Arthritis is a condition that affects the body’s musculoskeletal system, mainly the joints. It’s reported that this condition is the main reason for disability among people over the age of 55 in western countries. The term arthritis is derived from the Greek word “arthron” meaning “joint” and the Latin word t “itis” meaning “inflammation”. Arthritis is just an umbrella term referring to over 100 different types of arthritis and all have different causes.
Here are some of the Common Causes of Arthritis…
ILLNESS OR INFECTION
Illness or infection is one cause of arthritis. In most cases, an illness or infection occurs in the synovial fluid and tissues of the joint. Viruses, bacteria or fungi are all responsible for infection in these parts of the body. It’s possible for fungi, viruses, and bacteria to move through the bloodstream and finally infect the joints. Some illnesses such as tuberculosis can cause an infection to the joints and finally cause arthritis.
PREVIOUS INJURY
People who are struggling to cope with a previous injury are more likely to eventually develop arthritis in the affected joint.
GENETICS AND FAMILY RISKS
To some extent, arthritis is known to run through the family lineage. Our body makeup based on the genes from our parents can make us more or less susceptible to developing a disease in question. According to arthritis research UK, parents suffering from arthritis are able to transmit the same genes for arthritis to their children.
STRESS
Various clinical researches have shown that in some way, stress may have a role to play in the eventual inflammation caused by pain. Molecules in the body known as Cytokines are partly responsible for causing Rheumatic arthritis. Though cytokines are released for different reasons, stress can be another reason for the excess release of these molecules. With stress, there would be more cytokines meaning more inflammation on the affected joint. To adequately solve your problem, you need to trace the root cause of your stress.
LIFESTYLE AND TRIGGER FACTORS
Arthritis is also known to develop suddenly without a known cause, and at any age. In some instances, something in your medical history or lifestyle or just a combination of both of these could be responsible for your arthritis.
There are a number of factors that could be responsible for your arthritis if you’re susceptible to it: Physically demanding jobs can increase your risk of osteoarthritis, more so if it involves heavy and repetitive activity, and the previous injury to a joint can also increase your risk of osteoarthritis. Infections; illnesses or an allergic reaction can cause short-lived arthritis. Some diets may appear to make your arthritis worse.
FATIGUE
Rheumatoid arthritis can be triggered by overexertion leading to arthritis inflammation, increased fatigue and increased rheumatoid arthritis flare. Fatigue comes as a result of participating in a long-day activity.
Symptoms of arthritis such as pain and inflammation are all proven to increase with increased levels of fatigue in the body. Apart from physical work, psychological factors can also cause fatigue in people suffering from arthritis.
Chemical molecules known as cytokines responsible for inflammation are known to be over released with increased stress and will eventually cause fatigue to the body.
GENETICS
Certain types of arthritis such as rheumatoid arthritis, SLE and AS develop as a result of the presence of specific genes in the body. The severity of arthritis is affected by specific genes.
Those people with specific human leukocyte antigen genes stand a greater chance of succumbing to developing rheumatoid arthritis compared to other people who do not have the HLA genes. However, there is an exception because not all people with these genes are known to develop rheumatoid arthritis.
AGE
Age is known to have a direct impact on the rate at which arthritis develops in individuals. People of advanced ages have a high risk of developing arthritis.
WEIGHT
Having excess pounds on your body puts stress on joints, more so your hips, knees, and spine. People suffering from having a higher risk of developing arthritis.
FOODS
The type of food you eat plays an important role in regards to the amount of weight you’ll have on your body. Bodyweight maintenance is very vital to the reduction/prevention of arthritis progression. Research shows that many people suffering from rheumatoid arthritis show a relationship between their conditions to certain foods. Certain foods are known to cause symptoms of arthritis to become worse. The best thing to do is to keep track of the kind of foods you eat and determine which ones make your arthritis symptoms worsen.
OCCUPATIONAL HAZARDS
Involving yourself in certain occupations that subject body joints to excessive pending and squatting may lead to worsening of your arthritis of the knee and hip.
SOME HIGH-LEVEL SPORTS
Certain sports involving repetitive squatting and knee bending are associated with OA of the knee and hip. Sports such as football, rugby and others of the kind are shown by studies to be responsible for some cases of knee arthritis.
CONCLUSION
The most important thing with arthritis is to learn as much as possible about the dynamics of your condition and then develop a good relationship with your physician or your caregiver.
All those people who will end up learning more about their bodies and the kind of disease they are suffering from will ultimately know the best ways of managing that condition without much hustle and stress. Arthritis can be dangerous as it might lead to complete disability; so it’ll be good to quickly seek medical intervention once you’ve noticed any of the symptoms that might suggest that you’re suffering from this condition.
www.jointhealth.com
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