Nutrition for polyarthritis

General description of the disease

 

This is a disease that is associated with simultaneous or sequential inflammation of a group of joints. It is classified as a chronic disease. Polyarthritis also destroys the synovial membrane that envelops the joint. This is accompanied by his deformation, pain.

The causes of polyarthritis

There can be a huge number of reasons for the occurrence of polyarthritis. Starting from infections, ending with heredity. Let’s consider the most common ones.

  • hepatitis viruses (especially B);
  • piggy;
  • rubella;
  • Epstein-Barr virus (a herpes virus associated with fever, swollen lymph nodes in the neck, sore throat, and sometimes swelling of the spleen);
  • HIV (attacks the immune system and may increase the risk of developing polyarthritis);
  • parvovirus infection;
  • Wilson’s disease (a rare hereditary disease that prevents the liver from filtering excess copper from the body, leading to the formation of copper in the liver, eyes, brain, and other organs);
  • amyloidosis (a rare accumulation of a protein produced in the bone marrow that affects the heart, spleen, kidneys, liver, digestive and nervous systems);
  • gout (high levels of uric acid in the blood);
  • Lyme disease;
  • tuberculosis;
  • vasculitis (a condition in which the immune system attacks the blood vessels);
  • a thyroid disorder such as hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism;
  • oncological diseases;
  • ENT diseases, such as chronic tonsillitis[4].

Symptoms of polyarthritis

Symptoms can develop slowly and may not be felt for months. Or it may appear spontaneously and unexpectedly for the patient. As a rule, polyarthritis makes itself felt through joint pain, stiffness during movement, and swelling of the joints. Other symptoms often develop, for example, severe weakness, sweating, fever – within 38 degrees, lack of appetite, sudden weight loss, redness of the affected area, rash.

Types of polyarthritis

There are many types of arthritis. It is worth noting that there is monoarthritis, localized in one specific joint, as well as polyarthritis, which has become the topic of this article, and is characterized by inflammatory foci at the same time in several parts of the body. There are many types of polyarthritis, we will consider the most common of them.

 
  • Juvenile idiopathic arthritis – the type of disease that is typical for children. It can develop from early age to late adolescence. Painful swellings in the small and large joints from the ankles and wrists to the hips and knees are characteristic features. Doctors are not always able to determine what caused the development of this type of arthritis. However, with the correct and timely treatment, the patient’s condition improves significantly.
  • Lupus – is an autoimmune disease caused by a person’s own immune system attacking various organs and cells of the body. The result is damage and dysfunction of these cells and organs. In addition to direct effects on human joints, this type of arthritis can also affect the skin, connective tissues, nervous system, and kidneys. It most often occurs in women between the ages of 20 and 40. A characteristic feature is a red rash on the face, cheeks and nose.
  • Psoriatic arthritis, as the name suggests, affects people with psoriasis. However, in some cases, arthritis develops first, followed by psoriasis. Symptoms include swollen fingers and toes, and a scaly red rash on the body.[1].
  • Fibromyalgia Is a form of arthritis characterized by long-term and widespread pain in the ligaments, muscles, and tendons. Fatigue and sleep disturbances are integral symptoms of fibromyalgia. Typically, this form of arthritis is called a syndrome because it includes a collection of symptoms and signs that occur together for no known cause. Although classified under arthritis, fibromyalgia is not really a form of arthritis in the classical sense due to the absence of inflammation or damage to joints, muscles, or other tissues.
  • Infectious arthritis (septic) – provoked by bacteria, less often viruses or fungi. The infection can spread from nearby infected tissue through the bloodstream and eventually infect the joint.[2].
  • Allergic – This is a form of polyarthritis, which develops as a result of ingestion of an allergen (usually in the form of a vaccine). Has symptoms that are similar to an allergic reaction.
  • Exchange – appears due to a violation of metabolic processes, and as a result, salt crystals begin to be deposited on the joints. It can be acute and chronic.

Complications of polyarthritis

If polyarthritis is not promptly controlled and treated, this can adversely affect the work of other organs and systems of the body.

  • LungsA scar in the lungs can cause complications such as shortness of breath and chronic cough.
  • Leather: Rash or scarring under the skin.
  • Heart: The lining around the heart can become inflamed, causing chest pain. The risk of heart attack or stroke is also increased.
  • Eyes: With polyarthritis, the thin membrane covering the whites of the eye or the entire eyeball can become inflamed. This sometimes leads to loss of vision.

Prevention of polyarthritis

There are over 100 types of arthritis, and alas, the disease is not always preventable. But there are a number of healthy habits that, by developing them, you can significantly reduce your risk of developing this disease.

  1. 1 Eat fatty fish (salmon, mackerel, sardines, trout) regularly. It contains polyunsaturated fatty acids that help reduce inflammation in the body. Research shows that women who regularly eat fish are less at risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis.
  2. 2 Monitor your weight. Being overweight puts a lot of stress on the joints, especially the knees. People who are overweight are almost four times more likely to suffer from osteoarthritis of the knee.
  3. 3 Go in for sports. Moderate exercise not only helps you lose weight, but also strengthens the muscles around your joints. This stabilizes them and protects them from additional wear and tear. Swimming, walking, aerobics, and stretching are excellent forms of exercise for preventing arthritis.
  4. 4 Avoid injury. Joints wear out over time, this is a natural process in the body. But additional injuries cause quicker wear and tear and make joints more vulnerable. When playing sports, use high-quality shoes, uniforms, special equipment, if any.
  5. 5 Get regular check-ups with your doctor. Do not delay your visit if you show signs of illness. Remember that it progresses rather quickly, therefore it is important to keep the state of health under control.[6].

Risk Factors

Risk factors for polyarthritis are of two types: those that a person can affect and irreversible. The first category includes the following:

  • Life: Smoking, alcohol and caffeine consumption can make a person more vulnerable to factors that provoke the development of polyarthritis.
  • Childhood experiencefor example, if a child grows up in an environment with smoking parents or in an unfavorable environment, this can also make him vulnerable in the future.

Factors that cannot be influenced:

  • Age: people become more prone to developing polyarthritis as they age.
  • Gender: the frequency of diagnosing cases of polyarthritis in women is higher than in men.
  • Heredity: specific genes can make a person more prone to developing polyarthritis[1].

Treatment of polyarthritis in mainstream medicine

Polyarthritis is a disease that is difficult to diagnose due to the fact that it can be triggered by a large number of factors, and have a number of other symptoms besides joint pain. Here are some warning signs that you should definitely see a doctor if you notice:

  • Joint pain that makes it difficult to do daily activities.
  • Redness in the area of ​​the joints, as well as an increase in body temperature in a certain part of the body. For example, if you notice that the knee is reddish and warmer than the whole body, you should definitely see a doctor.
  • Swelling in the joints, stiffness.

Your doctor will do many tests, including blood tests that may look for evidence of viral infections or for a marker called rheumatoid factor (RF). RF is a protein that can attack healthy tissue in the body[1].

There are a number of criteria that help determine which type of treatment is best for you.

  • the number of joints affected;
  • the presence of inflammation in the joints;
  • main symptoms other than joint pain.

Medication can include drugs to prevent further damage to your joints and help keep them active. Also, analgesics, anti-inflammatory steroid drugs are often prescribed, which have a quick effect, cope with pain. Here are the groups of drugs that are prescribed for polyarthritis:

  1. 1 Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs – reduce inflammation, help to cope with moderate pain, but have a number of side effects and negatively affect the gastric mucosa. Therefore, together with them, protective drugs are also prescribed, which will not damage the stomach.
  2. 2 Corticosteroids – reduce inflammation. Since many of the diseases that cause polyarthritis are associated with autoimmune diseases, corticosteroids also suppress the immune response that accompanies autoimmune diseases.
  3. 3 Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs – a wide group of drugs that are designed not only to relieve inflammation and reduce the manifestation of pain, but also to slow down, modify the progression of the disease, softening the lesions that it can provoke[5].

It is also suggested that the symptoms of polyarthritis can be minimized by changing your lifestyle. If the patient is also overweight, losing weight will help reduce the pressure on the joints and thereby reduce pain. It is also important to switch to a healthy diet, enrich the diet with healthy products, the list of which is given in the corresponding section of the article.

Moderate exercise, such as swimming, will also be helpful. It does not deplete the body much, but at the same time it helps to engage all major muscle groups at the same time.[4].

Useful foods for arthritis

  • First of all, it is important to enrich the diet with vitamins. That is why it should include fresh vegetables and fruits, herbs, especially with a strong smell – cilantro, parsley, mint.
  • In case of joint diseases, you need to make regular use of food that contains calcium in the composition: cottage cheese, cheese, milk. They should be included in the daily diet.
  • As for meat, it should also be present in the diet, but it is worth choosing low-fat, dietary varieties: veal, turkey, chicken.
  • For rheumatoid arthritis, it is important to consume polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are found in fatty fish. To do this, salmon, mackerel should be eaten twice a week regularly, for at least three months. This will help stop the inflammation.
  • Often, with arthritis, a lack of iron in the body develops. You can compensate for its level by eating apples, chicken liver.
  • Slow carbohydrates such as rice, wheat, buckwheat porridge will have a beneficial effect on the body.
  • Another important aspect is products that contain vitamins C, E, P, as well as carotene. These are corn, tomatoes, beets, beans, pumpkin.

Traditional medicine for polyarthritis

  1. 1 This method helps to relieve inflammation. You need to heat sea salt in a frying pan, put it in a bag and make a compress for a sore joint. Then rub fir oil into the heated area, then repeat the compress.
  2. 2 To eliminate pain, you need to take juice squeezed from garlic. The optimal proportion is 10 drops 4 times a day. You need to drink it with warm milk. In parallel with this, the affected area must be lubricated with fat, and then a gauze bandage soaked in garlic juice should be applied overnight.
  3. 3 Another tincture is prepared on the basis of 5 peeled heads of garlic and two glasses of vodka. This mixture must be infused in a warm, dark place for 10 days, and then taken, diluted with 1 tsp. tincture with three tablespoons of boiled water. Frequency – three times a day, half an hour before meals. Repeat daily until the tincture ends.
  4. 4 To relieve pain in the legs and joints, you can prepare a compress from green potatoes. It must be thoroughly rinsed and grated along with the peel. Heat this mass by dipping it into hot water to 38 degrees. Then, without wringing out, put in a sack of burlap. A layer of potatoes should be about 1,5-2 cm. Put an oilcloth on the joint – a prepared compress on top. Wrap them around the affected area, cover with oilcloth and bandage so that nothing seeps out of the bag. You need to go to bed with this compress, placing your foot on a hill (a pillow is perfect). The compress should warm the leg. So the pain will go away in half an hour and will not return until the next exacerbation. You need to apply this compress at night every day for a week.
  5. 5 In Indian medicine, a method of potato treatment is also known, in which tubers must be applied to sore joints. And if the joints on the fingers swell, then the potato needs to be fingered in the hand, like a ball. At night, you can prepare a glove with a potato and so sleep, or tie it to the affected joint.
  6. 6 Natural juices are effective ways to combat polyarthritis. The beneficial effect will be noticeable if you drink a glass of carrot juice every morning on an empty stomach. You can also prepare mixtures. For example, in this combination:
  • carrots + celery;
  • carrots + celery + parsley;
  • carrots + radishes.
  1. 7 It is recommended to brew herbal teas and drink them. So, for example, you can prepare one of them by mixing in equal proportions the leaves of dioecious nettle, parsley root, black elderberry flowers and willow bark. Then 1 tbsp. l. pour a glass of boiling water, cook for 5 minutes over low heat, strain, cool and drink a glass twice a day.
  2. 8 You can make joint ointment by mixing hop cones and petroleum jelly in a 1: 4 ratio. Rub the affected areas daily with it.
  3. 9 The roots and leaves of medicinal dandelions need to be crushed, 6 grams of this mixture, pour a glass of cold water, bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Then let it brew for half an hour and take 1 tbsp. l. three times a day before meals[3].

Dangerous and harmful products with polyarthritis

When you have arthritis, it is important to reduce your salt intake. It retains water in the body, which increases joint swelling. This, in turn, limits mobility, creates unpleasant stiffness. If you reduce the level of salt intake, the inflammatory process will also subside.

It is also important to avoid food allergens and irritants. These include sweets, smoked meats, pickled foods, too spicy foods, citrus fruits, flour products. All of this food can aggravate painful sensations and other manifestations of the disease.

With gouty arthritis, it is forbidden to eat foods that contain purine, because it breaks down in the body and forms uric acid. Purine is found in foods such as mussels, organ meats (brains, liver, kidneys, veal tongue), sardines, yeast, cocoa. The use of such products can negatively affect the course of the disease, aggravate inflammation and pain.

Carbonated drinks, citrus juices, any alcohol are also prohibited.

Information sources
  1. Article: “What is polyarthritis?”, Source
  2. Article: “What are all the Different Types of Arthritis?”, Source
  3. Directory “Herbalist: Golden recipes of traditional medicine” / Comp. A. Markova, – M .: Eksmo; Formum, 2007, 928 p.
  4. Article: “Polyarthritis: Symptoms, Causes, and Diagnosis”, source
  5. Article: “What Are the Treatments for Polyarthritis?” Source
  6. Article: “Arthritis Prevention: What Can You Do?” Source
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The administration is not responsible for any attempt to use the information provided, and does not guarantee that it will not harm you personally. The materials cannot be used to prescribe treatment and make a diagnosis. Always consult your specialist doctor!

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