The REAL Dangers of Rheumatoid Arthritis
Living with arthritis is excruciating. Along with the loss of independence comes the awful pain associated with basic tasks most of us take for granted. Household chores, driving, and even standing up to walk across the room is an ordeal. And life’s simple pleasures diminish as well. Gardening, a round of golf, or playing the piano becomes far too painful to enjoy.
For these reasons and more, most of us don't like to think about arthritis. And let's face it, when we hear the word “arthritis” we immediately think “old” though arthritis can affect the young, too. But growing old with arthritis could be the least of our worries.
Rheumatoid arthritis can be deadly.
About 1% of the American population has rheumatoid arthritis and the numbers continue to grow. So far in 2010 approximately 2.5% of white women have developed the condition. All these individuals are most likely suffering with the progressive disability.
Not only that, the mortality rate associated with rheumatoid arthritis is increasing. For people who have more than 30 arthritic joints, 50% of them will have a five-year survival rate. These statistics are similar to those associated with stage-4 Hodgkin's disease or severe coronary artery disease.
The dangers of NSAIDS.
Controlling pain is one of the main problems arthritis patients have to deal with. Dangerous drugs such as prednisone, methotrexate, and Enbrel are conventionally used for relief, but the truth is they are toxic and don't do anything to treat what's causing the arthritis in the first place.
However, pain management is very important. Living with pain day in and day out can lead to depression, which make things considerably worse. Depression weakens the immune system and when that happens arthritis is bound to flare up.
Frequent use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) causes secondary ulcers, allergies, and can even accelerate joint deterioration.
Excessive use of NSAIDs can lead to edema, which in turn can lead to heart and respiratory complications. And though liver and renal failure is not a common occurrence, if you take these drugs over a long period of time the possibility should be cause for concern.
The bottom line is NSAIDS may provide relief, but they too do more harm than good. With a mortality rate higher than that of cervical cancer and AIDS, prolonged use can lead to death.
Safer anti-inflammatories.
Rather than reaching for the aspirin bottle, try non-acetylated salicylates such as salsalate, sodium salicylate, and magnesium salicylate. Ask your pharmacist for the brand names. Not only do these NOT contribute to platelet dysfunction, people with respiratory problems and peptic ulcer disease safely use them.
Essential lifestyle changes.
Any time you have to deal with a debilitating condition such as arthritis, improving your diet should be a major first step. Simply eliminating sugar and grains, eating unprocessed and organic foods, and getting plenty of healthy omega-3 fats will yield vast improvements. And though it may be painful, exercise should be a part of your daily routine, too.
