What is Arthritis?
Arthritis is a disease that affects your joints. It is characterized by inflammation of the joint and loss of cartilage. There are over 100 types of arthritis, with osteoarthritis being the most common form. Osteoarthritis is also known as degenerative arthritis.
What Causes Arthritis?
There are many different causes of arthritis, but in general it can be divided into two categories:
1. Traumatic – This is caused by an injury to the joint, such as a sprain or fracture.
2. Non traumatic – This is caused by a gradual breakdown of the cartilage in the joint, which leads to swelling, pain and stiffness.
How is it Diagnosed?
There are many ways to diagnose arthritis, but the most common tests are X-rays and MRI scans. If you have any questions about your diagnosis, you should consult a rheumatologist (a doctor who specializes in arthritis).
What is the Treatment?
Treatment for arthritis depends on the type of arthritis and its severity. Some people find that medication alone is enough to treat their arthritis, while others require more aggressive treatment.
The most common medications used to treat arthritis are anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen or naproxen. Other treatments include injections of cortisone and hyaluronic acid. Surgery may be necessary if there is severe damage to the joint.
What Can I Do to Prevent Arthritis?
Preventing arthritis is very difficult, since there are so many risk factors for arthritis. However, there are things you can do to help reduce your risk of developing arthritis.
• Exercise regularly. This will help keep your muscles strong and prevent stiffness and soreness in your joints.
• Eat healthy foods. Avoid too much salt, saturated fats and sugar.
• Stop smoking. Smoking causes thickening of the skin around the joints, which increases your risk of developing arthritis. Also, smokers tend to have less good blood circulation, which increases the chance of arthritis.
• Reduce your stress levels. Stress has been shown to increase the chances of arthritis.
• Maintain a healthy weight. Being overweight increases your risk of arthritis.
• Get plenty of sleep. A lack of sleep is a major cause of arthritis.
Hope this article will help you in your quest to know about arthritis and how to find a perfect treatment for it.
