| "body"> | | | | lumps under theskin. And both OA and RA generally |
| Arthritis signals people in a variety of ways. Joints | | | | develop symmetrically,i.e. affecting the same joints on |
| mightcrack suddenly, like knees upon standing. Other | | | | both the left and rightsides of the body. |
| joints maybe stiff and creak. Maybe pain occurs, like | | | | A difference in OA and RA to note is with swelling. |
| when trying toopen a jar. What's it all about? Let's look | | | | With |
| at the basicsand learn more. | | | | RA, people report "soft and squishy" swelling. While |
| Arthritis actually means "joint inflammation" and has | | | | with |
| over | | | | OA, people report "hard and bony" swelling. |
| 100 related conditions or type / forms of disease. | | | | There is no specific age for arthritis sufferers. While |
| Leftuntreated, it can advance, resulting in joint damage | | | | itcan affect every age group, it seems to focus on |
| thatcannot be undone or reversed. So early detection | | | | those over |
| andtreatment are important. | | | | 45 years of age. |
| The two most common types of arthritis are | | | | And while neither gender is immune, a reported 74 |
| osteoarthritis | | | | percentof OA cases (or just over 15 million) occur with |
| (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Although both | | | | women anda slightly lower percentage of RA cases |
| havesimilar symptoms, both happen for different | | | | occur with women. |
| reasons. Whenjoints are overused and misused, the | | | | People with excess weight tend to develop OA, |
| results can be OA. | | | | especially inthe knees when reaching over 45 years of |
| What happens is that the cushioning cartilage that | | | | age. However,losing weight can turn the odds around |
| protectsthe joint breaks down, resulting in the bones | | | | almost by half. |
| rubbingtogether. This generally happens in the knees, | | | | Regular activity combined with exercise also reduces |
| but can befound in the hips, spine and hands often, too. | | | | risk,strengthening joint muscles and reducing joint wear. |
| And only inlater stages will a person most often feel | | | | There are many ways to effectively manage arthritic |
| pain, afterquite a bit of cartilage is lost. | | | | paintoday to find relief. Available are arthritic |
| The second type, RA, refers to the body's immune | | | | diets,exercise programs, over-the-counter and |
| systemattacking joint tissue. Still not fully understood in | | | | prescriptionmedications, relaxation and positive emotion |
| themedical community, this condition most often starts | | | | copingtechniques. Also available are surgeries, |
| in aperson's hands, wrists and feet. Then it advances | | | | supplements, homeremedies, natural and other |
| toshoulders, elbows and hips. | | | | alternative therapies. Whenarthritis is first suspected, it |
| Similar symptoms include pain, stiffness, | | | | would be wise to seek amedical opinion first. Then as |
| fatigue,weakness, slight fever and inflamed tissue | | | | time and resources allow,check out the other options. |