At present, the incidence of osteoarthritis in people over 60 years old has exceeded 50%, and the onset age tends to be younger. It can be seen that the prevention of osteoarthritis is a top priority. So, what should we pay attention to in daily osteoarthritis?
Osteoarthritis is a degenerative disease, which is caused by many factors, such as aging, obesity, strain, trauma, congenital joint abnormalities, joint deformities, etc., such as degenerative injury of articular cartilage, reactive hyperplasia of articular edge and subchondral bone, etc., also known as osteoarthropathy, degenerative arthritis, senile arthritis, osteoarthritis, etc.
clinical picture
The main symptom of osteoarthritis is joint pain, which usually occurs in the morning. The pain is relieved after exercise, but it can be aggravated if you exercise too much. Another symptom is joint stiffness, which often appears when you get up in the morning or after your joints keep a certain posture for a long time in the day. The examination of the affected joints shows that the joints are swollen and tender, and there is a feeling of friction or "clicking" when moving. In severe cases, muscle atrophy and joint deformity may occur.
The main treatment for this disease is to reduce joint load and excessive large-scale activity, thus delaying the progress of the disease. Obese patients should lose weight and reduce the load on joints. When the joints of lower limbs are diseased, crutches or canes can be used to reduce the joint burden. Physical therapy and proper exercise can keep the range of motion of joints, and splint braces and crutches can be used when necessary to help control acute symptoms. Anti-inflammatory and analgesic drugs can relieve or control symptoms, but they should be used with caution after evaluating the risk factors of patients, and should not be taken for a long time. Cartilage protectants, such as glucosamine sulfate, can relieve symptoms and improve function, and long-term administration can delay the structural progress of diseases. For advanced cases, artificial joint replacement is recognized as an effective method to eliminate pain, correct deformity and improve function under the condition that the whole body can tolerate surgery, which can greatly improve the quality of life of patients.
Matters needing attention
Patients with osteoarthritis should be properly supplemented with calcium. The average person will be short of calcium from the age of 40 or so. Especially for the elderly, we must pay attention to calcium supplementation every day. Increasing sun exposure, supplementing calcium, drinking milk and using vitamin D3 are all correct ways to supplement calcium.
Patients should exercise properly. The normal metabolism of cartilage depends on moderate external force extrusion, and too little activity is easy to degenerate, while excessive exercise or incorrect exercise mode will increase cartilage wear and accelerate its degradation. The elderly should adhere to moderate exercise, such as jogging and walking on the ground, but should try to avoid climbing mountains and taking stairs and other sports that can increase articular cartilage wear.
Pay attention to adjust your mentality and keep an optimistic mood. A healthy attitude plays a very important role in the prevention and rehabilitation of diseases.
Correct use of analgesics. If you need to use analgesics, you should do it under the guidance of a doctor. You shouldn't abuse painkillers to prevent adverse reactions.
Pay attention to your diet. Pay attention to eating more sulfur-containing foods, such as asparagus, eggs, garlic, onions and so on. Because the repair and reconstruction of bone, cartilage and connective tissue are all made of sulfur, and sulfur also contributes to the absorption of calcium. Eat more foods containing histidine, such as rice, wheat and rye. Histidine is beneficial to remove excess metals from the body. Eat more carotene, flavonoids, vitamins C and E, and do not contain iron or iron-containing vitamins: because iron is related to pain, swelling and joint injury. Alkaloids in Solanum vegetables such as tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, peppers and tobacco can aggravate arthritis symptoms.
Keep warm. Keep warm every day, don't let your joints touch the cool wind, and wear knee pads in cold weather.