What You Need To Know About Arthritis

Year in, year out, people struggle with pains in their joints and they are at loss about what these pains could mean and the effect on their general health.

What is Arthritis?

Arthritis means joint inflammation. It refers to conditions that affect the joints of the body.

Joints are points where 2 or more bones meet, such as in the wrist, knuckles, hips, knees and ankles. If you have arthritis, the joints are inflamed, causing discomfort and pain.

It can range from mild to severe and can affect people of all ages. It affects nearly 4 million Australians, including at least 6,000 children.

The three common types of arthritis:

• Osteoarthritis
• Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Gout

Others are:

• Juvenile arthritis
• Ankylosing spondylitis
• Systemic Lupus
• Scleroderma

What are the symptoms of arthritis?

The symptoms of arthritis vary from person to person. But if you have arthritis, you will almost certainly have symptoms relating to your joints, such as:

• Pain
• Swelling in a joint
• Redness and warmth in a joint
• Stiffness or reduced movement of a joint
• Some People Also Get Other Problems Outside Their Joints.

Other Common Symptoms Include:

• Tiredness
• Weight loss
• Feeling unwell

Causes of Arthritis?

The causes of the many types of arthritis are not fully known. Most forms of arthritis are thought to be caused by a fault in the immune system that causes the body to attack its own tissues in the joints. This may be inherited genetically.

Other forms of arthritis can be caused by problems with the immune system or by a metabolic condition, such as gout.

Environmental factors that may contribute to the development of osteoarthritis include:

• Obesity, which puts added strain on joints
• Activities that involve repetitive movements of a particular joint
• Previous damage to a joint, such as from a sports injury

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You are also more likely to develop arthritis if you smoke and if you don’t do enough physical activity.

Arthritis caused by an infection is called ‘reactive arthritis’. It’s very difficult to diagnose and can develop at any age but is more commonly seen in younger people. Reactive arthritis can last between a few weeks to 6 months.

When should I see my doctor?

Joints get sore and swollen for many reasons. It could be due to an injury, overuse, or doing a new type of physical activity.

See your doctor if you have pain and stiffness that starts with no clear reason, lasts for more than a few days, and also causes swelling, redness and warmth. It is important to start treatment as soon as possible to prevent the condition from getting worse and causing long-term damage.

How is arthritis treated?

For many types of arthritis, there are treatments available that can help control symptoms and prevent damage to the joints.

The most appropriate treatment will depend on which type of arthritis you have, which joints are affected, and the symptoms you have.

Treatment might include:

• Medicines, such as painkillers, anti-inflammatory medicines or medicines to slow down the disease (called disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs, or DMARDs, used for inflammatory forms of arthritis such as rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis and juvenile idiopathic arthritis)
• Pain management techniques, such as meditation
• In severe cases, surgery may be needed to replace or repair damaged joints.

Living with arthritis

There are many things you can do to help manage arthritis. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle can help control the symptoms.

Diet: Eating well is important for your overall health and wellbeing. A healthy diet can help you maintain a healthy weight, which reduces the pressure put on your joints. This might help reduce joint pain.

There is some evidence to suggest that eating healthy fats, such as monounsaturated and omega-3 fats, rather than unhealthy fats such as polysaturated fats, can help reduce the symptoms of arthritis. While these benefits are modest compared to medication, they have no side effects and have other benefits, such as reducing your risk of heart disease.

If you have arthritis, you should aim to eat:

• A healthy balanced diet
• A more mediterranean-style diet, with plenty of fish, pulses, nuts, olive oil, fruit and vegetables
• More saturated fats, such as in vegetable oils, avocados and many nuts and seeds
• More omega-3 fatty acids, such as from oily fish
• Less saturated fats, such as from red meat, poultry, and full-fat dairy
• Less energy-dense foods, such as in fatty and sugary foods to avoid gaining weight
• If you have gout, avoid foods containing purines (meat, seafood, foods containing yeast)

Exercise regularly: Getting regular exercise is one of the most effective ways that you can treat arthritis. Exercise can help in many ways, including:

• Helping with balance
• Keeping muscles strong to support the joints
• Reducing joint stiffness
• Reducing pain and tension in your joints
• Decreasing fatigue and depression
• Keeping you mobile
• Boosting your energy and mood
• Improving sleep

Preventing Arthritis

Some of the causes of arthritis can’t be prevented, such as your family history, age or sex. But there are some risk factors you can do something about:

• Eat a healthy diet
• Be physically active
• Maintain a healthy weight
• Don’t drink too much alcohol
• Quit smoking