Rapid Fat Loss Diets

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Omega Daily: Immediate Rheumatoid Arthritis Relief

By Andrew John

While rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is often mistaken for osteoarthritis, these are two very different diseases. RA is caused by a disorder of the immune system. Instead of outside threats, the immune system starts to target the joints as well as some internal organs. The effects include pain, mild-to-severe inflammations and general body stiffness.

Rheumatoid arthritis is the fastest-acting form of arthritis, with most of the damage done within the first two-five years. We can't cure it and we can't prevent it, but if the condition is diagnosed early enough, we can minimize the secondary damage and slow down its progress.

There are several drugs that can be used to reduce the effects of rheumatoid arthritis. First, there are NSAID - Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs such as acetylsalicylic acid and ibuprofen. Most of them are available over the counter, but in more severe cases you may want to ask your doctor for stronger NSAID that are prescription-only. Other means of reducing the symptoms of RA is increasing the intake of Omega-3 fatty acids by taking Omega Daily food supplement or simply by eating more fish oil. These nutrients are known to decrease periods of morning stiffness as well as for reducing inflammations.

Another category of anti-RA drugs are BRM (biologic response modifiers). They are extremely effective and try to alleviate the symptoms of the RA by affecting its source - the organism's response. The only problem is that in many cases they are far too expensive - to the point where most health insurance policies do not cover such treatments.

There is also a cheaper alternative to BRM, commonly used to combat rheumatoid arthritis: Disease-Modifying Anti-Rheumatic Drugs (example: Methotrexate). Their main goal is to reduce the damage done to joints by the disease. Needless to say, they are prescription-only drugs.

Besides medications, there is also a few other things you may want to do in order to make your life with rheumatoid arthritis easier. First, you need to accept that RA won't go, so you can't simply "wait until it is gone." While some activities are beyond of your reach, it does not mean that you can only sit down and watch TV. Another important thing is that you need to do some sport. While you may feel it is safer to put no stress at all to your joints, this will only speed up the disease progress. Strong muscles reduce the impact of RA and increase the flexibility of your joints. However, you'd better choose such exercises that do not harm your joints - usually swimming is the best idea.

Only in the United States there are more than two million people affected by this disease. While it affect women more often than men and the susceptibility to RA is thought to be hereditary, don't discard it even if you're a male with no RA history in your family. It can happen to anyone, anytime - if you suspect you have RA, contact your doctor ASAP. Every week matters, so don't delay your visit! - 17273

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