The Effects of Senior Arthritis on the Elderly
Author: tiger Published Under: Health
Agingis the process of growing older and is something that happens to all humans. Over the years, there have been many searches for ways to stay young indefinitely, but in the end, these searches were mostly fruitless. While aging occurs naturally and to all humans, some people handle it more gracefully than others.
One of the biggest effects that aging has on the body is often the ability to get around easily and without assistance. Often, this difficulty is the result of diseases like arthritis, which usually affects the joints of the body. Arthritis can actually affect people of all ages though, including children, but it is much more common among those who are elderly.
Treating and Living with Arthritis
Since arthritis can have such a major affect on the body, many seniors with arthritis use helper aids to help make daily tasks, like walking or standing up, easier and safer. This can have a major impact on the life of a senior, as many of the tasks that require hand or feet movements tend to become much more difficult.
Unfortunately, the effects of arthritis can not be reversed, so usually the goal of treatment is to allow the senior to be as comfortable as possible and keep the disease from spreading. This means that it becomes necessary to teach the senior how living with arthritis is possible, which involves learning how to complete tasks, without allowing the arthritis to get in the way.
Some examples of living with arthritis would be using keys, kitchen utensils, and pens that have larger handles, making them easy to grasp. Another example of living with arthritis would be to use a lift chair, which is a special standing aid designed to make standing easier. Lift chairs are designed similarly to recliners, but also contain a lifting system in the base of the chair, which raises, allowing the seated person to stand safely.
One of the key components of living with arthritis is identifying tasks that are difficult to complete for the senior and brainstorming ways of making this task easier. There are also a number of medications and treatments used to help prevent the disease from getting worse, but it is important to understand that the effects of arthritis can not be reversed.
How Arthritis Affects the Body
Arthritis itself is not actually a single disease, but is instead a term used to describe more than 100 different rheumatic diseases. However, of the more than 100 different kinds of arthritis, two types, rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis, make up the majority of cases. These two types of arthritis, like other kinds of arthritis, can affect people of all ages, but typically rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis is found in those over the age of 65. Since the effects of arthritis are so much more likely to be found in seniors, it is often thought of as an elderly disease.
One of the common characteristics of arthritis is that it affects the joints, making movements painful and difficult. There are actually several ways that arthritis can affect the joints in the body. One way that it is classified is by whether is it symmetrical or asymmetrical.
Symmetrical arthritis is arthritis that affects joints on both sides of the body similarly. For example, in someone with symmetrical arthritis, if the right knee had arthritis, the left knee would as well. Rheumatoid Arthritis is an example of a symmetrical type of arthritis.
Asymmetrical arthritis differs from symmetrical arthritis in that the arthritis affects one side of the body WITHOUT affecting the other side. So, in someone with arthritis of their right knee, the left knee would not be affected. Osteoarthritis is an example of a asymmetrical arthritis.