Arthritis & Rheumatism

There are over 100 types of arthritis and rheumatic diseases including osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and fibromyalgia. This site provides the latest arthritic and rheumatic information including the treatment options available.



Arthritis is a common disease that affects millions of people worldwide. This can be felt in the person's joints, skin and organs inside the body. Should the person feel anything wrong, it is advisable to go straight to the doctor. Doctors have discovered that there are over 100 types of arthritis. Given the number, the doctor will not be able to know which one is affecting the person without an examination.

There are 2 common forms of arthritis. The first is rheumatoid arthritis which is considered a chronic disease. There is inflammation in the joints caused by cartilage damage. Anyone who has this will suffer long term joint damage that will lead to chronic pain and disability. Pain is usually felt when waking up in the morning and will gradually disappear during the day.

Rheumatoid arthritis is a problem that will not go away. This happens in three stages. The first is swelling. The second is the rapid division and growth of cells. The third is when these cells release enzymes that will eat the bone causing the joint to lose shape until the person will not be able to move it anymore.

Since this is systemic disease, it can spread and affect other organs in the body. The best way to prevent is from happening is detecting it early to prevent the person from being disabled. This can be treated with proper medication and therapy. There many drugs available that the patient can use. Some drugs offer pain relief to reduce the inflammation. Others can just do one function.

The second is called osteoarthritis. This happens more often than rheumatoid arthritis but unlike the first, there is no inflammation present. The cartilage in the joint is damaged and will eventually degenerate. Pain will slightly be felt when the person gets up but this will hurt later on during the day. Osteoarthritis can either be primary or secondary. When it is primary, it is often associated with age. It is similar to a car where the parts have to be replaced due to wear and tear. Doctors consider this to be normal as people grow older.

The secondary type is often associated with something else that has caused this to happen. Some of these factors are an injury that took place, heredity, obesity and bone density. Osteoarthritis can be treated with medication, exercise, weight control, joint protection, physical and occupational therapy. This is done to relieve the pain and slow the progression of the disease. Both of these are caused by different things. The common thing between these 2 types is that joint pain can happen anywhere in the body.

Given the many medications available to treat this disease, the patient has to be aware of the side effects of each before choosing which one to use. The doctor should explain these to the person in order to make the right decision.



Tuesday, January 17, 2006

Arthritis - 6,000 Qatari and expatriate families to be included


6,000 Qatari and expatriate families to be included in World Health Survey
DOHA: A total of 6,000 Qatari and expatriate households and an equal number of individual respondents from the local and other communities in the country will be included in the World Health Survey that begins in March, Dr Hanadi Qutba, Community Medicine Consultant and Head of Non-Communicable Disease Department at the National Health Authority, said here yesterday.
Source: www.thepeninsulaqatar.com

Medivir Takes Its First Pharmaceutical Project Into Phase III and Sharpens Its Strategic Focus
STOCKHOLM, Sweden----Dec. 22, 2005--The US Food and Drug Administration in an End-of-Phase-II Meeting has recently approved Medivir's proposal for configuring the pivotal clinical trials to allow drug registration of labial herpes project ME-609.
Source: biz.yahoo.com

New evidence to support combination therapy for achieving remission of early rheumatoid arthritis
A chronic and potentially crippling inflammatory disorder, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) progressively wears away the cartilage and bone. Joint erosions are routinely seen within 6 months of RA's onset, and occur more rapidly earlier in the course of the disease.
Source: www.eurekalert.org

Tuesday 17 January 2006
Nineteen year old Damien is a mad-keen, cool-dude, up for it angler, who wont miss any opportunity to go fishing. He has an aged uncle, an angler of some renown and a staunch traditionalist, Donald Effingham-Mudde, who spent his earlier years in service to the Viceroy of India.
Source: www.fishingmagic.com

A little exercise may prevent arthritis disability
Even a quite modest amount of exercise might be better than none at all when it comes to preventing disability from arthritis, new research suggests.
Source: news.yahoo.com

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