Teens Meet Outreach

Contrary to what most people think, Arthritis is not a disease of the old. Rather, it is a physical condition which is as a result of cumulative actions and lifestyle of an individual when they were younger, even though the symptoms appear much later when they are old.

Arthritis is a condition of pain caused by an attack on the bone in the different joints of the body and the tissues that surround the bone at those joints. It comes with symptoms like stiffness, aching, and swelling in, around one or more joint, known as inflammation.

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This pain or inflammation now bear different names based on the locations they occur.

1. Osteoarthritis: Arthritis of the cartilage or synovial fluid, a lubricating fluid around a joint.
2. Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA): Arthritis of the connective tissues like muscles and blood vessels.
3. Psoriasis: Arthritis of the skin, most often the hand.
4. Gout: Arthritis that results from excess uric acid in the body system. It occurs in the Kidney and other parts of the excretory system.
5. Fibromyalgia: Arthritis caused by stress or genetic inheritance.

Although Arthritis arises from a number of factors like injury, abnormal digestion of unhealthy food, age, sex with more tendencies in females, excessive weight and even hereditary factor, the chances of having the disease can be minimized and reduced with a healthy and regulated lifestyle.

It would be beneficial to know that the inability that victims experience in their everyday life as a result of their arthritic condition is often a great deal that it can cause them to lose a sense of value to their community and possibly result to complex mental health issues.

It is nothing far from being handicapped, defined by a scientific term called, OSTEOPHYTE, which is an undesirable growth pattern of bone that causes the body to misshapen or deform. Hence, it is better to be safe than to be sorry.

So, what are the preventive ways of dealing with arthritis?

DIET

Of course, we are what we eat and what we don’t eat can equally not benefit us. Correct diet plays an important role in building the bony frame of man and ensuring that we are immune against disease when they arise. Injury, accidents or disease attack, at times, are inevitable but the state of our inner well-being should never be compromised with unbalanced diets or non-beneficial meals.

{Read: Eating Healthy Without Overspending}

Below is a list of food beneficial to building stronger bones and boosting the immune system, along with the nutrient they contain.

• Fish contains Omega-3 fatty acid, which is rich in mercury essential for body growth. It is also notable for correcting RA condition. Species of fish high in this nutrient include Mackerel, Salmon, Sardine, Lake Trout and Tuna. It is however advised that people should get nutrient from a direct food source instead of supplements.

• Nuts and seeds are the plant source for Omega-3 fatty acid. They provide the same nutrient as the animal-source counterparts. Examples are Walnut and Soya beans.

• Fruits and vegetables are a class of food rich in vitamin, which is helpful in building the body’s immune defence. Fruits with high water contents are often desirable.

• Beans is a leguminous food that is very important in adding nitrogen to the body, which makes it a priority food in fighting diseases of this nature.

Foods to avoid or keep moderate are high sugar-containing meal like carbohydrates, especially if unbalanced with other classes of food.

Excess sugar in the body is stored as glucose, but when it becomes too much it results in a condition called hyperglycemia, which come with arthritic symptoms.

Likewise, excess fatty acid is stored up as fat in different parts of the body, putting much weight load on the skeleton which often results in stiffness, back pain and inflammation.A class of food called “Nightshade vegetables” have also been identified to contain a chemical called Solanine which has been shown to be linked with arthritis pain (Equine Internal Medicine by Patricia, Talcott in 2008). Examples of these foods include Tomato leaf, tobacco, eggplant and potato exposed to sunlight.

PHYSICAL EXERCISE

Physical exercise remains an important way to keep the body fit and ensure normal and proper growth. Some people suffer from Arthritis because of lack of work-rest balance or due to the nature of their job.

Being productive and effective is important but doing it at the detriment of your health (mental, and physical) is rather not productive and effective in the long-run. An average of 8 hours of sleep is prescribed by medical practitioners for people above 65 years. While the younger ones or youth are expected to have a total rest of 6 hours daily.

Conclusion

While the World Wide Web contains a plethora of information about treating arthritis, the best treatment is the one you get from a reputable doctor. Arthritis symptoms can start slowly but can be life demanding if not properly managed. And prevention is not only better than cure, but it is also cheaper. Start a healthy lifestyle today and influence someone else to do likewise.

With Love,
Tolu.