VOLUME 1, ISSUE 1
Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis
FEBRUARY 19, 2013
Special Newsletter: Brought to you by the EoSA– Efforts of Shield Association
Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis. THEY ARE AMONGST US.
Special points of interest: Osteoarthritis & Rheumatoid Arthritis -Their Symptoms -How They Are Diagnosed. -Where YOU can go for help.
Many people live oblivious of the fact that they live in an age of rampant disease. An age, where the main concern is no longer the ailments for which a person fears are no longer on the outside, but deep-deep inside potentially each and everyone of us. Two of these diseases are Rheumatoid Arthritis and Osteoarthritis, and although they are most common in older people, you may be at risk.
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Read More: p. 2-3
Inside this issue: Osteo-Arthritis— What 2 you NEED to Know. Rheumatoid Arthritis– The Truth Revealed.
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Living with RA & OA:
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ALSO IN THIS ISSUE: How YOU Can Survive These Diseases. If you may have developed Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis over your life-time, THERE IS STILL HOPE. The world is not over. Read More p. 4
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OSTEOARTHRITIS AND RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS
What is Rheumatoid Arthritis & What Are Its Symptoms?
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Rheumatoid arthritis(RA) is a disease that damages the joints, leaving the person infected with stiffness, swelling of muscles and pain. Of the forms of Rheumatoid arthritis commonly known, there are two: with one being a mild irritation which lasts for a
couple of months and the other being a much more serious form, which lasts a lifetime and may cause severe joint damage. The symptoms for RA progress from being a minor pain to a large problem. Initially one only experiences minor joint pain, stiffness and fatigue, but as the disease progresses these symptoms may
grow to include the deforming of the joints, a chest pain when inhaling, a itchy and burning sensation of the eye, dry eyes and mouth and a numbness/tingling sensation.
Labeled Picture of a RA Patient’s Hand.
How is Rheumatoid Arthritis Diagnosed? How Common is This Disease? Currently over 1 million people have been diagnosed with RA and although it can be contracted in persons of all ages, RA is most common in women and people of old age.
RA can be diagnosed by a rheumatologist, or at a local clinic but the main problem with the diagnosis of RA is that it cannot be directly diagnosed; Instead it can be only found through the analysis of x-rays, labtests, medical history & physical exams. Another complication in the diagnosis of this disease is that its
symptoms are characteristic of the symptoms of many other joint diseases and one may not be certain if they have RA. .
style, such as reducing stress, having a healthy diet, and ensuring to get an adequate amount of rest.
RA can be treated through jointcorrective surgery, regular doctor visits, the use of painreducing medicines and changes in life-
Where can I go to Find Out More? Someone could contact the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases(NIAMS) for more information about this disease and its treatment by contacting: via phone call: 877-2264247,via email: NIAMSinfo@mail.nih.gov, and via their website: http:// www.niams.nih.gov.
VOLUME 1, ISSUE 1
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What is Osteoarthritis? & What Are Its Symptoms? Osteoarthritis is a disease affecting the cartilage within a person’s joints. This disease develops over time within the body, eventually wearing away the top layer of joint cartilage and causing the infected person to suffer from swelling joint pain, a loss of joint motion, and the eventual de-
formity of that person’s joints. Symptoms for Osteoarthritis include a stinging stiffness in the joints after remaining idle for an elongated period of time, a swelling or tenderness of the joints, and a ruffled feeling or the sound of bones grinding against one another.
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Where Can I Go For More Information?
How is Osteoarthritis Diagnosed? Although there is no single test which can identify the presence of the disease, there are certain methods in practice that allow doctors to determine whether a person has this disease or not. These methods include analyzing a particular patient’s medi-
cal history, their physical exams, X-rays, blood tests, and the analysis of the joint fluid of the patient. Osteoarthritis can be treated through various methods, including the prescription of certain medicines, physical therapy, surgery, certain exercise
regiments, weight control, and devices that provide joint protection. Programs are available for the use of those infected with the disease that include support groups, education programs, and programs that enable a person to overcome the disease.
How Common is Osteoarthritis? Also known as the “old -person’s arthritis”, Osteoarthritis is the most common type of Arthritis within the United States, with over 20 million people diagnosed. Older people are the most likely to develop this disease, but it is also common in
younger people with joint injuries. The most common ethnic groups to contract this disease are Caucasians and Asians. Also, recently there was a study which revealed that women that wear high heels over 2.5 inches high, put themselves at a
higher risk of developing this disease.
For more information about this disease and other diseases, feel free to contact the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The FDA can be reached via phone at :888-463-6332, and via the internet using this link:www.fda.gov.
We Would Like to Acknowledge The Sources That Made This Issue Possible: 
-A.D.A.M Medical Encyclopedia. (2012, February 2).Rheumatoid athritis. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001467/ -Wilson, J. F. (2005). Osteoarthritis. In B. Narins (Ed.), The Gale Encyclopedia of Genetic Disorders (2nd ed., Vol. 2, pp. 957-959). Detroit: Gale. -Slomski, G. T. (2005). Rheumatoid Arthritis. In B. Narins (Ed.), The Gale Encyclopedia of Genetic Disorders (2nd ed., Vol. 2, pp. 1116-1121). Detroit: Gale.
Written By: Jeffrey Leonard Simmons Jr.
Living With Rheumatoid Arthritis or Osteoarthritis. Programs that can aid in living with this disease include RA /OA support groups where one would learn about the disease, its treatment, how to discuss it with a doctor, reduce pain and altogether emerge triumphant over RA and OA.
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