Did you know that more than 50 million adults live with doctor-verified arthritis? That means anyone can get arthritis depending on hereditary factors, lifestyle habits, and certain conditions such as being overweight or obese. Most people with arthritis experience pain and stiffness in joints, making them unable to perform daily tasks such as bending, climbing stairs, or even lifting objects. If you have recently been diagnosed with some kind of arthritis, working with an internal medicine physician specializing in
arthritis in El Centro can help you cope with your condition.
What you need to know about arthritis
Arthritis is a condition that affects your joints or the places where two or more of your bones interconnect. Most people may not be aware that they are suffering from it until they start noticing an inflamed joint. Here are some of the surprising facts about arthritis that you need to know about:
Arthritis comes in many forms
Arthritis can be categorized in about 100 forms. The most common types including rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, osteoarthritis, Lyme, and gout. Other conditions that fall under arthritis that come with autoimmune components include juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, scleroderma, fibromyalgia, and psoriatic arthritis. So, when you have been diagnosed with arthritis, question your doctor about the specific type; you have to understand how it can be treated.
Children can also get arthritis
While arthritis commonly affects adults, children can also inherit diseases from their parents. According to most studies, about 294,000 children in the US live with an arthritis condition known as juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.
Arthritis is more likely to affect older women than men
Out of the 52.5 million adults living with arthritis, 23.9% were women while men were 18.6%. Women aged 65 years and above were more likely to suffer from the condition than men. However, gout is more common in men than in women.
Most disabilities in the US are a result of arthritis
Arthritis is an inflamed joint that affects your mobility. When you have this condition, performing tasks such as walking, running, climbing stairs, and even jogging becomes daunting. As this continues to happen, it is highly unlikely that you will have the strength to do anything due to the pain associated with arthritis. This may cause some form of disability.
There is no cure for arthritis
Once you have been diagnosed with arthritis, your doctor can recommend specific medications and physical therapy to help you cope with the condition. It has no cure, but it can still be managed through treatment and lifestyle changes. If your doctor advises you to stop smoking, eat healthily, or engage in specific activities, then you should adhere to it.
See an internal medicine physician to help you cope with arthritis
Thanks to Prabhdeep Singh, M.D. and his medical team, you now have the chance to lead a normal life. With the right medications and lifestyle changes, a person living with arthritis can look forward to going back to their normal routine. To find out how you can cope with arthritis, consult your doctor today.
