Is Arthritis Hereditary? The Choice is Yours

If you are a parent you are likely to worry about all sorts of things affecting your kids. But when you have arthritis, it's without question your biggest worry that your children could get arthritis too. So, is arthritis hereditary and should your children be tested for it early on? A great article on About.com has all the answers you may be looking for to the question, is arthritis hereditary? It explains that there are certain risk factors that increase the chance of developing arthritis and that genetics and family history are among those risk factors. Learn more about that and how researchers have associated specific genes with certain types of arthritis by reading the full article.

Unfortunately, arthritis doesn't just happen to adults, children can develop it too. Statistics show that one in every 1,000 kids are diagnosed with arthritis. Since arthritis is typically known as a condition that affects older people, many have the misconception that kids don't get it. Therefore children with arthritis frequently experience difficulty because their teachers and schoolmates don't understand that kids can develop arthritis. As a result, when the child is finally diagnosed, the family may be told nothing can be done, but this is simply wrong. Education is key, it's essential to know about how kids can deal with this painful disease. MedicineNet.com is a great source for information pertaining to childhood arthritis.

The resources available for those looking for answers to all their questions surrounding arthritis are abundant. When dealing with arthritis pain for both adults and kids, many questions come to the surface and it's vital to know where to go to get the correct information about the condition and its possible treatments.  Arthritiscare.org is just one great source for your arthritis needs. Do your research when looking for treatment. You may decide that prescription drugs are your best option. Alternatively you may want to try natural supplements first to see if you can manage the disease through natural arthritis remedies such as cetyl myristoleate. The choice is yours and the information is out there, you just need to know where to look.

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Signs of Arthritis, Some of The Symptoms

It is best to consult your doctor or a rheumatologist if you are experiencing the pains of arthritis. This could be a disabling condition and may prevent you from doing normal movements like walking and running. Here are some of the symptoms and signs of arthritis:

- Redness and swelling of joints
- Lasting joint pains
- Stiffness of joints especially in the morning
- Pains and tenderness when touching the joints
- Difficulty and pains in normal movements of joints

One common disease of older people and those who are on their middle age is arthritis. It is the inflammation of joints causing pain and swelling. It can affect joints in any part of the body. In some cases, the pain and swelling last only for a short time but if left untreated, it can become chronic or a lifetime condition. Knowing the symptoms and signs of arthritis is important to prevent it from getting worse.

There are many causes of arthritis like autoimmune disease, bone injury, infection and aging. General wear and tear or aging is the most common factor in the occurrence of this disease of the joints. Millions of people mostly 65 years old and older are suffering from this condition. Recognizing the symptoms and signs of arthritis is the first step in seeking treatment as early as possible to prevent it from becoming a chronic condition.

If you are experiencing the above mentioned signs and symptoms of arthritis, it best to seek help to get the proper treatment. You do not have to suffer because there are ways to make you feel better. There are many types of arthritis and it is important to have the proper diagnosis based on the symptoms and signs of arthritis you have and get the treatment that will work for you.

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Is arthritis hereditary? The answer

If you are a parent you are likely to worry about all sorts of things affecting your kids. But when you have arthritis, it's without question your biggest worry that your children could get arthritis too. So, is arthritis hereditary and should your children be tested for it early on? A great article on About.com has all the answers you may be looking for to the question, is arthritis hereditary? It explains that there are certain risk factors that increase the chance of developing arthritis and that genetics and family history are among those risk factors. Learn more about that and how researchers have associated specific genes with certain types of arthritis by reading the full article.

Unfortunately, arthritis doesn't just happen to adults, children can develop it too. Statistics show that one in every 1,000 kids are diagnosed with arthritis. Since arthritis is typically known as a condition that affects older people, many have the misconception that kids don't get it. Therefore children with arthritis frequently experience difficulty because their teachers and schoolmates don't understand that kids can develop arthritis. As a result, when the child is finally diagnosed, the family may be told nothing can be done, but this is simply wrong. Education is key, it's essential to know about how kids can deal with this painful disease. MedicineNet.com is a great source for information pertaining to childhood arthritis.

The resources available for those looking for answers to all their questions surrounding arthritis are abundant. When dealing with arthritis pain for both adults and kids, many questions come to the surface and it's vital to know where to go to get the correct information about the condition and its possible treatments. Arthritiscare.org is just one great source for your arthritis needs. Do your research when looking for treatment. You may decide that prescription drugs are your best option. Alternatively you may want to try natural supplements first to see if you can manage the disease through natural arthritis remedies such as cetyl myristoleate. The choice is yours and the information is out there, you just need to know where to look.

Read more »

A Common Condition Called Basal Joint Arthritis

Does your thumb hurt when you try to open a jar? Do you have pain at the base of your thumb? You may have a common condition called Basal Joint Arthritis, or arthritis at the base of the thumb.

What is it?

The thumb is made up of three highly mobile joints which allow for a high degree of motion. Normally, these joints are quite mobile and contain highly specialized cartilage covering the bone ends, allowing for shock absorption and smooth gliding coordinated movement. Over time, this cartilage can wear down, causing a painful gliding surface with less shock absorption, a condition commonly known as arthritis. The thumb basal joint, called the carpometacarpal joint (see figure), is the most common joint in the hand to wear out and become symptomatic. You can feel for pain in this joint by palpating it in the fleshy part of the thumb side of the palm, about a centimeter above the wrist joint.

Who gets it?

The common causes for arthritis at the base of the thumb include age, female gender, joint laxity and previous injury to the joint. Genetics probably has the greatest influence on the condition as the exact cause is still unknown.

The most common type of arthritis at the base of the thumb is osteoarthritis, which is the progressive wearing down of a joint over time due to age. The other common form of arthritis is rheumatoid arthritis, which is an autoimmune inflammatory disease that rapidly destroys joints throughout the body.

How do I know if I have it?

Pain at the base of the thumb is the hallmark of the condition, though there are other conditions that can also cause similar symptoms which should be ruled out such as carpal tunnel syndrome or wrist arthritis. Pain occurs with pinching, grasping, buttoning buttons or opening a jar and eventually the destruction in the joint surfaces alters the thumb mechanics causing deformity and weakness.

To fully evaluate the joint, routine x-rays are helpful in identifying the condition and quantifying the amount of joint destruction.

What can be done to treat the arthritis at the base of the thumb?

First, this is a common condition and should be generally considered a normal part of the aging process. In addition, there are no cures for this this type of arthritis (osteoarthritis) so treatments are generally aimed at symptom relief and functional recovery. Perhaps someday we will have treatments that can address the cause of this arthritis.

Many people with this form of arthritis need no treatment as the symptoms remain tolerable. Often anti-inflamatory medication such as Ibuprofen or Tylenol can decrease symptoms to a tolerable level, especially before significant activity. Thumb splints are also helpful in immobilizing the joint while allowing hand motion. These can be custom made by a hand therapist for optimal fit and function. Some patients find relief with steroid injections into the joint, which can be repeated up to 3 times a year for symptomatic treatment. Eventually, some patients continue to have pain and elect to proceed to hand surgery, which consists of removing the offending joint and reconstructing the thumb ligaments to eliminate the bone-on-bone pain and restore function.

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Do you have seronegative rheumatoid arthritis?

If you've been told that you have seronegative rheumatoid arthritis, you're probably wondering exactly what that is. It's not unusual for your doctor to not fully explain it to you. All that you'll usually be told is that you did not test positive for the rheumatoid factor. The rheumatoid factor is an immunoglobulin antibody that is found in the blood of around 80% of people with rheumatoid arthritis and is a common diagnostic tool for the disease. However, a certain number of people with the symptoms of the disease no not have this antibody. If that describes you, what does it mean for your prognosis?

First of all, this antibody is found in about 1 to 2% of perfectly healthy people, and it increases in incidence with people above the age of 65. Seronegative rheumatoid arthritis is also found far more frequently in people with the juvenile form of the disease (acquired in childhood). The longer someone has the disease, the greater likelihood there is for the antibody to appear, though in some people it never appears.

The one major difference that medical studies have found is that people with seronegative rheumatoid arthritis seem to have less overall joint erosion and damage than people who test positive for the antibody, and usually do not develop nodules under the skin, as the positive group tends to do. Otherwise, the symptoms and progress of the disease appears to be similar in both groups. So, if you test negative for the antibody, you will still likely experience joint swelling, stiffness, and damage, but not to as great a degree as those who test positive. It may be small comfort, but it is some consolation nonetheless. If you are negative, appreciate the fact that you've been given somewhat of a reprieve--your symptoms, though they are there, could have been much worse, so you are among the lucky group that may be able to retain your joint function and independence longer than other patients with the disease, maybe even throughout your entire life.

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