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January 6, 2007 22:41 - Rheumatoid Arthritis And Getting Help

By Greg Marsh

If you suffer from rheumatoid conditions like that of arthritis, it is increasingly important for you to get the help that you need in dealing with this condition. Although there are many people that don’t get the help they need, if you do, you will have the opportunity to lessen that pain that you feel and improve your overall well being and use of your body. Without help, the condition that you are facing can worsen, significantly. Even still, many times people avoid going to the doctor for fear that they will simply not find benefit, feel that it costs too much or are afraid of the diagnosis procedure. In all of these cases, it is still important to make it there.

Complications Can Arise For Those With Rheumatoid

If you do not get the care that you need, or your symptoms are beyond that of what can be helped (which really must be quite severe) then you are prone to developing complications of your condition. Those complications can range, greatly, but can include a number of things. As your arthritis continues to worsen, you are left with swollen joints that are painful to use. Your joints can become quite deformed, noticeably so. In addition to this, you are left with loss of use of that joint. Some doctors believe that if your don’t get help for your rheumatoid condition, this or others, you can end up with heart diseases as well. All of this comes about not because you can’t find improvement, but because you didn’t seek out the help and treatment that is available to you.

What Happens At The Doctor’s Office?

When you go in to see the doctor, he or she will want to know about your symptoms. They will ask you a number of questions including the severity of the pain that you are in, the location of the pain as well as when it hurts the most. In addition to this, a physical exam will be done. Your doctor wants to see the range of motion that you have. He or she wants to feel the location that is suffering from pain. They will also want to take a history of your medical experiences if they don’t have one on file. All of this information points the doctor into the direction of making a decision.

Usually, there is more to the screening for rheumatoid conditions than just this. Your doctor will want to do a blood test on you. This blood test will be an erythrocyte sedimentation rate or ESR, which will explain to the doctor if there are any inflammations happening in your body. In addition to this screening, one called a rheumatoid arthritis blood test will be taken which tells your doctor if you have this abnormal antibody in your blood.

In addition to this type of exam, an x-ray will usually be done to confirm what your doctor probably already knows, that you have a rheumatoid condition and which type it is. From that understanding, you both will work towards finding treatment options that simply work for treating the pain and the loss of motion that you feel.

Greg Marsh is an acclaimed writer on medical matters, and has written extensively on the subjects of Rheumatoid Arthritis, Rheumatology and Rheumatism.

You can read more of Greg’s articles about Rheumatoid Arthritis at http://www.whugu.com

December 5, 2006 01:34 - How to Eliminate Gout Pain During the Holiday Season

By Russ Rudolph

The holidays are some of the most enjoyable time of the year. We reconnect with distant relatives and make new friends. We enjoy a more relaxed atmosphere at the office and at home we usually find time to slow-down and reflect upon all of the events of the previous year.

We also get an opportunity to attend numerous holiday parties. Many of these events have great tasting food and drink. However, with all of these temptations we need to remember that a change in diet can cause a painful gout attack. So it makes sense to understand what types of food should be avoided to help manage gout during the holidays.

Managing gout is a year-round concern for the millions who have experience the painful deposits of needle-like crystals of uric acid that build up in joint space and connective tissue. These deposits can lead to swelling, heat, redness and arthritis. The proverbial swollen toe often characterizes a gout attack.

What causes gout and how can it be managed and prevented?

Gout is typically brought on by the inability of the body to eliminate excess uric acid. Uric acid is a result of the breakdown of purines. Purines are naturally found in the body and in many types of food. So with the temptation of party trays overflowing with food of every type, read on to learn how to manage gout pain during the holidays.

It is typically suggested that people with gout reduce their intake of high-purine foods. Here is a brief list of high-purine foods, foods in moderation and low-purine foods for your review. Although this is not an all-inclusive list, it can provide some insight into healthy eating during the holiday season:

High-purine foods: (foods that should be avoided for low-purine diets)

• Alcohol, including beer

• Seafood, including anchovies, herring, trout, mussels, scallops and ocean perch

• Coffee, tea, cola drinks

• Lamb, sausage, game meat

Foods in moderation: (foods that should consumed in moderation for low-purine diets)

• Mushrooms, asparagus, cabbage, dried beans, artichokes, peas

• Peanuts, soy and soy products (tofu and soy sauce)

• Brown rice, whole wheat, malt, whole grain cereal

Low-purine foods (foods lowest in purines for low-purine diets)

• Tart cherries, fruits, berries

• Carrots, celery, eggplant, lettuce, radishes, tomatoes, potatoes

• Non-caffeine sodas

• Cottage cheese, yogurt, dairy (fat free or low fat)

In addition to eating in moderation and maintaining a healthy and balanced diet during the holidays, many are searching for natural ways to manage gout year-round. Several low purine cookbooks are available with dozens of great tasting low-purine recipes.

Highly concentrated food products are another excellent way to manage gout pain all year long. For example, tart cherries supplements and cherry juice concentrate are an ideal way to manage gout attacks. Research on tart cherries indicate the natural antioxidants contained in this tiny red fruit can help dissolve the painful crystals that form in the joints. One outstanding product that delivers a highly concentrated dose of tart cherries is Fruit Advantage Tart Cherry supplements.

If you are interested in managing gout pain year-round with natural solutions consider a drinking plenty of water, eating a healthy and well-balanced diet, drinking cherry juice concentrate and using Fruit Advantage Tart Cherry capsules.

Russ Rudolph is avid writer on the topic of fitness and health.

November 3, 2006 20:08 - Find The Best Natural Remedies For Arthritis

By Dean Iggo

Natural remedies for arthritis may be the answer to your continuing problems with the condition. For many arthritis sufferers, joint pain has become a way of life. Because of the rising costs of health care in this country, it can be hard to find relief when a doctor's visit will set you back at least a few hundred dollars. If the doctor offers a prescription remedy for your pain, it can be several hundred dollars to find relief from your pain. By that time, though, you may need more relief from the pain you feel in your pocketbook than from the pain you feel from your arthritis. The best way to handle the situation, then, first, is to investigate the many natural remedies for arthritis.

Chondrotin As A Cure

One of the most popular remedies you can use at home is chondrotin. Many scientists have made study of this natural product and found it to improve the way your bones are protected from impact. Many people begin to have problems with arthritis when the cartilage in their bodies wears away due to age. Taking a regular chondrotin supplement can help conduct more fluid into your cartilage, helping it to take the shock of simple impacts on a daily basis. You can find more information on chondrotin in many of the other articles on our website. You may also find a few places to purchase it if your local drug store does not carry it with their regular supplies.

Another fairly popular home arthritis cure is ginger. It has been shown by a number of health related studies that consuming herbs like ginger allow you the antioxidant properties your body needs to fight off common conditions like arthritis. As a result, whether you choose to take it in pill form or whether you decide to drink a cup of ginger tea each morning, you could find it is one of the best natural remedies for arthritis.

Dean Iggo is the webmaster of http://www.treating-arthritis.com a website providing the best arthritis product as well as unbiased reviews of popular arthritis remedies and gout treatment products.