Stress
Stress is one unavoidable aspect of human life that can bring devastating effects. Stress refers to the human mind and body’s response to daily life pressures and other difficult situations. Stress may emanate from various things like losing a job, a loved one or anything that was fond to a person. Researchers postulate that stress significantly contributes to arthritis and exacerbates the already dire situations of patients battling this chronic disease. Rheumatoid arthritis is one type of arthritis in which stress has an immense contribution to its occurrence. According to the Arthritis Foundation (2021), stress causes arthritis due to the release of inflammatory chemical cytokine. The body usually reacts to stress by producing numerous chemicals like cytokinin. Stress usually initiates the human body’s inflammatory reaction. Researchers posit that inflammation exacerbates joint damage in patients with lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and psoriatic arthritis. Cytokine is an inflammatory chemical that worsens arthritis conditions. In this regard, too much exposure to stress translate to the intense occurrence of arthritis symptoms like pain in the joint. Stress also causes arthritis by increasing heartbeat rates and altering breathing patterns which boost muscle tensions which bolsters joint pains. Stress management is key to avoiding stress. Arthritis patients and other people can manage stress by embracing habits directed towards enhancing resilience to this trigger (Landau & Alexa,2021). Some of the habits entail creating time for fun, practicing mindfulness activities, and seeking support from friends and family members. Having fun is instrumental in alleviating stress. Arthritis patients can realize their hobbies then have more time to execute them. Some of the notorious hobbies for reducing stress are reading, gardening, or anything that a person may find important. Mindfulness options like meditation also play a crucial role in preventing stress. Sitting meditation can be useful to arthritis patients since it enables them to recognize negative thoughts and then evade them for a peaceful existence. Close friends and family members can also be of immense benefit in providing consolation for arthritis patients during stressful moments. Consequently, arthritis patients can share their life stressors with these support groups for emotional fulfillment to avert stress.
Foods
Diet also plays a significant role in preventing and causing arthritis. Scholars posit that inflammatory foods have an immense role in triggering arthritis. According to Richards (2020), inflammatory fats, sugary foods, a diet with intense amounts of purine and nightshades contributes to arthritis, and people should avoid them at all cost. Numerous fats in the body bolster inflammation which causes arthritis. In this regard, people should avoid foods with saturated fat like cheese, butter, and meat. Medics underscore that the human body uptake of these kinds of food should be below 10% every day to reduce the risk of developing arthritis. Moreover, omega-6 fatty acids obtained from vegetable oils, corn oil, and sunflower oil must also be consumed in moderation to avert contracting arthritis (Richards,2020). Trans fats also elevate inflammation levels, thereby causing arthritis. Sugary foods like sodas catalyze inflammation rates hence contributing to arthritis. Purines refer to food elements that the human body transforms into uric acid, whose accumulation intensifies gout attacks. Consequently, individuals must avoid beer, red meat, organ meat, and bacon since they got immense purine contents. Nightshades also have a link to arthritis since they exacerbate arthritis symptoms. Nightshades refer to a set of vegetables with the solanine compound. Some of the nightshade vegetables entail tomatoes, eggplants, and chili peppers. Embracing an anti-inflammatory diet is the only way to manage diet-related arthritis. The Mediterranean diet is one significant anti-inflammatory diet recommended to prevent arthritis. It is a diet rich in olive oil, seeds, nuts, whole grains, eggs, lean meats, and fish. Moreover, it contains adequate amounts of dairy products with minimal alcohol consumption and red meat. In brief, people should eat foods like unsaturated fats consisting of avocado oil, olive oil, and oils obtained from nuts, Omega-3 fatty acids like sardines, fish, and Salmon, vegetables and fruits like green leafy vegetables, garlic and onions, citrus fruits, and sweet potatoes since they play an important role in minimizing inflammation.
Weather
Weather changes also trigger arthritis. According to Timmermans et al. (2014), barometric pressure variations lead to the contraction and expansion of scar tissues, tendons, bones, and muscles, leading to immense tissue pains that cause arthritis. Moreover, low-temperature weather escalates joint fluids thickness which causes rigidity at the joints, which becomes very painful when initiating and sustaining movements. Joint contraction and expansion coupled with rigidity create a conducive atmosphere for inflammation that leads to arthritis. Research reveals that people with osteoarthritis are highly likely to become weather-sensitive compared to other people with different types of arthritis. Cold weather intensifies the pain that these patients encounter due to numerous contractions at the tendons and muscles within the joints. Also, weather-sensitive individuals encounter immense pain associated with arthritis than their counterparts who are not sensitive to weather. However, scholars postulate that the weather causation of arthritis is majorly psychological. In this regard, the mind-body link is fundamental to addressing this arthritis trigger. Hence, if a person psychologically feels good in cold or warm weather, he is highly likely to feel healthy physically and mentally. However, older adults battling arthritis should avoid extremely hot and cold temperatures since they contribute to the contraction and expansions of muscles and tendons that flare up arthritis.
Overusing The Joints
Studies reveal that high-impact physical activity can lead to arthritis. Overusing the joints may come in the form of too much weight lifting at physical fitness centers like the gym, jumping, and running for a prolonged period. Osteoarthritis is one form of arthritis that majorly results from too much strain on the joints. It normally results from deterioration of joint cartilages leading to immense pain and stiffness that too much activity triggers. Intense physical activity is detrimental to the knee, and such negative outcomes are what escalates the chances of contracting arthritis. Moreover, overusing the joints also exacerbates rheumatoid arthritis due to the intense stress exerted on the joints due to too much physical activity. Too much physical activity also makes the joint cartilage prone to wear out, which can be detrimental. The study reveals that millions of Americans with arthritis attribute to joint overuse. The only way to avoid this trigger is by undertaking physical activities with limits. CDC highlights five important exercises that are key to managing this trigger. Low impact aerobics engagements, flexibility exercises, balance exercises, and muscle reinforcement exercises are the five exercises for avoiding strain on the joints (CDC, 2018). Low-impact aerobics engagements involve swimming, dancing, cycling, gardening, and brisk walking, which puts minimal pressure on the joints. CDC asserts that individuals can indulge in these exercises for at least thirty minutes a day to enhance their effectiveness. Flexibility exercises involve yoga and stretching that reduce the stiffness at joints. Undertaking daily flexibility physical activity is instrumental in promoting motion since it ensures adequate blood circulation at the joints. On the other hand, balance exercises encompass backward movements or body balancing using a single foot. Its effectiveness involves at least thrice a week. Muscle reinforcement exercises entail lifting weights and doing yoga either at fitness centers or at homes, but they must be of moderate weights that do not strain the joints.
Injury
Medics highlight injury as a possible cause of arthritis. Injuries may result from accidents, sports, weight lifting, military engagements, or other physical activity. Post-traumatic arthritis is one type of arthritis that physical injuries trigger. It normally occurs when the joints are worn out because of physical hurt. Injuries lead to this form of arthritis because they dismantle the bones and cartilages that make up the joints, causing unfathomable pain. Researches postulate that post-traumatic arthritis accounts for roughly 12% of all instances of osteoarthritis (Punzi et al.,2016). Sadly, such patients report past experiences with physical trauma that have contributed to chronic situations. Moreover, inflammatory actions usually happen in the preliminary stages of the injury. According to Punzi et al. (2016), joint injuries trigger the release of cytokines, an inflammatory chemical that promotes post-traumatic arthritis. Embracing low-impact physical activity, reinforcement of joint muscles, and weight loss are some mechanisms for avoiding physical injury. Intense physical activity accounts for the highest percentage of physical injury. In this regard, it is vital for people to embrace low-impact physical activities like gardening, cycling, and carrying minimal weights in fitness centers to avoid injuries. Reinforcement of joint muscles via yoga and weightlifting also makes the joints stronger, thereby reducing their susceptibility to injuries when executing physical engagements. Weak joints are also a sufficient reason for joint damage when lifting heavyweights. Therefore, it is vital to embrace activities aimed at strengthening the bones and cartilages that constitute the joints to avoid acquiring post-traumatic arthritis. Bodyweight is also a significant reason to warrant a physical injury. Overweight bodies exert intense pressure on the joints, which makes them prone to physical injuries. Thus, people should embrace the culture of engaging in physical activities and adopting a good diet to achieve an optimal body weight that does not put excessive pressure on the joints that trigger injuries.
References
Arthritis Foundation. (2021). Arthritis.org. How stress affects arthritis. Retrieved, from https://www.arthritis.org/health-wellness/healthy-living/emotional-well-being/stress-management/how-stress-affects-arthritis.
Landau, M., & Alexa Meara, M. (2021). Best Stress Busters When You Have Rheumatoid Arthritis |Everyday Health. EverydayHealth.com. Retrieved , from https://www.everydayhealth.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/living-with/rheumatoid-arthritis-stress/.
Physical Activity for Arthritis | CDC. Cdc.gov. (2018). Retrieved, from https://www.cdc.gov/arthritis/basics/physical-activity-overview.html.
Punzi, L., Galozzi, P., Luisetto, R., Favero, M., Ramonda, R., Oliviero, F., & Scanu, A. (2016). Post-traumatic arthritis: overview on pathogenic mechanisms and role of inflammation. RMD open, 2(2), e000279.
Richards, L. (2020). 5 foods to avoid with arthritis to reduce pain. Medicalnewstoday.com. Retrieved 10 August 2021, from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/foods-to-avoid-with-arthritis.
Timmermans, E. J., Van Der Pas, S., Schaap, L. A., Sánchez-Martínez, M., Zambon, S., Peter, R., … & Deeg, D. J. (2014). Self-perceived weather sensitivity and joint pain in older people with osteoarthritis in six European countries: results from the European Project on OSteoArthritis (EPOSA). BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, 15(1), 1-11.
