Arthritis is the leading disease next to heart disease that causes prolonged disability. The rheumatic disease will make a patient suffer for longer periods but they seldom cause death. Because rheumatic patients have problems moving around, they are also affected in the social and economic aspects of their life. Rheumatic disease does not kill its patients but it imprisons their life. Although arthritis is the most prominent chronic illness, many people are still able to cope well, lead normal lives and hold down job. There is no cure for arthritis but it can be treated by control and management.

Arthritis is the inflammation of a joint, which is the meeting place between two or more bones. Arthritis usually affect the small bones on the hands and feet, including the wrists, elbows, shoulders, hips, knees, and ankles. Other joints that are often affected by arthritis are located in the jaw, along the spine and in front of the chest. The bones are protected by smooth cartilage to prevent friction from motion and weight bearing. A thin membrane that covers the bones called synovium emits a lubricating fluid to nourish the cartilage.

Inflammation occurs in most forms of arthritis. Inflammation responses to the body’s injury by cause demobilization in the patient. The symptoms of inflammation include heat, redness, pain and loss of joint mobility. Arthritis occurred as a result of the body’s response to help fight and contain the bacterial infection in order to kill the bacteria. Prolonged inflammation of the joint will cause more pain, stiffness and restriction motion in the patient.

Arthritis begins with small discomforts in the patient in a gradual process and eventually causing deformity and loss of function. Some people tend to ignore about their condition and fail to seek medical attention because they thought there is no cure of arthritis. This is not true. Infectious arthritis can be cured completely. The symptoms of gouty arthritis can be alleviated and recurrences prevented. Patient that suffers from chronic rheumatoid arthritis can use a supporting splint and anti inflammatory drugs to lessen the pain.

If arthritis is diagnosed and treated early with home therapy programs, the patient will have the best chance of recovery. Even if the joint is serious injured, there are a variety of treatment options including reconstructive surgery that can help the patient to recover completely.

Diet will not affect the patient’s arthritis condition except for patient of gouty arthritis. In some cases, diet can causes acute attack on patient of gouty arthritis rather than helping to relieve the disease. Nothing that a patient eat can do harm to joints.

Some people think that rheumatic patients should move to a warmer climate. Rheumatologists discourage such a move although some patients tend to feel achier when the weather becomes cold and wet. Actually, cold and wet weather does not have any effect on arthritis. Patient that suffers from arthritis will suffers from discomforts of the joint no matter where they are if the disease is active and progressive.

Several warning signs that a person may be suffering from a rheumatic disease include continual pain in the joint or spine, stiffness in the morning and after lying down for a while, swelling or redness of a joint, intermittent pain in joints of muscles and discomforts in the joint along with other symptoms of arthritis like fever, weakness, weariness, poor appetite and decrease in weight.