How to reduce risk of developing arthritis

From the-star.co.ke

• According to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, specific symptoms vary depending on the type of arthritis but usually include joint pain and stiffness.
• The experts have warned that obesity is a predisposing factor for developing the condition, adding that those people whose Body Mass Index is above 25 are at risk of suffering from the disease.

 Arthritis is an inflammation or swelling of one or more joints.

Health experts say arthritis is not one disease alone, but rather an umbrella term for more than 100 conditions that affect body joints.

According to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, specific symptoms vary depending on the type of arthritis but usually include joint pain and stiffness.

The experts have warned that obesity is a predisposing factor for developing the condition, adding that those people whose Body Mass Index is above 25 are at risk of suffering from the disease.

“Extra weight puts more stress on joints, particularly weight-bearing joints like the hips and knees,” CDD says.

Wycliffe Tatayo, a physiotherapist at the Kenyatta National Hospital orthopaedics unit says if the BMI is more than 25 then you are prone to getting the disease because of what he termed as axial loading.

“You are loading your knee, your hip and they are the common areas affected by osteoarthritis so that wear and tear is most likely to occur,” he says.

Tatayo says as people age the wear and tear of the cartilage is expected even though in some instances it happens a bit earlier.

People above 45 years are more prone to the condition but experts also link the condition to genetics/family history and anatomical factors where someone was born with a deformity.

CDC recommends that making lifestyle changes can decrease your risk of getting some types of arthritis or making arthritis worse noting that healthy eating and physical activity can help you lose weight and stay at a healthy weight.

“Many microbial agents, like bacteria and viruses, can infect joints and potentially cause the development of some types of arthritis. See your doctor right away if your joints are swollen, warm, or red. It might be an infection,” CDC states.

It is also important that you protect your joints from injuries by doing special exercises for those joints as joint injury or overuse such as knee bending and repetitive stress can damage a joint and contribute to the development of osteoarthritis.

“Make sure your worksite is free of fall hazards and has the space, equipment, and tools that fit your physical ability and limitations,” it warns.

It is also advisable that you stop smoking as it increases your risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis.

According to the Mayo Clinic, an online medical site, the most common types of arthritis are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

Osteoarthritis causes cartilage, the hard, slippery tissue that covers the ends of bones where they form a joint to break down while rheumatoid arthritis is a disease in which the immune system attacks the joints, beginning with the lining of joints, the site explains.

https://www.the-star.co.ke/news/realtime/2023-02-05-how-to-reduce-risk-of-developing-arthritis/