According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the number of people suffering from arthritis increases. The disease is now the leading cause of disability throughout the country, and an increasing number of women with this diagnosis than ever before. So what is this disease and how to prevent arthritis?

What is Arthritis

Arthritis - joint disease that occurs due to inflammation. It usually occurs when two joints rub against each other after the protective cartilage (liquid material which prevents contact bones) wears arthritis but also may be associated with an autoimmune reaction.

Causes of Arthritis

There are several reasons why a person may develop arthritis. These include:

• Damage to the joint;
• Metabolic problems such as gout Gout: The main symptoms and treatment ;
• Hereditary factors (especially if a blood relative is ill with arthritis);
• Infections.

Many other causes of arthritis are still unclear.

Symptoms of Arthritis

People who suffer from arthritis may have dozens of painful symptoms, including inflammation and redness at the site of the joint, joint stiffness, swelling and pain. Severe cases of arthritis can lead to even more complex symptoms, including fever, swollen glands, weight loss, fatigue and lung problems, heart or kidneys.

Who can develop arthritis

Almost anyone can get sick with arthritis. Approximately three hundred and fifty million people suffer from the disease worldwide. More than half of arthritis patients under the age of sixty-five years, and almost sixty percent are women.

How to tell if you have arthritis? The first step in the diagnosis of disease is a symptom definition above.

After that, your doctor is likely to ask for a blood test and chest X-rays to make the affected joints. Once the diagnosis is confirmed, the doctor will send you to a rheumatologist, a doctor with special training in the treatment of arthritis and related diseases. Then you will make a treatment plan that is appropriate for your condition.

Arthritis

Treatment depends on the type of arthritis that you were diagnosed. Common treatments include:

• Physiotherapy;
• Splinting (your joints obezdvizhat for some time to reduce swelling);
• Therapy with ice (you will be asked to regularly apply ice to the joints);
• Anti-inflammatory drugs;
• Operation.

Tips for prevention of arthritis

There are a few things you can do to reduce the chances of developing arthritis. Here are some of them:

• Engage in regular activities. Exercise is not only good for your heart and cardiovascular system, they are also useful for your bones, muscles and joints.
• Stretching. Stretching increases muscle tone and helps increase range of motion of the joints. Just make sure you're warmed up muscles and joints before stretching - stretching before warming could further aggravate the pain in the joints, and even strain the muscles.
• Eat right. Your bones need a number of nutrients to stay strong and healthy. Eating foods rich in vitamin Vitamins for everyone   C, E and calcium, you can create musculoskeletal system that can survive the degenerative conditions.
• Drink enough water. Water makes up seventy percent of the cartilage in the joints and helps keep them lubricated so that the bones rub against each other. Drink eight glasses of water a day.

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