Rheumatoid Arthritis-Overview
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic, systemic inflammatorydisease that can affect the various tissues and organs, but mainly attacks thesmall joints in the hands and feet. It affects the lining of the joints (thesynovium), causing a painful swelling that can lead to joint deformity and boneerosion.
It is classified as an autoimmune disease, which means thatthe body’s defense system mistakenly attacks a part of the body (in this case,the synovium), causing an inflammation. Experts still do not know why does thishappen, but there are various researches being done to establish the exactcause.
Symptoms and Medical Treatment
The most common symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis are: jointpain and swelling, red, puffy hands, fatigue, bumps under the skin of the arms,joints that are tender to the touch, morning stiffness that may sometimes lastfor hours, etc.
This condition has been known to affect the whole body withfevers and weight loss.
The treatment of rheumatoid arthritis mainly consists ofmedications that help reduce the inflammation and pain, and physical andoccupational therapy that instructs one how to protect the joints from further damage.
Diet Cure
A person’s dietary choices can certainly affect theiroverall health. However, can the food one eats be of any help when it comes toeasing the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis?
Well, some experts say that this is possible.However, this should not be viewed as a cure itself. One should always bear inmind that there is yet no cure for this disease. But the best results in easingthe symptoms one may achieve if they follow the treatment course the doctor hasprescribed and take care of their eating habits.
Many experts claim that certain foods may trigger flare-upswhile other may help relieve the symptoms. It is, therefore, very importantthat the people suffering from this condition be aware of the best rheumatoidarthritis diet.
First of all, one should consume as much of the food rich inomega-3 fatty acids. These acids are known to have an anti-inflammatory effecton the body, and may slow down the progression of the disease. The foods richin these acids are: fish, walnuts, avocado, primrose oil, etc.
Also, it is recommended that one eat plenty of fruits, vegetables,legumes, and grains; and use certain herbs such as oregano, mustard, and celeryfor the improvement of their overall health. To flush the toxins out, one shouldkeep oneself well-hydrated all the time.
The food that should be avoided (because it is consideredthat it causes flare-ups) is: fried foods, corn, milk, dairy products, beef,tomato, potato, eggplants, peppers, leeks, cranberries, spinach, etc.
One should find out which are the foods that cause theflare-ups and then try to minimize the intake of them, or simply avoid it.
Your thoughts on this
Loading...