Health Advice Info Article:
Arthritis Basics
Arthritis affects people in a variety of ways. Joints may be stiff and creak. For others who suffer from arthritis, joints might crack suddenly, like knees upon standing. For many arthritis sufferers, pain occurs, like when trying to open a jar.
What's it all about? Let's take a look at the basics of arthritis and learn more.
Arthritis actually means "joint inflammation" and has over 100 related conditions or forms of the disease. If arthritis is left untreated, it can advance, resulting in joint damage that cannot be reversed. Therefore, early detection of arthritis and arthritis treatment are important.
The two most common types of arthritis are osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Although both type of arthritis have similar symptoms, both happen for different reasons. When joints are overused and misused, the results can be osteoarthritis (OA). What happens is that the cushioning cartilage that protects the joint breaks down, resulting in the bones rubbing together. This generally happens in the knees, but can be found in the hips, spine and hands as well. And, only in the later stages of osteoarthritis will a person most often feel pain, after quite a bit of cartilage is lost.
The second type, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), refers to the body's immune system attacking joint tissue. Still not fully understood in the medical community, rheumatoid arthritis most often starts in a person's hands, wrists and feet. Then rheumatoid arthritis advances to shoulders, elbows and hips.
Similar symptoms include pain, stiffness, fatigue, weakness, slight fever, and inflamed tissue lumps under the skin. And both osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis generally develop symmetrically, i.e. affecting the same joints on both the left and right sides of the body.
A difference in osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis to note is with swelling. With rheumatoid arthritis, people report "soft and squishy" swelling. While with osteoarthritis, people report "hard and bony" swelling.
Another difference between the two types of arthritis is that a person is more likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis if a sibling or parent had it. While a person with a history of joint damage, either an injury or chronic strain, runs a higher risk for developing osteoarthritis.
Arthritis can affect any age group. However, while there is no specific age for arthritis sufferers, arthritis seems to focus on those over 45 years of age.
And, while neither gender is immune, a reported 74 percent of osteoarthritis cases (or just over 15 million) occur with women and a slightly lower percentage of rheumatoid arthritis cases occur with women.
Furthermore, your health, particularly your weight, plays a role in the development of arthritis. People with excess weight tend to develop osteoarthritis, especially in the knees when reaching over 45 years of age. However, losing weight can turn the odds around almost by half. Regular activity combined with exercise also reduces risk of arthritis, strengthening joint muscles and reducing joint wear.
Although there are no cure-alls for arthritis, there are a variety of pain relief treatment strategies. Aside from medications, remedies, replacement alternatives and other helpful treatment options, the four main arthritis relief aids are gentle exercise, good nutrition, a positive attitude, and rest. Education also plays a huge role to dispel "old wives tales" and myths that "nothing can be done about arthritis."
If you suspect you may have arthritis, it is advisable to seek medical advice. The sooner you detect the arthritis and the type of arthritis the better off you'll be. Furthermore, your symptoms may not be caused by arthritis, but may be caused by something else like a virus or tendonitis or other similar problem that could potentially worsen if left untreated.
Copyright 2006 Adam Waxler
Adam Waxler publishes a series of health & fitness information products and web sites including his new resource filled with with FREE articles and tips on Arthritis Pain Relief & Prevention @ http://www.1-800-health-teacher.com/arthritis.
Related Health News and Articles From ezinearticles.com
Sometimes you are tempted with all the food and drink products, especially when thirst or hunger arises. Avoid from all these tempting products that are usually endorsed as having low calories.
As you want to achieve your weight loss goals faster, a personal trainer may be the answer for you. Working with a personal trainer will definitely have you burning more calories than working out by yourself. Such are burning more calories you will have to starve yourself to keep the weight off. A weight-loss program that is combined with a training program will produce excellent results for you in a shorter period of time than just doing a weight-loss program by itself. You will get in shape and love the way you look.
If you want to stay fit, you consider fitness training. It is not just for elite athletes, by can benefit anyone who wants to get in better shape. You can do this at home or you can join a health club. You could even join a group that does fitness training together. It may be a better idea to join a fitness club where you are with other people.
Did you know that Nature designed your body to always have naturally firm skin? Its true! The normal function of skin cells is to manufacture lots of structural proteins and fatty acids which keep your skin naturally moist, firm, smooth and even-toned.
Health is a state of wellness and being free from all forms of illness. It is important that we keep our health in check to prolong our lives. This involves avoiding lifestyles, and other habits that can be dangerous to your health.
Taking a sauna is renowned to be a very healthful thing to do, and many people make it a habit to use a sauna at least twice a week. The Finns have more saunas in their country than any other country, and much of what we know about the sauna comes from the Finns.
It is difficult to ascertain what health benefits can be achieved through the use of saunas, and what health benefits are more or less imagined by some users. Granted, everyone agrees that general blood flow is increased, and the pores to the skin benefit highly, but what are other claims that may not be substantiated?
If ever you've wanted a sauna in your home, your basement is probably the very best location for one. First you are going to have to figure out the dimensions of the sauna you desire. Just be sure to have a water source at the location, and then contact a manufacturer of precut saunas. In return they will send you a kit with all precut boards that are neatly labeled, and you will also receive a thermometer, a heater, benches and a pre-hung door.
In the old world, sauna use was common only in such areas as Finland and the other Baltic countries, however the modern world has embraced the use of saunas for their tremendous health benefits as well as the relief of pain and the overall analgesic properties of the steam. The modern world has spread the use of sauna cultures, and now they can be found all over the world.
The answer to the above question is actually no, as there are different kinds of heaters that will heat saunas. The four most common heaters are wood fired, electric, gas and infrared. Thus if you have natural gas already in your home, you may consider placing a gas heater in your home sauna. It pays to have a sauna heater commercially installed because of numerous factors, such as ventilation and thus it may also need clearance.
