ARTHRITIS AND YOU

WHAT IS ARTHRITIS

Painful inflammation and stiffness of the joint.
Arthritis is inflammation of one or more of your joints. The main symptoms of arthritis are joint pain and stiffness, which typically worsen with age.
The most common types of arthritis are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
Typically, pain, aching, stiffness and swelling in and around one or more joints characterize rheumatic conditions. The symptoms can develop gradually or suddenly. Certain rheumatic conditions can also involve the immune system and various internal organs of the body.
Rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, can affect multiple organs and cause widespread symptoms.

Although the word "arthritis" means joint inflammation, the term is used to describe around 200 rheumatic diseases and conditions that affects joints, the tissue that surround the joint, and other connective tissue.

The most common form of arthritis is osteoarthritis. Other common rheumatic conditions include gout, fibromyalgia and rheumatoid arthritis.

symptoms

The symptoms of arthritis usually appear gradually but they may also occur suddenly. arthritis is most commonly seen in adults over the age of 65 but it can also develop in children and teens.
Arthritis is more common in women than men and i those that are overweight.

PAIN: Arthritis pain can be constant, or may come and go.
SWELLING: The affected joint may become red and swollen, feeling warm to the touch
STIFFNESS: Stiffness is a typical arthritis symptom, especially when waking up in the morning or after sitting at a desk or riding in a car for a long time.
JOINT STIFFNESS: Difficult moving a joint or getting up from a chair should not be hard or painful.

DISABILITY
Impairment in the ability of people with arthritis to perform essential daily tasks may interfere with their work, their purpose in their community, or the care they can provide for their family.

PHYSICAL EXERCISE

Physical activity and exercise have been shown to benefit people with people with arthritis by improving pain, function and mental health.

RISK FACTORS:

Certain factors have been shown to be associated with a greater risk of arthritis. Some of the risk factors are modifiable while others are not. 

NON- MODIFIABLE RISK FACTORS:

AGE: The risk of developing most types of arthritis increases with age
GENDER: Most types of arthritis are more common in men women. Gout is more common in men than women.
GENETIC: specific genes are associated with a higher risk of certain types of arthritis, such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA), systemic lupus erythematousus (SLA) and ankylosing spondylitis.