Quality Living With Rheumatoid Arthritis
by Andrew John
Rheumatoid arthritis is a well-known, so far incurable and very annoying disease. While it is not lethal, the fact that it attacks not only joints, but also some internal organs makes it much more dangerous than any other form or arthritis. What is even worse, this arthritis always affect both sides of the body. While normally people may suffer from pain in only a single joint at the time, rheumatoid arthritis cause inflammation in the same joints in the both sides of the body simultaneously. For example, if this arthritis attacks knees, it will cause the inflammation at the both knees at the same time. As the result, most areas of life that are related with movement or physical activities are seriously affected by the disease.
Currently, there is no way to cure rheumatoid arthritis. Fortunately, there are a few ways to help those who suffer from this disease. From medications that slow down the progress of the disease and get rid of pain to small changes in one's lifestyle - there are still hundreds of things one can do to make the life a bit easier.
First of all, you must do exercise regularly. Everything that makes joints and muscles stronger is a good thing. While the strength training is sometimes too much to handle, but some cardiovascular training such swimming or jogging will keep the joints and muscles in good shape. Ask your doctor as to what exercises you should do. Generally, you should avoid any heavy lifting and learn how to do exercises properly - the point is to make your joints move, not to overbear them.
Pain is certainly the worst condition related with rheumatoid arthritis. While sometimes taking prescription pills to quell the pain is the only way to get rid of it, usually the best solution is to use heat or cold to reduce pain. The exact effectiveness of heat or cold may be different depending on the individual predispositions, so you have to check what works best. Hot showers can generally bring much needed relief to muscles and soreness, while ice packs work best to reduce pain in the inflamed areas.
There's also another thing one can do. The information is new, but has already been confirmed by a team of Australian scientists. Increasing the amount of fatty fish or fish oil in the diet reduces the problems with morning muscle stiffness and reduces the pain. The most important is the Omega-3 fatty acid that can be found in tuna, salmon and herring as well as in food supplements such as Omega Daily.
About the Author:
The Article Author: Andrew John writes on the subjects that are important in helping people help themselves. For more information on Omega Daily and Rheumatoid Arthritis just click on one of the above links.