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Osteoarthritis Information, Symptoms, Diet, Medication, Prevention and Treatment Osteoarthritis

Advancing age has its share of trails and tribulations, and a significant financial and medical concern is Osteoarthritis. Arthritis, a combination of Greek word "arthron," for joint, and "itis," for inflammation, is often referred to as one disease though there are more than 100 forms affecting the human body. Osteoarthritis, a disease of joints, is one form that is caused by breakdown and eventual loss of cartilage of one or more joints.

Patients are often unaware of this disease since the symptoms develop gradually, only to be discovered when joints swell or there is discomfort and pain after a period of inactivity. Osteoarthritis is an age related disease affecting nearly 80% of the population above 65 years of age. Women's joints are often affected from age 55, but men often complain of osteoarthritis from 45 years onwards. This is due to lifestyle and labor intensive work that is stressful and injurious. To effectively tackle Osteoarthritis, we should know whether it is primary or secondary. If the cause is unknown, it is categorized as Primary Osteoarthritis and if it is diagnosed as hereditary, symptomatic, congenital, or due to injuries it is called Secondary Osteoarthritis.

Treatment varies with the extent of damage to cartilage. Next to aging, obesity is a worrisome cause because increased body weight puts extra stress on the knee and hip joints. Other causes are diabetes, surgeries, gout, and congenital deficiencies. Women are especially susceptible if they work long hours bending and lifting, wearing inappropriate footwear, and indulge in diet manipulation.

Osteoarthritis is a degenerative disease that needs careful handling. No matter what age and extent of damage to joints, it can be forestalled by preventive measures including self care, proper diet, timely treatment, and appropriate medicines.

Osteoarthritis Symptoms

Osteoarthritis progresses with age and affects the area around the joints. One experiences pain, stiffness or swellings due to complete loss of cartilage cushion, extended periods of inactivity, or trauma. The pain differs in intensity from low to high, increasing in humid weather, followed by muscle spasm and contraction. The time to worry is when this pain in the hip, knee, spine or feet persists for more than two weeks.

Osteoarthritis symptoms vary from patient to patient. What is interesting about Osteoarthritis is that symptoms do not always progress with time. Patients can have days of no pain or unpleasant days of acute pain due to weather changes. In progressive osteoarthritis, symptoms get magnified and other joints of the body are affected. These joints include the neck, knees, hips, hands, or feet. Crepitus, a creaking sound when a bone rubs against another bone, is prominent in the neck. The pain worsens in mornings and evenings and subsides during day time. If a patient feels pinching or tingling, or there is numbness in a nerve or the spinal cord, it means that bone spurs are forming at edge of the joints of the spine and irritating the nerves. Different body parts may experience differing symptoms. For example, with osteoarthritis of hip, the major weight-bearing joint is stiff and difficult to move.

Osteoarthritis symptoms need to be verified before any medication is prescribed, as the symptoms are often confused with spondylosis. Spondylosis is responsible for gradual deterioration of the discs between vertebrae of the spine. Spondylosis and osteoarthritis are generally found together, and one needs to be sure before start of treatment. Another common mix-up is with symptoms of Osteoporosis, or low calcium content of the bones. The pain from an Osteoporotic spinal fracture is similar to one felt by Osteoarthritis patients. Verification of symptoms in initial stages helps reduce unnecessary tension and trauma.

Osteoarthritis Diet

Diet is an important ingredient in maintaining a perfect physique and disease proof body. With 70% Americans being victims of obesity, the first step in treating any disease is weight reduction. Diet control programs are based on individual preferences as certain people are allergic to certain food items or tend to put on fat easily.

Begin by checking different food items such as dairy products, meats, and green vegetables in quantity, quality, and portions to have an idea of what is best suited for your condition and body type. Sometimes Osteoarthritis patients are allergic to fish or other meat products and need substitutes. A vegetarian diet that includes green vegetables, carrots, avocado, seaweeds, barley and wheat, grass products, pecans, soy products, sprouts, brown rice, millet or oats is equally effective. Certain food items and drinks such as alcohol, coffee, sugar, saturated fat, margarine, excess salt, spinach, cranberries, plums and nuts need to be avoided.

The ideal diet for osteoarthritis patients is food rich in Vitamin E found in beef, corn, egg yolks, nuts wheat germ and sunflower oil. This helps minimize tissue damage due to aging, smoking or stress. Omega-3 fatty acids if consumed regularly help reduce inflammation and best source for this is oily fish variety. Vitamin C found in citrus fruits, melons, kiwi fruit, pineapple, strawberries, and blueberries needs to be included in diet.

Good sources of Silicon that calcifies and strengthen bones are wholegrain cereals, oats, barley, and root vegetables. Copper and Zinc available through food sources such as oysters, crab, almonds, beans, prunes, lamb, pork, mushrooms, whole grains, beef, liver, sunflower, and pumpkin seeds help in reducing inflammation of the cartilage of joints. Diary products, preservatives, and acidic fruits should be left alone. The idea is to maintain a healthy body weight and successfully control Osteoarthritis.

Osteoarthritis Medication

Medicine is an important component of the treatment of Osteoarthritis. A healthy alternative is to combine over the counter pain relievers with alternate treatment and medicines prescribed by physician.

Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis, affecting nearly 20 million Americans. Each affected person has his individual medical and personal history. Medication has to be taken in conjunction with diet, alcohol intake, dosage, and time. For example, if prescribed Acetaminophen, an analgesic, one needs to be careful about fasting and alcohol intake as it could lead to acetaminophen-induced liver damage.

Nonsteroidal and anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen and naproxen sodium are prescribed if acetaminophen proves inadequate as pain reliever. A disadvantage with NSAIDs is that they can cause irritation, bleeding in stomach or a decrease in kidney function. It is advisable to follow a doctor's instructions look out for side effects. The newer and more effective NSAIDs or COX-2 inhibitors, do not cause gastrointestinal irritation but increase risk of cardiovascular problems.

Medication has to follow the course of the disease. The doctor can prescribe Corticosteroids injections for relief and movement caused by increasing inflammation and stiffness in joints. This is a steroid made by the adrenal gland, and if given frequently, quickens joint breakdowns and their eventual failure. A similar injection providing equal relief by cushioning the joints is Hyaluronan or Synervisc. Though effective, they trigger swelling and occasional infection or allergic reactions.

Alternate medication, home remedies, liniments, gels, and creams used to help lessen pain require patience and belief. The treatment can take few weeks or months before improvement is noticed. The creams and lotions contain aspirin-like compounds, capsaicin, menthol, and local anesthetics and have similar impact as NSAIDs. The best advice for an Osteoarthritis patient is to follow doctor's recommendations whether going in for prescribed medicines, alternative medicines, or for surgery procedures.

Osteoarthritis Prevention

With Osteoarthritis, prevention is preferable to a cure. If we follow this maxim we can alleviate some of the pain and discomfort through healthy-living strategies and self-care techniques. Osteoarthritis is a degenerating disease affecting the cartilage of joints over the years. Osteoarthritis is generally an age related condition inconveniencing American men and women who are 40 years old or older. It can be genetic or caused by injury or trauma.

If Osteoarthritis runs in the family, the best preventive measure would be to follow a healthy lifestyle and a regular exercise program. This will help slow the onset of the disease by strengthening muscles around arthritic joints. Consult a doctor or work with a physical therapist to design an exercise program suited to your body weight and medical condition. Walking is the best exercise, and riding a stationary exercise bicycle or doing aquatic exercises is also helpful. Another option is tai chi for strengthening and relaxation techniques and improving balance. Exercise should be done in moderation and you should consult a doctor if you experience excessive pain.

For Osteoarthritis patients, obesity is a major cause of worry. Along with age, any excess weight puts added stress on back, hips and knee joints and makes joint surgery risky. A healthy diet of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains helps in controlling weight and also in effective treatment of Osteoarthritis. Another way to prevent further worsening of Osteoarthritis is appropriate footwear for walking, exercising, and evening wear that will put less strain on your weight-bearing joints or back.

Osteoarthritis affects the activities of everyday life. To cope with increasing demands on the body, we need to practice relaxation techniques or yoga and meditation to develop a positive attitude. Even if you cannot prevent Osteoarthritis, it is a good idea to learn the limits of your body so that you can modify your lifestyle to avoid unnecessary pain.

Osteoarthritis Treatments

Treating Osteoarthritis is a joint venture between the patient and their physician that takes into account the patient's personal needs and medical condition. The conditions that could affect treatment are cardiac disease, hypertension, peptic ulcers, or renal disease. Standard treatment involves pain killers, physiotherapy, exercises, and diet control. A physician initially advices physiotherapy sessions along with diet control. To help movement, a physiotherapist may suggest certain aids and appliances for use at home and workplace. These can be walking canes, rails near bath areas, additions to taps and electrical plugs, and walking crutches.

Another important area of treatment is weight control. Obesity increases the risk of osteoarthritis by impacting knee and hip joints. Obese women are susceptible to hip osteoarthritis due to housework, and posture and weight control has to be worked on from young age. The reason for this is that once fat accumulates it is difficult to reduce. Instead of waiting for disease to take root, it is advisable to seek medical treatment early. Specific exercises such as swimming, walking, aerobics, and aquatic exercises slow down osteoarthritis by maintaining motion and movement of joints.

There are days when self medication helps relieve pain and swelling. Hot water bottles, electric heating pads, rubbing ointments, and creams have the desired effect. Folk remedies such as mud baths, wearing copper bracelets, and herbal medicines are short term treatments, but if pain and swelling persist, an injection is probably a safer option. In acute cases, a surgical procedure for joint replacement is the best treatment. Before going in for either hip or knee replacement, it is advisable to discuss the implications with physician and the specialist recommended. The reason is that replacements wear out fast, limiting further surgery. Whatever line of treatment is followed, the objective should be an improvement in condition of the joints and the ability to carry on with everyday life activities.

Authur: Kristy Annely