Living With Osteoarthritis!

The most common form of arthritis is Osteoarthritis. Sufferers of this disease also know it as osteoarthrosis or degenerative joint disease, and it is a condition where, over time, the cartilage that lies within your joints begins to wear down, causing inflammation of the joints and pain.

Any joint in the human body can suffer the effects of this degenerating disease, but the most common areas are the knees, the hands, spine and hips. Typically, only one of these joints are affected, however, in the case of Osteoarthritis in the hands, individuals may suffer from degeneration of several joints in the fingers.

Unfortunately, osteoarthritis becomes worse over time and it currently cannot be cured. The treatments available for this disease relieve pain and inflammation and allow individuals to remain active in the life they currently live. This disease often affects the everyday things that an individual does, such as tying shoes, cutting food and turning switches on lamps.

Management of osteoarthritis is possible, allowing an individual to have some form of control over pain. The development of osteoarthritis occurs over time and many individuals live life as well as possible with it. The largest factor in control is preventing deformities in the joints for a person to live a good quality of life.

Signs of Osteoarthritis are stiffness in the joints that are mostly noticeable between periods of inactivity or wake up in the morning, a grating sensation when the joint is used, in some cases there may be swelling, the loss of flexibility makes joint use difficult, tenderness in the joint when pressure is applied to it, as well as pain during instances of inactivity or during use, and bone spurs which are hard lumps around the problematic joint.

These symptoms can affect many places in the body such as your spine, hips, hands and knees. Uncommon places where joint pain may be felt unless you have been injured are in the ankles, jaw, elbows, shoulders or wrists. Risk is increased when people become older, if they have deformities of the bone, joint injuries and women are at risk for osteoarthritis more than men, although the reasons why remain unclear.

Medications for this disease may cause side effects with symptoms that range from moderate to severe. Call your physician if you experience any of these side effects as medication dosages may be adjusted to lessen those effects and help you to experience a better quality of life. Some examples of side effects include drowsiness, nausea, constipation, abdominal discomfort or tarry or black stools.