| Arthritis in adults can be insidious. It can creep up on us | | | | long way in making someone feel more confident, but |
| while we maybe just put the early aching joints down | | | | reassurance takes time and is not always available. |
| to 'getting older'. Since many of the 100+ forms of | | | | There are pros and cons to both types of care |
| arthritis are progressive it can be a rude awakening if | | | | structure, but for our purposes we have to take the |
| we don't act early enough. There are many things that | | | | best of what is available and take up the slack |
| can trigger a painful flare up of the condition, two of | | | | ourselves, wherever possible. |
| which are animal fats and those few extra pounds we | | | | Regardless of the health service available to us, if we |
| may be carrying. | | | | have got to a point where our confidence and self |
| If arthritis is left unchecked many of us will gradually | | | | esteem has been affected by loss of mobility or |
| lose mobility and possibly become dependent on a | | | | inability to work or socialise, we may well believe that |
| wheelchair to be able to get around. Everyone is | | | | we're not being taken seriously. This can be an early |
| different, some will accept the condition stoically and | | | | symptom of depression. Depression and arthritis are |
| 'get on with it'. There are others, and it is not | | | | known as comorbidities. The connection between |
| uncommon, that begin to feel a sense of loss of self | | | | these two 'evil cousins' has been well documented and |
| esteem, confidence and self worth. This is dangerous. | | | | the link is incontrovertible. It is a lot more common than |
| I don't wish to appear cynical, but I'm afraid I am. In | | | | we may think. |
| countries that operate a pay as you go type of health | | | | The best way to avoid depression with arthritis is to |
| service, the Doctor is paid by you; or your insurance | | | | make headway to beat the arthritis before the |
| company for the time he spends with you. The Doctor | | | | condition gets too bad, if at all possible. As already |
| may also be financially rewarded for the drugs he | | | | mentioned there are foods that exacerbate the |
| prescribes. In a case like this it is in the medic's interest | | | | condition. It is well known that animal fats can worsen |
| to spend time with his patients and prescribe anything | | | | inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis and should be |
| they think may be helpful. This is okay, up to a point. | | | | avoided. Animal fats contain massive amounts of |
| What if you don't have health insurance? | | | | calories and avoiding them will help in any diet to shed |
| In countries where the health provision is paid for by | | | | a few pounds. If we weigh even five pounds less our |
| central or local government Doctors generally have a | | | | joints will thank us, and reward us by being less painful. |
| high workload and have to see many patients to meet | | | | As always there are 'good' foods and 'bad' foods that |
| targets set by their employer. This leaves the Doctor | | | | we easily deal with if we're completely fit. Where we |
| with maybe just a few minutes to diagnose and treat | | | | are affected by an arthritic condition we need to know |
| the condition as presented. Reassurance can go a | | | | which is which so that we can make the right choices. |