Many people get Arthritis and Osteoporosis confused. The difference is extremely important to your health and your longevity. I hope this article will give you the information needed to seek early treatment.
What Is Arthritis?Arthritis is not one particular disease but a group of diseases and conditions that cause joint inflammation in the body. There are over 100 different types of Arthritis and rheumatic diseases. The most common type of Arthritis is Osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis causes progressive deterioration of the joint cartilage and affects over 21 million Americans.
Arthritis Symptoms: Arthritis can attack any joint but most often affects shoulders, arms, hands, hips, knees, feet, and spine. Children get arthritis as well as adults. Arthritis often gets worse as we age. The symptoms are joint pain, swelling, and loss of function.
What Causes Arthritis? There are many different causes including genetics, diet, and excess acid foods such as coffee, diseases such as lupus, injury to the area, infection, poor immune function, and age.How Is Arthritis Diagnosed? You need to see your physician for an exam and blood tests. There are many different kinds of Arthritis so these tests are needed. Treatment may consist of diet changes or medication. There are many herbal formulas that work on Arthritis as well.
What is Osteoporosis? Osteoporosis is a body condition where there is low bone mass. The disease has no symptoms except in some cases bone tenderness. It is a silent disease that is responsible for a majority of falls in elderly patients. Women are 4 times more likely to develop Osteoporosis and this risk becomes greater as one ages. This condition renders your bones more fragile and easily broken. This condition is one of the main reasons that the elderly end up in hospitals. They fall breaking their the spine, hip or leg. Hip or spine fractures often result in early death or confinement to a wheelchair.
What Causes Osteoporosis? Our body replaces old bone on a regular basis with new bone. Every day we lose calcium through urine, sweat, and other body functions. When this system becomes imbalanced, the bone is reabsorbed more quickly than the body can replenish it. The bones then weaken and break easily.
Osteoporosis Symptoms: Osteoporosis can be caused from low intake of calcium, Vitamin D deficiency, genetics, lack of physical activity, smoking, alcohol, certain medications, and certain diseases and conditions such as hyperparathyroidism. These 4 parathyroid glands regulate how much calcium is in your bloodstream and tissues, so have your physician test for this. Osteoporosis patients are often small and thin, white, or Asian descent. Black women have greater bone density and have less risk of Osteoporosis.
Preventing Osteoporosis: It is extremely important to eat a healthy diet that consists of calcium foods and Vitamin D; maintain an exercise program at least 3 to 4 times a week; include walking, and muscle strengthening, weight bearing exercises in your program; avoid smoking and excessive alcohol; and have your doctor give you a bone density test yearly. The Bone Density Test is the main test used to diagnose Osteoporosis.
By Kate Freer, the Herbladyisin -
I am a Master Herbalist, Health Counselor, and Women's Health Counselor.
My husband and I also grow Moringa Trees and herbs in our new nursery. Moringa is a tree that is being used to end starvation. It i...
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Many people get Arthritis and Osteoporosis confused. The difference is extremely important to your health and your longevity. I hope this article will give you the information needed to seek early treatment.
