Former director of Loknayak Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital, Dr. HN Diwakar, cautioned people to start taking care of their health from the beginning and follow a healthy lifestyle.
Patna: Though many people have arthritis, the misconception that it is only an age-related issue and ignorance on the part of patients, make the condition more unbearable. Health experts warn people to follow a healthy lifestyle to avoid this joint-related problem and seek early medical help to control the situation.
Arthritis is a big problem and nearly 100 types of conditions under this umbrella are associated with pain or swelling in the joint. Arthritis, apart from being painful, can also be life-threatening. Hence, to create awareness in this regard, World Arthritis Day is observed across the globe on October 12. This year the theme was, ‘It’s in your hand, take action.
Former director of Loknayak Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital — a super-specialty orthopedic hospital — Dr. HN Diwakar cautioned people to start taking care of their health from the beginning and a healthy lifestyle. He said wrong posture and obesity were some of the reasons behind arthritis. Obese people with flat feet have more chances of suffering from arthritis.
“There is a misconception that arthritis means pain or issues related to the knee. The fact is that it can affect any joint — below the thumb, in the finger. If left untreated, it could worsen the situation,” he said and advised people not to ignore any mild injury, as it could become severe or lead to complications later in life.
A large number of women also have arthritis. Dr. Diwakar said their food intake, in which protein and calcium are missing, the burden of the family and its pressure, and health conditions post-childbirth were the reasons for their deteriorating health, leading to arthritis.
The orthopedics department director at Mediversal Hospital, Dr. Nishikant, said earlier it was believed that arthritis was caused because of increasing age. Still, at present, young people to are suffering from it. He said nearly 80% of older people above 60 years of age and 90% of women over 50 years have arthritis.
He further said arthritis could be categorized into inflammatory and non-inflammatory ones. Non-inflammatory arthritis is mainly degenerative in which the weight-bearing joints start showing signs of wear with the advancement of age, weight, and lifestyle. In the early stages of degenerative arthritis, a person begins experiencing pain during extremes of postures. They have difficulty climbing stairs and sitting with crossed legs.
Dr. Nishikant said if a young person starts experiencing pain in smaller joints, along with deformity and early morning stiffness, these were the symptoms of inflammatory arthritis. “The most important step to prevent arthritis is early diagnosis. In case of the symptoms, one must consult a doctor. If certain disease-modifying drugs are striated earlier, we can delay the progression of inflammatory arthritis. For non-inflammatory arthritis, exercise and certain lifestyle modifications are essential,” he said.
