What Causes Arthritis Symptoms to Flare Up?

Arthritis usually means pain in the joints but it is a disease of the muscles and the bones so there could also be swelling and pain all over. Cartilage is considered to be a living tissue that covers both ends of the bones, which protect them as they begin to rub together. They are like the glands in our body and the cells they are made of are called Chondrocytes. All chondrocytes will die and are usually replaced by new cartilage cells.

However, over an extended period of time, the inflammation can kill more of the cartilage cells than the body is able to replace. This happens when the body is not healthy and suffers from malnutrition, injury can also be another cause. Instability, joint weakness and deformities can be caused by this condition which will start affecting normal day today activities. Generally, arthritis can be treated with physical therapy, medication, and changes to the lifestyle the individual is used to living. The last resort to treat joint problems is the invasive joint replacement therapy and is only resorted to after all other treatments have failed.

Arthritis is divided into to major groups that may affect the ‘localized’ or ‘generalized’ parts of the body or even depending on the joints that get damaged; it is further divided into sub-groups. Localized conditions are where the soft tissue around the bone or joint is affected; it refers to conditions like tendonitis and bursitis. A sub category of localized conditions is when only one or two joints are affected like the hip or the knee. In a general sense, the disease affects the soft tissue and muscle where there isn’t any evidence of inflammation or swelling. In this condition there is no evident kind of damage caused to the joints and is known as Fibromyalgia; this kind of arthritis is widespread among people.

In the second sub-group is a condition in which the person suffering from arthritis may have swelling on the whole body. Rheumatoid arthritis is an example of a condition under this category, as well as gout, and psoriatic arthritis. The other kinds of arthritis are vasculitis (any organ); polymyositis (muscles); and systemic lupus erythematosus (skin, kidneys, or other organs).

46 million adults and 300,000 children are approximately affected in the United States with one or more of the 100 different medical arthritic conditions. The condition is most common as osteoarthritis in adults age 60 and above but it can start as early as infancy. The number of people suffering out of this condition is increasing proportionally with the increasing average age of the American population; with old age setting in people suffering with arthritis is increasing day by day.

Within the United States, arthritis as well as several related illnesses are known to be the cause of major disability and it cost over one hundred and twenty four billion dollars each year in indirect expenses and medical care expenses. Individuals can help prevent osteoarthritis by following a few simple steps: Maintaining appropriate weight and consuming fresh fruits and vegetables as a good source of vitamins c and d. By taking the time to make sure that you are consuming enough calcium, participate in regular exercise and avoiding injuries that are brought about due to sports activities, you can also help with prevention of this condition.