Arthritis in fingers is a well known symptom of arthritis. This is one of the worst nightmares that someone can experience. I mean, we do most of our work with our hand and fingers! These are obviously highly important part of our daily routines. It will be difficult to do any kind of work when your fingers are hurting or when your finger joints are damaged by an arthritis attack. There are two types of arthritis that can attack fingers: osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. The former is the result of years of wear and tear and therefore, affects the elderly people. The latter occurs when the immune system attacks finger joints without any reason and therefore, affects people of any age.
In osteoarthritis, the body is incapable of coping with damage. The former elasticity of the connective tissue is also lost. It practically makes the mobility of the bones difficult in the finger. Avoid cracking your knuckles because this might eventually result in arthritis in fingers for sure. Know that in rheumatoid arthritis, the damage happens much more quickly.
The symptoms for both kinds of arthritis in fingers are the same. The symptoms are swelling, stiffness, cracking sounds, immobility just to name a few. In the early stages of arthritis, there may be a little swelling or even pain in joints. The cracking sounds come from your joints whenever you move the fingers. When the connective tissue damages your fingers may become immovable and might even change their original shape. So you've been warned, so don't scare yourself to much if that happens! A variety of treatments can relieve the pain in fingers. There are certain medications to reduce inflammation and swelling. Such patients in the earlier stages of arthritis can be dealt with physical therapy, while those with later stages of arthritis require particular surgeries. There are many natural remedies as well which include healthy diet and lifestyle. This can help your body's immune system fight against arthritis.
It is necessary to consult a doctor if you suspect that there is pain in your finger joints and it swells up every now and then. This should be dealt with at the earliest occasion. In order to diagnose whether or not an individual is suffering from arthritis, the doctor might suggest you to take X-rays and blood test to determine the level of the problem and its treatment. There are anti-inflammatory drugs which target the symptoms rather than the actual disease.
A balanced diet is required to decrease the pain due to arthritis. Among other facts, the intake of Fatty and junk foods from meals are needed to be decreased. Other good notes will be that fresh fruits and vegetables intake should be increased so that the requirement of vitamins and minerals is met. On the other hand, steroids are used to relieve the patient from pain but it has its side effects. Surgery and splinting is the best for patients with a severe form of arthritis.
There is another surgery in which the damaged tissue from the finger is separated to move the fingers easily, so keep reading. Another option is of a joint replacement. The damaged fingers are supported in splinting. I think I know what you're thinking, but it just helps to reduce stress on fingers of a patient with arthritis in his fingers. More facts for you to definitely dig in if you've someone with this condition or have it yourself, so indulge yourself more!
Copyright (c) 2011 Joe Maldonado
