An Introduction To Arthritis By Janie Jonah At Isnare.com Ezine Articles

Arthritis is a disease that is second only to heart disease when it comes to the cause of disability. In 2005 nearly 46 million adults in the U.S. alone were diagnosed with Arthritis. It can occur in teenagers as young as 15 and affects nearly 300,000 children. Arthritis can affect not only joints but also other parts of the body. Making these body parts become painful, swollen and causes difficulty in movement. Arthritis is more prevalent in women than in men, many think that there is nothing they can do to help them suffering from Arthritis. Actually, there is!

Be vigilant. There are more than 100 types of arthritis, which means it makes self-diagnosis near impossible. If you begin to feel stiffness or pain around the joint area, this can be an indication that you may have been or are developing some form of arthritis. This can happen gradually or over an extended period of time. Either way, you should consult your doctor as soon as the symptoms persist for more than a few days. Only a doctor will be able to give an accurate diagnosis. Once diagnosed, take an interest in learning more about the type of arthritis you have been diagnosed with. Being aware or educated about arthritis can actually make you feel more confident, because it can help you understand and manage your disease better, and in doing so, may lessen the pain and create more relief from the associated symptoms.

There are many activities or things that can be done to help prevent and relieve the symptoms of arthritis. You need to take care of your joints. Becoming obese has a huge impact on the amount of pressure or stress placed on your limbs, so it is advisable that you try to remain in your recommended average weight. It is easy to damage not only joints but muscles when lifting or moving heavy weights. Have your medication revised by your doctor. Make it a priority to lose weight. All those extra kg's put unnecessary stress on your joints such as your ankles, knees and hips. It can cause more pain and even contribute to worsening the disease.

Several drugs for rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis have been approved by the FDA, which may be more effective for you in relieving the symptoms of some types of arthritis. Never go against medical advice when it comes to taking your prescribed medication. Always take your medication as instructed by your doctor and never stop taking it abruptly: the consequences of which can be dire. You may not see immediate benefits from taking the medication. This is because some drugs take months before you actually start to see the benefit of using them. Very often, taking a new drug will cause you to experience side-effects that may be uncomfortable and difficult to deal with, but this is usually only short term, and will most likely gradually fade away so long as you keep taking the medication. If you are in any doubt about the medication you have been prescribed or find the side-effects to be very severe, contact your doctor immediately. Sometimes, certain drugs work for some people and sometimes not. So it is important that you bring any severe side-effects to the attention of your doctor.

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