The Difference Between Arthritis and Osteoporosis

Many people get Arthritis and Osteoporosis confused. The difference is extremely important to your health and your longevity. I hope this article will give you the information needed to seek early treatment.

What Is Arthritis? Arthritis is not one particular disease but a group of diseases and conditions that cause joint inflammation in the body. There are over 100 different types of Arthritis and rheumatic diseases. The most common type of Arthritis is Osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis causes progressive deterioration of the joint cartilage and affects over 21 million Americans.

Arthritis Symptoms: Arthritis can attack any joint but most often affects shoulders, arms, hands, hips, knees, feet, and spine. Children get arthritis as well as adults. Arthritis often gets worse as we age. The symptoms are joint pain, swelling, and loss of function.

What Causes Arthritis? There are many different causes including genetics, diet, and excess acid foods such as coffee, diseases such as lupus, injury to the area, infection, poor immune function, and age.

How Is Arthritis Diagnosed? You need to see your physician for an exam and blood tests. There are many different kinds of Arthritis so these tests are needed. Treatment may consist of diet changes or medication. There are many herbal formulas that work on Arthritis as well.

What is Osteoporosis? Osteoporosis is a body condition where there is low bone mass. The disease has no symptoms except in some cases bone tenderness. It is a silent disease that is responsible for a majority of falls in elderly patients. Women are 4 times more likely to develop Osteoporosis and this risk becomes greater as one ages. This condition renders your bones more fragile and easily broken. This condition is one of the main reasons that the elderly end up in hospitals. They fall breaking their the spine, hip or leg. Hip or spine fractures often result in early death or confinement to a wheelchair.

What Causes Osteoporosis? Our body replaces old bone on a regular basis with new bone. Every day we lose calcium through urine, sweat, and other body functions. When this system becomes imbalanced, the bone is reabsorbed more quickly than the body can replenish it. The bones then weaken and break easily.

Osteoporosis Symptoms: Osteoporosis can be caused from low intake of calcium, Vitamin D deficiency, genetics, lack of physical activity, smoking, alcohol, certain medications, and certain diseases and conditions such as hyperparathyroidism. These 4 parathyroid glands regulate how much calcium is in your bloodstream and tissues, so have your physician test for this. Osteoporosis patients are often small and thin, white, or Asian descent. Black women have greater bone density and have less risk of Osteoporosis.

Preventing Osteoporosis: It is extremely important to eat a healthy diet that consists of calcium foods and Vitamin D; maintain an exercise program at least 3 to 4 times a week; include walking, and muscle strengthening, weight bearing exercises in your program; avoid smoking and excessive alcohol; and have your doctor give you a bone density test yearly. The Bone Density Test is the main test used to diagnose Osteoporosis.

Calcium Recommendations: The Osteoporosis Society suggest adults over 50 need 1,000 mg of Calcium and 400-800 IU of Vitamin D daily; Adults over 50 need 1,200 mg of calcium and 800 t0 1000mg of Vitamin daily. Calcium supplements made from oyster shell, bone meal, or dolomite may contain lead or toxic minerals and are hard to digest. Calcium citrate is the best type of calcium for absorption and capsules digest more easily than tablets. It takes a lot of stomach acid to break down calcium and most people over the age of 55 have compromised digestion.

References:

http://www.netwellness.org/healthtopics/osteoporosis/default.cfm#Symptoms%20and%20Tests

http://www.nof.org/osteoporosis/faq.htm

http://www.nof.org/prevention/calcium2.htm

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/osteoporosis.html