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Arthritis Specials

October 26, 2010

Rheumatoid Arthritis – Causes, Management, Treatment

Rheumatoid arthritis strikes roughly 1 percent of the world’s population. It is a chronic inflammatory disease, characterized by the inflammation of the lining, or synovium, of the joints. Rheumatoid arthritis is also an autoimmune disease, which suggests that the immune system malfunctions and attacks healthy tissues within the body just like it does with foreign pathogens. Rheumatoid arthritis inflammation chiefly damages the soft tissues of the joints, however, the membrane linings of the blood vessels, heart and lungs may also become inflamed.

The joints within the feet and hands are most often attacked by rheumatoid arthritis, but any soft tissue inside a joint could be involved. Medicine can manage the inflammation; if the inflammation isn’t managed, malformation of the joints can result. It often leads to joint damage over the long-term, resulting in chronic pain, lost mobility and disability.

There are 3 stages of rheumatoid arthritis. The initial stage begins with the inflammation of the synovial lining, producing pain, warmth, stiffness, redness and swelling around the affected joints. The second phase is the rapid growth and division of cells, or pannus, which causes the thickening of the synovium. By the third phase, the inflamed cells release enzymes that bone and cartilage can absorb causing the affected joint to produce more tenderness, deformity and loss of movement.

Rheumatoid arthritis patients endure cycles of severe and light symptoms. The following are symptoms and effects of rheumatoid arthritis:

- Joint swelling in the small joints of the feet and hands – Joint tenderness, stiffness, and throbbing especially in the morning – Calcified bony protrusions in joints – Cartilage and bone destruction

Rheumatoid arthritis can have a significant effect on a person’s life and health, especially if it is not diagnosed and treated early. Getting the right diagnosis early on is essential as it helps you start the correct treatment right away thus providing you with a greater opportunity to avoid disability and deformity.

It’s always recommended to check with a medical doctor about the diagnosis and treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. With the correct diagnosis, you can take control of the disease with the proper medication. Doctors have many ways to treat this disease, the purpose of which is to take away pain, decrease inflammation, slow down or stop joint damage, help people feel better, and help people stay active.

Currently, the precise cause of the disease is unidentified, although there are many theories, like abnormal autoimmune response, genetic susceptibility, and some environmental reasons. Scientists are well on their way to deciphering the events that lead to abnormal responses of the body’s immune system. And while there isn’t any cure, managing the disease through the use of new drugs, exercise, joint protection techniques and self-management techniques have been used by patients to have happier, healthier and more productive lives.

The author suffered with arthritis for seven years before he discovered the rheumatoid arthritis diet. After researching several versions of arthritis diets and trying different methods, he discovered what really works and wrote The Amazing Arthritis Diet.

Filed under Arthritis by Michael Massie

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October 9, 2010

Gout Treatment Diet – Ways You Are Able To Benefit From Your Gout Treatment Diet

Gouty arthritis is very agonizing and cures for it are regularly sought after. The soreness can be so awful at night that even the weight of a sheet on the area can be too much to tolerate. The ache can repeatedly be overwhelming. I am presently battling this problem myself.

In searching for gout cures I would like to enlighten you of what I have found. You may have gout and have dismissed it as something else. Do you have sore or swollen joints or skin that may be red or warm to the touch?Is the area irritated and does the skin sometime slough off in that area?

These could be signs of gout. It can occur again and again if you don’t change your life style. It can come back worse each time. Lots of people will try to do something about it when the ache comes back then go back to the same life-style after the tenderness goes away.

You can treat gout this way. You want a cure that will continue to work for you and that is why you require a gout treatment diet. Nearly all individuals will go see their physician when they start experiencing pain. For the most part medical doctors will prescribe you with an anti-inflammatory drug and this will aid in the short term for the pain and swelling. However if you continue to live the way you have been you can expect to see your medical doctor all over again for the same problem.

You need to change your lifestyle. The only thing that you can do to treat your gouty arthritis for good is stay on a gout treatment diet. High purine meals are the first thing that you must get rid of from your diet. There is strong facts that high purine meals are the major cause for gout.

This is how it works. Certain foods that you eat will make purine in your body. You require it for the body to transform it into energy. A byproduct of purine is uric acid. When your body is incapable to flush this uric acid from the body it will crystallize and remain in your joints. This will cause gout and the pain that you feel.

Ordinarily males in the mid fortys and beyond will have indicators of gout. You can amplify your risk of gout by being overweight and living a sedentary life style. Women also become candidates for this ailment after menopause.

With a gout treatment diet you can inhibit or alleviate gout symptoms. By using this information and changing the way you live now you can avoid this affliction. If you will start drinking more water it will be easier for you to flush your system and get rid of the uric acid that is built up. It is suggested that you drink eight glasses of water a day and extra if you can.Do you drink a lot of sodas or coffee? These drinks dehydrate your body and it’s difficult to flush out the toxins and uric acid. By changing just a minimum amount of things in your diet you can assist your overall healthiness and keep away from this condition. You should continue and not stop when you start noticing improvement though. That is an essential component of the gout treatment diet.

Red meat and some seafood have elevated purine levels. Other high protein foods do as well. You can limit those animal protein sources in your diet and substitute them with beans and other veggies. Vegetarians get all of the protein that their body needs from plant sources.

It can be challenging to make a permanent change in your diet when you have been used to eating a certain way for so long. It is in your best interest to change your eating habits and stick with it if you want to lessen or get rid of the symptoms of gouty arthritis permanently.

There are some very simple improvements that you can make in your life over time that will rid you of the symptoms of gouty arthritis. You do not have to live in endless reoccurring pain that you can’t seem to get rid of.

Start Learning about a gout treatment diet. Go to my site to learn about gouty arthritis.

Filed under Arthritis by Gary Ward

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October 4, 2010

Using The Superfood Goji To Help Ease The Pain Of Arthritis

Suffering from arthritis can make even the simplest of daily tasks like sewing or writing very difficult and advanced stage arthritis can be really painful and can cause great distress.

But arthritis does not always have to limit your life and many people are finding the incredible benefits of a remarkable new product are easing the pain more than usual.

They are finding one of the most prized secrets of the ancient Himalayans who were believed to be the first natural healers, and who shared their wisdom with the ancient herbalists of China, Tibet, and India.

It’s called Goji Juice and it has become known as one of the new group of wonderfoods, along with tomatoes, blueberries and watercress.

The most common form of arthritis is osteoarthritis and is most often seen in people over 60 years of age. But that isn’t the only form of the disease. The term ‘arthritis’ is actually a catch all term that covers more than 100 medical conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus. Arthritis can strike at any age often without warning and in it’s various forms it affects affects more than 70 miilion adults and 300,000 children in the US alone.

No matter what the source of arthritis, there is always the common factor of joint inflammation, often accompanied by pain, stiffness, restricted motion, warmth, swelling, and damage to the protective joint cartilage and surrounding tissues. This damage becomes progressively debilitating as joints become weakened and destabilized.

Obesity is another major cause of arthritis. According to an article in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the single biggest risk factor for osteoarthritis in the hips and hands of people older than 60 is being overweight. Reducing the symptoms of this painful disease should be a great inspiration to drop those pounds.

In an weight study carried out in South East Asia, patients were given goji juice twice a day, with results showing most patients lost significant weight. It is believed that the gojis master molecule polysaccharide improved the conversion of food into energy and reduced body weight.

In Asia, it is said that constant consumption of goji brings a cheerful attitude and nothing beats good cheer overcoming stress!

Want to find out more about goji, then visit our site and find out how to choose the best goji juice for your needs.

Filed under Arthritis by Silve Wilson

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August 30, 2010

Fish Oil Is Really Essential But May Have Some Side Effects So Make Certain To Learn Them!

We all know that there are drugs that can give us certain drug effects. There are times when there would be too much information given about the drugs or supplements because manufacturers would put too much words on prescription bottles that the explanations would seem too hard to understand. This of course would make a typical consumer wonder if the manufacturers are really saying the whole truth or they just want to sell their products. Sometimes, you would really need to study what you are truly putting in your body. However, sometimes you do not really have time for that. In this article, we would be focusing on fish oil and its side effects.

The omega 3 fatty acids that are found in supplements contain anti coagulants or blood thinners. There have been speculations about this because blood thinners are known to make the clotting of blood harder especially for people who are injured. It is important that you know that the omega 3 fatty acid is not dangerous for you if it’s the only supplement you take that has anti coagulant properties. However, if you are already taking medicines that contain anti coagulants, consult your doctor first.

Another one of the fish oil side effects is fish oil repeat or “fish burp”. This happens when the impurities in some fish oil bring about digestive disturbances. There are ways to prevent this side effect. One is make sure that the fish oil or fish oil supplement that you are taking is made of exceptionally pure oils. Another is make sure to take the supplement before eating to make sure that the fish oil will help in the absorption of nutrients that you will get from the food you eat. Lastly, there are pills in the market that are coated with enteric shells which are designed to not dissolve in the most acidic part of the system.

Another side effect related to digestion is mild stomach discomfort. This would manifest in the form of stomach ache or diarrhea. In order to avoid this side effect, follow the above tips mentioned to prevent fish burps.

Also remember that there are people who are allergic to seafood so naturally they can be allergic to fish oil too. If you experience some allergies prior to taking fish oil supplements, consult your doctor to make sure that you are allergic to the seafood properties found in fish oil. Do remember that high quality supplements do not contain the seafood properties so it is advisable that you but this kind of supplements to ensure that you will not have allergic reactions.

If you want much more info on the topic of fish oil side effects or fish oil benefits make sure to visit my blogs where I discuss these topics even more.

Filed under Arthritis by Gilma Mariotti

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July 31, 2010

Flaxseed: Importance Source Of Omega 3 That Can Rival Fish Oil

Omega 3 fatty acids actually have a lot of benefits. Other than the fact that it is known to be good for the heart, there are studies now which state that Omega 3 is also good for the brain. This is because there are people that say that it can help people concentrate more on what they are trying to do. It can also help people think more and just recently has shown that it can also help people become less depressed.

Flax seed is very small and can be eaten as a snack because it is quite tasty but people prefer to sprinkle the seeds on salad and food because they are similar to sesame seeds but the flax seed oil benefits are much more numerous and important!

Before, flax seed is only known to fight mild to moderate constipation and even though this is not its only benefit now, this is still proven to be true even though it is not as strong as other chemical based products that are being sold over the counter.

Flax seed is known to help fight constipation and indigestion. It can be eaten with your normal food or you can munch on it when you feel like it. Just remember that flax seed should never be heated because this will change its components.

Flax seed is actually inexpensive and can be bought in health food stores. It can be eaten as a snack or as an adornment to a meal. Some people love sprinkling flax seeds on their salad or cereal. Just remember that flax seed cannot be heated because the heat will change its natural components and it will not be beneficial anymore.

If you do not really have a lot of budget for healthy food, it is better to buy flax seed than fish oil which both contain omega 3 because you can get the same benefits for a fraction of the cost.

There are also studies now which state that omega 3 is actually good for the brain because it helps people think and concentrate better. It is recommended now that people take a daily dose of Omega 3 because like mentioned earlier, it cannot be produced by the body and since flax seed can be bought in health stores and is cheap, it is worth giving it a try.

It is not impossible to see why flax seed is the choice of people who would still want their dose of Omega 3 because it is inexpensive and easy to buy. For those who are still not including Omega 3 as a part of their diets, do try taking flax seed because it is worth it.

While debating between flax seed and fish oil you might want to look at the side effects of fish oil

Filed under Arthritis by Diedre Duffett

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