💝💝 Arthritis Awareness Month💝💝

Hello readers, I hope your day and your week has been well. I apologize for the late blog, but due to working in RL, my time is limited but I wanted to bring your attention to an important blog topic. As many of you may know, May is Arthritis Awareness Month. Did you know that 1 out of 4 people will be afflicted with arthritis in their lifetime. 1 out of 4 people! I myself suffer from arthritis as well, so in this blog I will list different types of arthritis, facts, and list some links to be more aware. I hope you enjoy.

What exactly is arthritis? Arthritis means joint inflammation, but the term is used to describe around 200 conditions that affect joints, the tissues that surround the joint, and other connective tissue. It is a rheumatic condition. ... Rheumatic conditions tend to involve pain, aching, stiffness, and swelling in and around one or more joints. Some forms of arthritis, such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus can affect multiple organs and cause widespread symptoms. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 54.4 million adults in the United States have received a diagnosis of some form of arthritis. Of these, 23.7 million people have their activity curtailed in some way by their condition. Arthritis is more common among adults aged 65 years or older, but it can affect people of all ages, including children.

What causes arthritis? There is no single cause of all types of arthritis. The cause or causes vary according to the type or form of arthritis. Possible causes may include:
injury, leading to degenerative arthritis
abnormal metabolism, leading to gout and pseudogout
inheritance, such as in osteoarthritis
infections, such as in the arthritis of Lyme disease
immune system dysfunction, such as in RA and SLE
Most types of arthritis are linked to a combination of factors, but some have no obvious cause and appear to be unpredictable in their emergence. Some people may be genetically more likely to develop certain arthritic conditions. Additional factors, such as previous injury, infection, smoking and physically demanding occupations, can interact with genes to further increase the risk of arthritis.

Types of arthritis:
Inflammatory arthritis
Inflammation is a normal part of the body’s healing process. The inflammation tends to occur as a defense against viruses and bacteria or as a response to injuries such as burns. However, with inflammatory arthritis, inflammation occurs in people for no apparent reason. Inflammatory arthritis is characterized by damaging inflammation that does not occur as a normal reaction to injury or infection. This type of inflammation is unhelpful and instead causes damage in the affected joints, resulting in pain, stiffness and swelling. Inflammatory arthritis can affect several joints, and the inflammation can damage the surface of the joints and also the underlying bone.

Degenerative or mechanical arthritis
Degenerative or mechanical arthritis refers to a group of conditions that mainly involve damage to the cartilage that covers the ends of the bones. The main job of the smooth, slippery cartilage is to help the joints glide and move smoothly. This type of arthritis causes the cartilage to become thinner and rougher. To compensate for the loss of cartilage and changes in joint function, the body begins to remodel the bone in an attempt to restore stability. This can cause undesirable bony growths to develop, called osteophytes. The joint can become misshapen. This condition is commonly called osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis can also result from previous damage to the joint such as a fracture or previous inflammation in the joint.

Soft tissue musculoskeletal pain
Soft tissue musculoskeletal pain is felt in tissues other than the joints and bones. The pain often affects a part of the body following injury or overuse, such as tennis elbow, and originates from the muscles or soft tissues supporting the joints.Pain that is more widespread and associated with other symptoms may indicate fibromyalgia.

Back pain
Back pain can arise from the muscles, discs, nerves, ligaments, bones, or joints. Back pain may stem from problems with organs inside the body. It can also be a result of referred pain, for example, when a problem elsewhere in the body leads to pain in the back. There may be a specific cause, such as osteoarthritis. This is often called spondylosis when it occurs in the spine. Imaging tests or a physical examination may detect this. A “slipped” disc is another cause of back pain, as is osteoporosis, or thinning of the bones. If a doctor cannot identify the exact cause of back pain, it is often described as “non-specific” pain.

Connective tissue disease (CTD)
Connective tissues support, bind together, or separate other body tissues and organs. They include tendons, ligaments, and cartilage.

CTD involves joint pain and inflammation. The inflammation may also occur in other tissues, including the skin, muscles, lungs, and kidneys. This can result in various symptoms besides painful joints, and it may require consultation with a number of different specialists. Examples of CTD include:

SLE, or lupus
scleroderma, or systemic sclerosis
dermatomyositis.

Infectious arthritis
A bacterium, virus, or fungus that enters a joint can sometimes cause inflammation. Organisms that can infect joints include:

Salmonella and Shigella, spread through food poisoning or contamination
chlamydia and gonorrhea, which are sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)
hepatitis C, a blood-to-blood infection that may be spread through shared needles or transfusions
A joint infection can often be cleared with antibiotics or other antimicrobial medication. However, the arthritis can sometimes become chronic, and joint damage may be irreversible if the infection has persisted for some time.

Metabolic arthritis
Uric acid is a chemical created when the body breaks down substances called purines. Purines are found in human cells and several foods. Most uric acid dissolves in blood and travels to the kidneys. From there, it passes out in urine. Some people have high levels of uric, acid because they either naturally produce more than they need or their body cannot clear the uric acid quickly enough.
Uric acid builds up and accumulates in some people and forms needle-like crystals in the joint, resulting in sudden spikes of extreme joint pain or a gout attack. Gout can either come and go in episodes or become chronic if uric acid levels are not reduced. It commonly affects a single joint or a small number of joints, such as the big toe and hands. It usually affects the extremities. One theory is that uric acid crystals form in cooler joints, away from the main warmth of the body.

Rheumatoid arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) occurs when the body’s immune system attacks the tissues of the body, specifically connective tissue, leading to joint inflammation, pain, and degeneration of the joint tissue. Cartilage is a flexible, connective tissue in joints that absorb the pressure and shock created by movement like running and walking. It also protects the joints and allows for smooth movement.
Persistent inflammation in the synovia leads to the degeneration of cartilage and bone. This can then lead to joint deformity, pain, swelling, and redness. RA can appear at any age and is associated with fatigue and prolonged stiffness after rest. RA causes premature mortality and disability and it can compromise quality of life. Conditions it is linked to include cardiovascular diseases, such as ischemic heart disease and stroke. Diagnosing RA early gives a better chance of learning how to manage symptoms successfully. This can reduce the impact of the disease on quality of life.

Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis is a common degenerative joint disease that affects the cartilage, joint lining and ligaments, and underlying bone of a joint. The breakdown of these tissues eventually leads to pain and joint stiffness. The joints most often affected by osteoarthritis are those that get heavy use, such as hips, knees, hands, the spine, the base of the thumb, and the big toe joint.

Childhood arthritis
This can refer to a number of types of arthritis. Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), also known as juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA), is the most common type. Arthritis in childhood can cause permanent damage to joints, and there is no cure. However, remission is possible, during which time the disease remains inactive. It may be due to immune system problems.

Septic arthritis
This is thought to affect between 2 and 10 people in every 100,000 in the general population. Among people with RA, it may affect 30 to 70 people per 100,000. Septic arthritis is a joint inflammation that results from a bacterial or fungal infection. It commonly affects the knee and hip. It can develop when bacteria or other disease-causing micro-organisms spread through the blood to a joint, or when the joint is directly infected with a microorganism through injury or surgery.
Bacteria such as Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, or Neisseria gonorrhoeae cause most cases of acute septic arthritis. Organisms such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Candida albicans cause chronic septic arthritis. This is less common than acute septic arthritis. Septic arthritis may occur at any age. In infants, it may occur before the age of 3 years. The hip is a common site of infection at this age. Septic arthritis is uncommon from 3 years to adolescence. Children with septic arthritis are more likely than adults to be infected with Group B Streptococcus or Haemophilus influenzae if they have not been vaccinated. The incidence of bacterial arthritis caused by infection with H. influenzae has decreased by around 70 percent to 80 percent since the use of the H. influenzae b (Hib) vaccine became common. Septic arthritis is a rheumatologic emergency as it can lead to rapid joint destruction. It can be fatal.

Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia affects an estimated 4 million adults in the U.S, or around 2 percent of the population. It usually starts during middle age or after, but it can affect children.
Fibromyalgia can involve:

widespread pain
sleep disturbance
fatigue
depression
problems with thinking and remembering
The person may experience abnormal pain processing, where they reacts strongly to something that other people would not find painful.

There may also be tingling or numbness in the hands and feet, pain in the jaw, and digestive problems.The causes of fibromyalgia are unknown, but some factors have been loosely associated with disease onset:

stressful or traumatic events
post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
injuries due to repetitive movements
illness, for example viral infections
having lupus, RA, or chronic fatigue syndrome
family history
obesity
It is more common among females.

Psoriatic arthritis
Psoriatic arthritis is a joint problem that often occurs with a skin condition called psoriasis. It is thought to affect between 0.3 and 1 percent of the population in the U.S., and between 6 and 42 percent of people with psoriasis. Most people who have psoriatic arthritis and psoriasis develop psoriasis first and then psoriatic arthritis, but joint problems can occasionally occur before skin lesions appear. The exact cause of psoriatic arthritis is not known, but it appears to involve the immune system attacking healthy cells and tissue. The abnormal immune response causes inflammation in the joints and an overproduction of skin cells. Damage to the joints can result.

Gout
Gout is a rheumatic disease that happens when uric acid crystals, or monosodium urate, form in body tissues and fluids. It happens when the body produces too much uric acid or does not excrete enough uric acid. Gout causes agonizing pain in the joint, with the area becoming red, hot and swollen.
Acute gout normally appears as a severely red, hot, and swollen joint and severe pain.

Sjögren’s syndrome
Sjögren’s syndrome is an autoimmune disorder that sometimes occurs alongside RA and SLE. It involves the destruction of glands that produce tears and saliva. This causes dryness in the mouth and eyes and in other areas that usually need moisture, such as the nose, throat, and skin. It can also affect the joints, lungs, kidneys, blood vessels, digestive organs, and nerves. Sjögren’s syndrome typically affects in adults aged 40 to 50 years, and especially women. According to a study in Clinical and Experimental Rheumatology, in 40 to 50 percent of people with primary Sjögren’s syndrome, the condition affects tissues other than the glands. It could affect the lungs, liver, or kidneys, or it could lead to skin vasculitis, peripheral neuropathy, glomerulonephritis, and low levels of a substance known as C4. These all indicate a link between Sjögren’s and the immune system. If these tissues are affected, there is a high risk of developing non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

Scleroderma
Scleroderma refers to a group of diseases that affect connective tissue in the body. The person will have patches of hard, dry skin. Some types can affect the internal organs and small arteries.
Scar-like tissue builds up in the skin and causes damage. The cause is currently unknown. It often affects people between the ages of 30 to 50 years, and it may occur with other autoimmune diseases, such as lupus. Scleroderma affects individuals differently. The complications include skin problems, weakness in the heart, lung damage, gastrointestinal problems, and kidney failure.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)
SLE, commonly known as lupus, is an autoimmune disease where the immune system produces antibodies to cells within the body leading to widespread inflammation and tissue damage. The disease is characterized by periods of illness and remissions. It can appear at any age, but onset is most likely is between the ages of 15 and 45 years. For every one man who gets lupus, between 4 and 12 women will do so. Lupus can affect the joints, skin, brain, lungs, kidneys, blood vessels, and other tissues. Symptoms include fatigue, pain or swelling in joints, skin rashes, and fevers. The cause remains unclear, but it could be linked to genetic, environmental, and hormonal factors.


Tips to help with managing arthritis:
Being organized: keep track of symptoms, pain levels, medications, and possible side effects for consultations with your doctor.
Managing pain and fatigue: a medication regimen can be combined with non-medical pain management. Learning to manage fatigue is key to living comfortably with arthritis.
Staying active: exercise is beneficial for managing arthritis and overall health.
Balancing activity with rest: in addition to remaining active, rest is equally important when your disease is active.
Eating a healthful diet: a balanced diet can help you achieve a healthy weight and control inflammation. Avoid refined, processed foods and pro-inflammatory animal-derived foods and choose whole plant foods that are high in antioxidants and that have anti-inflammatory properties.
Improving sleep: poor sleep can aggravate arthritis pain and fatigue. Take steps to improve sleep hygiene so you find it easier to fall asleep and stay asleep. Avoid caffeine and strenuous exercise in the evenings and restrict screen-time just before sleeping.
Caring for joints: tips for protecting joints include using the stronger, larger joints as levers when opening doors, using several joints to spread the weight of an object such as using a backpack and gripping as loosely as possible by using padded handles.
Do not sit in the same position for long periods. Take regular breaks to keep mobile.

Arthritis is very serious, its nothing to be took lightly. I encourage you to read up on arthritis and this blog. I hope I have gave you some information to take with you. Until next time take care of yourself and each other.

Christy J. Sparrowhawk