GOUT

Gout is a painful arthritis caused by high blood levels of a chemical called uric acid. Uric acid is a substance that the body forms as a breakdown product of purines, which com form foods such as meats, some fish and alcohol.

What happens in your joints:

Normally, uric acid circulated in the bloodstream and is eliminated through the kidneys in the urine. In people with gout, uric acid builds up in the blood and forms sharp crystals that collect in the joints and soft tissues, causing inflammation and pain.

Attacks come without warning, usually at night and usually starting in the coolest joint (big toe). Other targets include the ankles, heels, knees and wrists. Eventually, almost any joint can be affected if gone untreated. High levels of uric acid can also cause kidney stones.

Signs and symptoms:

Severe joint pain. Swelling, redness, warmth and extreme tenderness of the joint. Fever, chills, fatigue and loss of appetite. Recurrent attacks, which last longer and become more frequent.

FIBROMYALGIA

Fibromyalgia is a musculoskeletal pain and fatigue disorder for which the cause is unknown. Fibromyalgia means pain in the muscles, ligaments an tendons. Most patients with the disease say they ache all over. Sometimes the muscles twitch and at other times they burn. Some compare the disease to that of a bad flu, with every muscle screaming in pain. More women than men are afflicted with fibromyalgia.

RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS

Rheumatoid arthritis is a serious and chronic inflammation of the joints that can affect other organs as well. It usually begins in the young to middle adult years and strikes up to three times as many women as men. Typically affected are the joints of the hands and feet but can also involve the hips, knees, elbows and other joints. Severe cases may cause inflammation in other parts of the body, including the lungs, blood vessels and nerves.

No one knows what really causes rheumatoid arthritis, but experts suspect it has something to do with an autoimmune reaction. The immune system gets off balance and attacks the body's own tissues. Hormones may also play a role, since more women than men get the disease.

What happens in the joints:

The pattern and severity of the disease vary greatly from person to person. Rheumatoid arthritis attacks the lining of the joints. The joints become warm, swollen, tender and difficult to move. If the inflammation continues, it can destroy cartilage, bone, tendons and ligaments. The result is permanent joint deformity and disability.

Signs and symptoms:

Pain, warmth, redness and soreness in the joints. Morning stiffness and lasting more than an hour. Swelling or pain in several joints, on both sides of the body. Fatigue, weakness and nonspecific aching. Low lever and enlarged lymph nodes. Loss of joint function. Inflammation of eyes, mouth, blood vessels, heart, lungs and nerves. Chest pain in the ribs, sternum and spine.

Some risk factors:

Being a women, heredity, smoking and infection. Some health care professionals believe that a buildup of toxins in the joints, such as heavy metals, undigested proteins form the gut may cause the immune system to attack both joints and organs.

OSTEOARTHRITIS

This is a joint disease of most people over the age of sixty-five. Around the age of forty-five, many people begin to show signs of cartilage damage in their joints. Eventually most will have some type of osteoarthritis. It is also called degenerative joint disease or degenerative arthritis.

Severity of this condition varies greatly. Sometimes it causes no more than mild aches and pains or it can be disabling. Those who have stressed their joints playing sports on the job may develop osteoarthritis earlier, or in a more severe form.

What happens in the joints:

The ends of the bones in the joints are covered by a material called cartilage that acts as a cushion and provides a smooth gliding surface for joint motion. Synovial fluid, made up of a substance called hyaluronic acid, and lines the joints, acting as a shock absorber and lubricates the joints.

With age, cartilage begins to lose its flexibility and becomes more vulnerable to damage form overuse or injuries. How fast this can happen varies; families may pass along genes that cause cartilage to break down earlier. Injuries from playing sports or doing heavy labor, such as construction work, can also cause cartilage breakdown. Bones begin to thicken or change shape and joint space narrows, causing inflammation and pain. Sometimes bone comes in direct contact with other bone, causing pain and limited movement.

Some signs and symptoms:

Pain is the major symptom of osteoarthritis and cartilage loss. Some people also experience swelling and inflammation. Others may feel no pain.

Osteoarthritis usually affects the joints of the knees, hips, hands, neck and lower back. Sometimes the big toe or bony spurs on the fingers are included.

Types Of Arthritis

Arthritis affects more than forty million people and can range form the occasional twinge in a finger to incapacitating whole body pain.

Listed below are some common forms of arthritis and related conditions:

Osteoarthritis, sometimes called degenerative joint disease, resulting when the cushioning cartilage in the joints break down, causing pain and stiffness. It is the most common type of arthritis, usually affecting people after the age of forty-five.

Rheumatoid arthritis, is an autoimmune disease that inflames the lining of the joints. Rheumatoid arthritis is on of the most serious and disabling types of arthritis.

Fibromyalgia, is a chronic pain disorder that causes fatigue, sleep disturbances, and widespread pain in the muscles and tendons, particulary in the neck, spine, shoulders and hips. It affects mostly women.

Gout, is a painful condition that may attack both small and large joints, most often beginning in the beginning in the big toe. Gout affects mostly men and postmenopausal women.

Lupus, is a serious autoimmune disorder that can inflame and damage joints and other connective tissues throughout the body. It affects mostly women.

Juvenile arthritis refers to all types of arthritis that affect children. Rheumatoid arthritis is the most common type of juvenile arthritis along with other forms of lupus and ankylosing spondylitis, affecting children under the age of seventeen.

Other types of arthritis include infections of the joints(Infectious arthritis), fusing of the spine (ankylosing spondylitis) or a hardening of the skin and internal organs (scleroderma).

Autoimmune Disease

A person may have more than one autoimmune disorder at the same time. Examples of autoimmune or related) disorders include:

* Hashimoto's thyroiditis
* Pernicious anemia
* Addison's disease
* Type I diabetes
* Rheumatoid arthritis
* Systemic lupus erythematosus
* Dermatomyositis
* Sjogren syndrome
* Lupus erythematosus
* Multiple sclerosis
* Myasthenia gravis
* Reactive arthritis
* Grave's disease
* Celiac disease - sprue

Signs and symptoms of autoimmune disease can vary widely and depends on the specific disease. Some symptoms that often accompany autoimmune diseases, and may include:


* Pain
* Dizziness
* Fatigue
* General ill-feeling
* Low-grade fever

What Is An Autoimmune Diseases?

The body has an immune system, it is supposed to protect us from disease and infection. When you have an autoimmune disease, your immune system is attacking itself by mistake, then you can get sick. Connective tissue in your body can be affected by autoimmune disease. Connective tissue, is tissue that binds together body tissues and organs. The disease also can affect other parts of your body, like your nerves, muscles, endocrine system (system that directs your body’s hormones and other chemicals), and digestive system.

Diabetic Retinopathy

Diabetic retinopathy is a disease that leads to blurry, distorted vision and blindness. It occurs when diabetes weakens blood vessels inside your eye. These weak vessels leak fluid into an area of the eye called the retina. New, distorted vessels may grow, then bleed. These vessels can damage areas of the retina, causing vision loss.

Symptoms

You can have diabetic retinopathy without knowing it. Usually, there is no pain and no outward sign. Over time, you may notice gradual blurring or some vision loss. Symptoms may come and go. If diabetic retinopathy is severe, you may have clouded vision or blindness.

Control

It is up to you. You can control diabetes through diet, exercise, and medicine. These same steps may help control diabetic retinopathy. So can treating other health problems that make this disease worse. Have an eye exam every year or as often as your doctor suggest. If you notice your vision getting worse, call your doctor right away.

If you would like more information, just copy and paste or type "diabetic retinopathy", into the Amazon search box at the right.

Some Symptoms Of Diabetes

Diabetes increases the glucose level in the blood, resulting in hyperglycemia. You may notice that you are constantly thirsty and frequently have to urinate. Other common symptoms of increased glucose level in the blood are listed below.

* Frequent urination
* Excessive thirst
* Unexplained Weight loss
* Increased appetite
* Fatigue, irritability
* Dizziness, lightheadedness
* Blurry vision
* Tingling or numbness in hands and feet
* Urinary infections
* Vaginal yeast infections

Why The Pain

Pain has been given the short end of the stick in the medical schools. Many medical students are not taught how to manage it. Some doctors underestimate how much pain people are in. As a result, people are suffering unnecessarily.

Pain affects people physically and mentally. It can slow healing, depress the immune system, deplete stamina, interfere with sleep, and dull the appetite. It can boost stress and cause anxiety and depression. Doctors who treat pain seriously do more than make people comfortable. They also improve patients' overall health.


The goal of making pain a fifth vital sign is not just to record its intensity. Rather, it's a starting point for managing pain. Once your doctor knows you are in pain, he or she can take steps to relieve it.

Pain Relief Medicines

Pain medicines work a number of different ways to relieve the pain. Some examples of these medicines are:

* Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS): reduce swelling, inflammation, and soreness. Effective for mild to moderate pain. Can cause stomach problems or interfere with blood clotting. (Examples are: aspirin, ibuprofen).

* Opioids (narcotics): used for sort-term, acute pain. Work by blocking the pain pathways to the brain. Effective for severe pain. Side effects may include drowsiness, nausea, constipation, itching, and interference with breathing or urination. (Examples are: Morphine, Dilaudid, and Percocet).

* Local anesthetics: given near the pain or through a small tube in the back. They work by temporarily blocking the nerves that transmit pain signals. Can cause weakness in the legs or dizziness.

Earache Pain Soother

To ease or stop the pain of an earache, heat an onion half in a microwave for 2 minutes, or until warm but not hot. Wrap it in a soft cloth or paper towel, apply the flat side to your ear and hold for 15 minutes. The heated vegetable emits sulfur, an anti-inflammatory gas that easily penetrates the ear canal to relieve pressure and pain.

I haven't tried this, but I think I will, because I have earaches sometimes. I have a neighbor who swears by this.

How You Can Help Manage Your Pain

Here are some ways to help you manage your pain.

1.Talk with your doctors and nurses about:
* How much pain to expect with your condition, and how long it should last.
* Pain control methods that have or have not worked for you in the past.
* Any allergies you may have to medicines.
* Any medicines you take for other health problems. Some medicines cannot be taken together.
* Any possible side effects to pain medicines, such as constipation, which is common with pain medicines.

2. Use a pain scale of 1 to 10, when describing you pain. The least pain being 1 and the worst pain being 10.

3. Take pain medicine when pain first begins. Relief is easier to obtain if acted upon early. If you know your pain will worsen when you do something specific (such as walking, washing up, or coughing) take pain medicine first.

4. Since many pain medicines can make you drowsy and slow your reflexes, avoid driving or doing anything that requires concentration if you are taking pain medications with this side effect.

Manage Pain

What can be done to manage pain? Pain can be managed with medications or with other methods that do not require medications, such as:

* Physical therapy or massage therapy.
* Acupressure or acupuncture.
* Slow rhythmic breathing.
* Distraction, such as watching TV or listening to soft music.
* Ice or heat to the painful area.
* Mild exercises such as walking.
* Prayer or medication.

What is Pain

Pain is you body's way of sending a message to your brain that an injury has occurred , such as surgery, a broken bone, a migraine, etc. The message travels along your spinal cord to your brain through special nerve pathways. Pain medicine blocks these messages or reduces their effect on you brain.

Unrelieved pain caused the body to release certain chemicals that may actually delay healing, so it can be important to work with your doctor to control pain.

Pain

About 8 years ago, I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia and three kinds of Arthritis. No fun, just chronic pain. Research is forever for me. I am always looking for new ways to control pain. Explore new ways of easing the pain with me and please feel free to share your own experience as well.