Understanding and Learning About Elderly Arthritis

by Samuel Tarwell

Seniors and those over 65 are at risk for several types of diseases, but arthritis is the most common among this age group. Arthritis is not actually just one term, but is instead used to describe more than a hundred kinds of rheumatic diseases, most of which result in limited accessibility. Despite the fact that there are so many kinds of arthritis, among those over sixty five, two specific types, rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis, are by far the most common kinds.

Both rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis share some similarities. For example, they both cause joint pain, joint discomfort, and joint inflammation. It is also common for these diseases to have a very impact on the life of the infected, making a number of everyday tasks much more difficult and even painful. While these kinds of arthritis are similar in many ways, they do affect the body differently.

Perhaps the biggest difference between these two diseases is that rheumatoid arthritis is a symmetrical arthritis and osteoarthritis is an asymmetrical arthritis. The difference is in the way the joints are affected. In an asymmetrical arthritis, only one joint will usually be affected out of each pair. For example, in someone with osteoarthritis, if the right hip were to be infected, the left hip would not usually be affected. This differs from a symmetrical arthritis, like rheumatoid, where both hips would typically be infected.

Another difference is in the duration of morning pain and bouts of arthritis pain in general. Both of these diseases often cause the senior to experience morning pain, which is typically the result of long periods of inactivity. As a result, it is also often common for the senior to have periods of pain after having been seated for more than a few minutes. However, in rheumatoid arthritis, the joint pain will usually last much longer than that of osteoarthritis, sometimes well over an hour.

Currently, there is not a cure for arthritis, although there have been a number of studies showing how exercise and proper diet play a large role in preventing it. In either case, however, once the arthritis has developed, its effects can not be reversed, only prevented from continuing to spread. As a result, it becomes necessary for the person with the rheumatic disease to develop ways of making life easier and completing their daily tasks without experiencing pain. This is often dubbed as learning to live with arthritis, which involves first identifying problem activities and then brainstorming ways of making these activities easier.

Often, living with arthritis involves using helper tools to make life easier. For example, many people with hand arthritis have a very difficult time working in the kitchen. It can be very hard to grasp items and support the weight of large pots. One way this is addressed is by investing in utensils with larger handles, making them easier to hold onto. There are also a number of tools, such as jar openers, which are designed to use mechanical principals to reduce the amount of work for the senior.

Samuel is a writer with a knowledge of many conditions and diseases that affect the elderly. Learning how to make life easier and living with arthritis in general is an essential step for people of all ages who are affected by arthritis. It is important to maintain a normal and healthy lifestyle, without being affected by the disease. Often, devices like lift chairs are used to help make daily tasks easier and are often called helper tools. Lift chairs are an important type of helper tool, which looks like a recliner, but is designed to help make standing easier and safer.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Samuel_Tarwell

3 Responses

  1. [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by steve Joyce. steve Joyce said: From EldercareABC-- Understanding and Learning About Elderly Arthritis: by Samuel Tarwell Seniors and those over 6... http://bit.ly/bF1ZDt [...]
  2. [...] Understanding &#1072&#1495&#1281 Learning Ab&#959&#965t Elderly Arthritis | Leader Care ABC [...]
  3. [...] Understanding &#1072&#1495&#1281 Learning Ab&#959&#965t Elderly Arthritis | Leader Care ABC [...]
  4. [...] Understanding &#1072&#1495&#1281 Learning Ab&#959&#965t Elderly Arthritis | Leader Care ABC [...]
  5. [...] Understanding &#1072&#1495&#1281 Learning Ab&#959&#965t Elderly Arthritis | Leader Care ABC [...]
  6. <strong>Social comments and analytics for this post...</strong> This post was mentioned on Twitter by ECMatters: From EldercareABC-- Understanding and Learning About Elderly Arthritis: by Samuel Tarwell Seniors and those over 6... http://bit.ly/bF1ZDt...
  7. [...] Understanding &#1072&#1495&#1281 Learning Ab&#959&#965t Elderly Arthritis | Leader Care ABC [...]
  8. [...] Di Samuel Anziani Tarwell e gli over 65 sono a rischio per diversi tipi di malattie, ma l'artrite è la più comune tra questo gruppo di età. L'artrite non è in realtà un solo termine, ma è invece usata per descrivere più di cento tipi di malattie reumatiche, la maggior parte dei quali causati in [. . . ] URL articolo originale https://eldercareabcblog.com/understanding-and-learning-about-elderly-arthritis/ [...]
  9. Regular light exercise including some lifting really helps when coupled with supplements, even when your well past 65.
  10. [...] Por Samuel Tarwell Seniors y los mayores de 65 están en riesgo de varios tipos de enfermedades, pero la artritis es la más común entre este grupo de edad. La artritis no es en realidad un término, sino que se utiliza para describir más de cien tipos de enfermedades reumáticas, la mayoría de las cuales resultan en [. . . ] URL del artículo original https://eldercareabcblog.com/understanding-and-learning-about-elderly-arthritis/ [...]
  11. When my grandma got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandpa does it for her now all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That's love.
  12. [...] Par les aînés Tarwell Samuel et ceux de plus de 65 ans sont à risque de plusieurs types de maladies, mais l'arthrite est la plus fréquente au sein de ce groupe d'âge. L'arthrite n'est pas réellement un seul terme, mais est plutôt utilisé pour décrire plus d'une centaine de sortes de maladies rhumatismales, dont la plupart suite à [. . . ] URL article original: https://eldercareabcblog.com/understanding-and-learning-about-elderly-arthritis/ [...]
  13. Your article is very useful.Does knee cap helps us to control knee pain in arthritis.I want to avoid mediciens,which has much side reactions