What is it?
Arthritis is a common bone disorder, which damages and weakens the bones. It causes pain, inflammation, infection, distortion, and stiffness of bones, joints, and muscles, which makes it difficult for one to do day-to-day tasks.
There are over 100 different forms of arthritis and according to studies, one out of every five adults are affected by one of the 100 different types of arthritis.
The most common form of arthritis is osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, gout etc. It is important not to ignore this bone disorder because in its advance stages, arthritis can severely affect any organ of the body including brain, heart, lungs, eye, skin, kidneys and nerves.
Some of the causes of arthritis include sedentary lifestyle, sitting long hours, unhealthy diet, obesity and stress. Women who have never been pregnant and those who have recently given birth are more likely to get the illness. Other causes include family history, smoking, belly fat and menopause.
Warning signs:
The most common symptoms of arthritis are constant swelling in the joints, early morning joint stiffness, tiredness, weight loss, mild fever, redness of hands and skin rashes. With the passage of time, it spreads from the smaller joints in your hands, wrists, ankles, and feet to your elbows, knees, hips, neck, shoulders and jaw.
Also, many of you may have experienced muscle pain and joint stiffness during or after strenuous exercises and chores, but might have ignored the pain thinking it is muscular pain. Make sure that you visit the doctor for medical advice if the pain persists longer than a week as the pain might be a symptom of arthritis. The earlier you get diagnosed, the better the outcome.
Diet for strong bones:
To keep your bones strong and healthy it is important to include calcium rich foods in your diet such as milk and yoghurt. A single serving of 8-ounce yoghurt contains about 400 mg of calcium. Add vegetables like cabbage, cauliflower, and kale to your diet. Also consume fruits like bananas because it contains magnesium and potassium, which is good for bones density. The anti- inflammatory quality of ginger is ideal to reduce the risk of joint pains. Grating moderate amount of fresh ginger and sprinkling it on vegetables and baked items will be quite beneficial for patients with arthritis. You can also add sliced ginger or tea.
Include fruits rich in vitamin C such as bell peppers, mangos, strawberries, pineapple, in your diet for healthy cartilage. Vitamin D is essential to absorb the calcium in the body and oranges are good source of calcium, vitamin C and D. Furthermore, include nuts and seeds like walnuts, cashew nuts, pistachios, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds and flax seeds in your daily diet routine. The fats found in nuts and seeds lubricate the joints and help absorb certain vitamins, which help keep joints healthy.
Foods to avoid:
There are number of foods, which badly impair bone growth and decrease bone mineral density and should be avoided by patients suffering from arthritis including high sugar diets, sports drinks, carbonated and fizzy drinks. The phosphorus content present in fizzy drinks causes the body to excrete calcium. If someone already has arthritis-ridden joints then it is important to avoid table salt, lemon, tamarind, and tomatoes. Patients should also avoid over consumption of fried and processed foods, such as fried meats, burgers and prepared frozen meals. Moreover, excess use of salt and foods items that contain sodium such as spinach should not be consumed, as a high salt diet depletes calcium content of bones making the bones and joints weak.
Living with arthritis:
If you have been diagnosed with arthritis, make a few changes in your lifestyle to manage the illness. For example avoid bending down, remove any loose mats or carpets, avoid walking or roaming in the dark, add a rail beside the toilet seat so you can get up easily etc.