Note: the following is not intended as medical advice. Please see your relevant health professional for any questions or concerns you make have about arthritis
If you’re in the 50 plus age group, ‘arthritis’ is a condition you’ve almost certainly heard of, and, sadly, many of you live with its complications. However, arthritis isn’t always well understood, and part of the reason is it exists in more than 140 different variations. One of the more common themes to its uncomfortable presence is it affects joints, causing pain and stiffness. But it can also present a raft of other symptoms, as those who have been diagnosed with it well know. Although there is no quick fix to a diagnosis of arthritis, understanding it can provide a sense of control and help with management. So, to help you demystify a condition affecting around 17% of Kiwis, lets learn some facts:
- Arthritis is often a hidden disease, undetectable to outsiders, but affecting joints and sometimes also organs including the kidneys, eyes, heart, and lungs.
- Some forms of arthritis are caused by the sort of wear and tear that comes with age. However, other forms of arthritis are caused by autoimmune conditions (when the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks joints). Some viruses are also capable of causing arthritis.
- The most common places for arthritis to develop are the hands, ankles, knees, lower back, hips, feet, wrists, and shoulders. But it can occur in many other sites including the jaw, neck, and scalp.
- Arthritis is more common in women than in men.
- Arthritis is on the rise. Some research points to it affecting more than 78 million people worldwide.
- Some people with arthritis may be at greater risk of having other conditions such as heart disease and diabetes. For example, gout, which is a common form of inflammatory arthritis, is associated with abnormal heart rhythms. When you have gout, uric acid forms sharp crystals around your joints. Uric acid also increases the likelihood of heart disease.
- Arthritis isn’t a disease-of-ageing, but some types of arthritis are found more commonly in older people.
- The forms of arthritis older people are most familiar with cause swelling, pain, and stiffness which can affect mobility and make everyday activities more difficult to perform.
- Arthritis can cause permanent and visible changes to joints, resulting in swelling and bony growths.
- Fibromyalgia is a difficult-to-diagnose syndrome which is often described as ‘hurting all over.’ It does not cause permanent damage to bones, joints, or muscles, and is not always classified as ‘arthritis.’ However, people with some forms of arthritis (such as rheumatoid) are more likely than others to develop fibromyalgia.
- Recent research suggests ‘the weather’ really can have an impact on arthritis symptoms – though just what ‘the weather’ refers to in these cases is still something of a mystery. Although far from being conclusive, it may be that a rise in barometric pressure along with higher humidity, are contributors to arthritic symptoms.
- Learning to manage arthritis can take time because no one rule fits all. Medications, including combinations of prescription medications, along with lifestyle changes and treatments, can all play their part, and can take time to discover.
As you can see, arthritis is a complicated and multifaceted condition. However, if you’re a senior, the form most likely to affect you is osteoarthritis. It’s so common that it affects approximately 50% of people aged 60 years and over, and almost all people aged over 80 years. That’s why, in our next article on arthritis, we’ll be taking a closer look at a condition which, in New Zealand, is regarded as a leading cause of disability. Stay tuned.