By Iris Farrou
31 May, 2023
Lifestyle Tips, Prevention, Women's Health
Any My Doctor about Arthritis, Arthritis, Autoimmune, exercise, Genetic Disorder, Gout, Home Remedies for Arthritis, Joint Pain, Pain, Protect My Joints, Reactive Arthritis, Redness, Risk Factors, Stiffness, Swelling, When should I see my OBGYN for Arthritis
Among the many ailments that affect more women than men is none other than arthritis. There are several types of arthritis, with the most common being osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and gout. Arthritis is known to get worse with age, and some of the prevalent symptoms can include pain, stiffness, swelling, and decreased range of motion– specifically targeting the joints. If you have a family history of arthritis, then it is never too soon to start taking precautions. There may not be a way to fully prevent arthritis yet, but there are several preventative measures and ways to minimize its impact on your day to day life.
What are the risk factors?
As with many conditions, if you have a family history of arthritis–mainly your parents and siblings–you are more likely to develop it yourself. For other types of arthritis, age can be a significant risk factor; the older you get, the more your chances of developing it are. Additionally, women are more likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis while men are at a higher risk of developing gout.
If you have previously injured a joint, the likelihood of getting arthritis at that particular joint increases. Similarly, if you carry extra weight you are at a higher arthritis risk as you put stress on your joints.
How do I manage arthritis?
Your doctor may have already prescribed you medication to help with the effects of arthritis, or suggested other techniques of dealing with it. The CDC has a list of 5 steps to help you manage arthritis–they call it the “Strive for Five.”
- New Self-Management Skills: learning strategies to help manage your arthritis can help you feel more in control of your own health, better equip you to manage pain and other symptoms, reduce stress and improve your mood, as well as plan and complete activities you value.
- Be Active: regular exercise and physical activity can help you manage the pain that comes with arthritis, as well as improve your overall quality of life and health. You should strive for about 150 minutes of exercise per week if you have arthritis, specifically of moderate-intensity. Of course, change your activity plan based on what your health allows and on your arthritis symptoms.
- Talk to Your Doctor: as is the case with any condition, general advice only goes so far. You should be openly communicating with your doctor about your symptoms, and be in regular contact with your healthcare provider with regards to your arthritis treatment plan.
- Manage your Weight: removing excess weight from your body will lessen the stress that you put on your joints, thus helping the joint pain associated with arthritis. It will also help you improve physical function.
Protect your Joints: joint injuries can cause or worsen arthritis. Try to engage in joint-safe activities that don’t put too much stress on your joints and are relatively injury-safe.
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By Iris Farrou
05 Aug, 2022
Health Conditions and Pregnancy, Lifestyle Tips, Pregnancy, Prevention, Reproductive health, Uncategorized
Autoimmune, Common pregnancy complications, Disease Modifying Therapy, DMTs, Healthy Pregnancy with MS, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Pregnancy
What is it?
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease that affects the central nervous system, mainly
the brain and the spinal cord. Like most autoimmune conditions, research remains inconclusive
on what causes it, other than: antibodies attack healthy tissue. In MS, your body attacks the
myelin sheath: the wiring protecting your nerve cells. This damage causes messages from your
brain to the rest of your body to slow down, or completely stop. Most common treatment for MS
is a Disease Modifying Therapy (DMT), tailored to the patient’s needs and the severity of the
condition.
DMTs and Pregnancy
Women who have been diagnosed with MS and are thinking of becoming pregnant have likely
been told that most DMTs are not safe to use during pregnancy. One of the most common
concerns with stopping DMTs is the risk of relapse after pregnancy. In fact, medical
professionals suggest you stop the therapy altogether once you embark on your pregnancy
journey.
Another research, however, has found that 12% of its women participants were taking a
DMT during the first trimester. This lowered to 3% of participants by the third trimester. This is
not to say that use of DMTs during pregnancy is safe, but it does point to the need for further
research.
What should I expect?
It’s common that during pregnancy most autoimmune diseases—including MS—quiet down:
you may not experience as many symptoms, or your symptoms may lessen. Researchers believe
this is due to the hormones your body produces during pregnancy.
There is no evidence MS causes any miscarriages, stillbirths, or congenital malfunctions. Some
research suggests that premature labor and the risk of infections have been found to be slightly
higher in women with MS. Your doctor may suggest closer monitoring of your pregnancy, more
prenatal visits, and further tests to ensure your health. It’s possible you may need to consider a
C-section, especially if your MS symptoms affect your pelvic muscles and nerves.
What about relapse?
Research has found that the risk of relapse is relatively low during pregnancy. However, it can be
treated with corticosteroids which are generally known to be safe during the first and second
trimester.
After giving birth, studies have found an increased chance of relapse in the first three months. A
significant factor is the stability of the disease prior to pregnancy, and it is used to reduce this
risk. Similar to use of corticosteroids, if you are thinking of breastfeeding, remember that DMTs
can also pass through breastmilk—their use is not recommended if you will be breastfeeding.
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Autoimmune diseases are a group of more than eighty chronic, often disabling, illnesses. These diseases are caused by underlying defects in the body’s immune system, which is a complex network of cells and organs that defend the body from outside invaders such as bacteria, germs, and viruses. While these disorders are not limited to the female population, they disproportionately affect women. Nearly 80% of those affected by autoimmune diseases, about 8% of the U.S. population, are women.
The immune system functions by differentiating between what is normal for the bodily system and what is an outsider. An autoimmune disorder causes the body to create autoantibodies that attack normal cells by mistake while regulatory T cells fail to correct the immune system imbalance. When this happens, the immune system is attacking the body from within.
Who is at risk?
Autoimmune diseases can affect anyone; researchers have identified certain risk factors. Women of childbearing age are most at risk for autoimmune disorders. Those with a family history of autoimmune disorders, especially lupus and multiple sclerosis, are more susceptible to them. Certain environmental factors, such as sunlight, chemical solvents, and bacterial and viral infections are linked to some autoimmune disorders.
What are the most common autoimmune disorders?
While there are many autoimmune disorders that affect women, four of the most common and debilitating are multiple sclerosis (MS), lupus, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and scleroderma.
- MS affects 250,000 to 350,000 people in the U.S., almost twice as many women as men. It causes varying degrees of neurological impairment, such as paralysis, tremors, lack of coordination and balance, and numbness and tingling in extremities. While symptoms are treatable, there is no cure or definitive cause.
- Lupus is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease that can affect the joints, skin, blood cells, heart, and lungs. It can also cause fever, weight and hair loss, fatigue, rashes, headaches, and dizziness. Out of the 1.5 million people afflicted with lupus in the U.S., 90% are women, and it is more common in black, Hispanic, Native American, and Asian women than Caucasian women.
- RA affects about 1.3 million people in the U.S., twice as many women as men. It is an inflammatory disease that causes pain, swelling, stiffness, swollen and deformed joints, and reduced movement and function. It may also be accompanied by fatigue, fever, weight loss, eye inflammation, anemia, and lung disease.
- Scleroderma entails an overproduction of collagen in the skin and blood vessels, leading to an abnormal growth of connective tissue that can interfere with the functioning of affected organs. Additional symptoms include thickening of the skin, pain and stiffness in fingers and joints, shortness of breath, and diarrhea or constipation. More women than men are among the 40,000 to 165,000 affected by scleroderma in the U.S.
While there are no cures to these and other autoimmune diseases, there are types of both over-the-counter and prescription medications that relieve symptoms, replace vital substances the body cannot make on its own, and suppress the malfunctioning immune system. Patients also utilize various alternative treatments, such as herbs, chiropractic treatments, acupuncture, and hypnosis. Women should be encouraged that even though their autoimmune diseases might not go away, the conditions can be managed and should not prevent them from living full, active lives.
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