness, swelling, and a hot feeling around the linings of joints. The inflammation also sometimes affects internal organs, mainly the heart, eyes, and lungs. The most common symptom of this disease is stiffness that lasts for more than thirty minutes and pains in many joints at the same time.