Arthritis is defined as a disease that causes painful inflammation and stiffness in joints. There are some food items, which you should avoid if you are suffering from arthritis since they can worsen your condition and lead to inflammation and joint pain. Stick to a smart, nutritious diet that doesn't make you gain weight. The following food items should be struck off your daily meals:
 
1. Red meat: red meat has high levels of saturated fat. Patients of arthritis must avoid consuming foods containing saturated fat because they contribute to obesity. They also contain omega-6 fatty acids, which lead to inflammation if the intake is high. Red meat contributes to higher overall fat and calorie intake.
 
2. Sugar and refined flour: sugar and refined flour may cause an upsurge in blood sugar levels. When there is a spike in your blood sugar levels, the body produces a pro-inflammatory chemical called cytokines to break down the carbohydrates. This results in inflammation, worsening your arthritis symptoms. They also increase your weight, putting more and more pressure on the joints.
 
3. Fried foods: eliminating fried foods from your diet helps in reducing the levels of inflammation. Fried foods increase oxidation in the body's cells due to toxins called advanced glycation endproducts or age. They are high in fat and lead to obesity. Moreover, most restaurants use hydrogenated oils which are rich in trans fats. Trans fats are even more harmful than saturated fats when it comes to inflammation, chronic heart diseases and other health problems.
 
4. Alcohol and tobacco: high intake of alcohol causes a surge in the body levels of crp or c - reactive protein which is a powerful agent of inflammation. The risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis is higher among smokers.
 
5. Processed foods: foods that are ready to eat and require minimal cooking contain several ingredients that cause inflammation. They are loaded with saturated fats, refined flour and sugar and are extremely unhealthy and worsen arthritic pain. 
 
6. Corn oil: many foods, especially baked foods, are cooked in corn oil or other oils which are rich in omega 6 fatty acids and trigger inflammation. Corn oil can be replaced with olive oil that is rich in omega 3 fatty acids which is anti-inflammatory.

Foods To Avoid In Arthritis!

The shoulders are the most mobile joints in your body. Shoulder joints undergo wear and a tear over time and hence become unstable. Shoulder arthritis is one of the painful conditions affecting the shoulder joints. Arthritis not only takes a toll on the tendons and muscles, but also affects the ligaments and joints too. They usually cause symptoms such as joint pain, resulting in limited mobility.

Treatment:

Nonsurgical or Lifestyle treatments:

Take rest or avoid the activities that provoke pain or change the way of your arm movements.
Physical therapy boosts shoulder mobility.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen or aspirin alleviate pain and inflammation.
Corticosteroid injections in the shoulders can also help to ease the pain and inflammation, although temporarily.
Applying moist heat or ice packs over the shoulders for about half an hour at least thrice a day brings relief.
Drugs such as methotrexate can be administered in case one is suffering from rheumatoid arthritis (a chronic disease attacking multiple joints of the body).
Dietary supplements such as chondroitin and glucosamine may help reduce pain.
Surgical treatments (if your pain results in disability and does not lessen with nonsurgical options)

Join replacement surgery or arthroplasty involves replacing the damaged parts of the shoulder with a prosthetic (artificial) joint.
Few mild forms of arthritis may be treated using the Arthroscopic procedure (minimally invasive surgery). It requires a surgeon to ease the joint pain by making small incisions to  clean out  the joint. A tiny camera fitted into the joint guides the surgeon through the surgery.
Resection arthroplasty is a method that involves the surgical removal of the bone from the collar bone and substituting it with a scar tissue to treat arthritis of particular joints.

Everything You Need To Know About Shoulder Arthritis Treatment

If you are suffering from arthritis, it is important for you to know about how it affects your knee and other joints. Arthritis is a chronic, systematic inflammatory disease which damages your joints and connective tissues. Your knee is commonly affected by arthritis and there are three primary types of arthritis that occur in the knees. They include osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and post-traumatic arthritis.

Types of arthritis 
The different types of arthritis affecting the knees occur due to different reasons. Osteoarthritis is a progressive condition, which wears away the joint cartilage over time. Rheumatoid arthritis is an inflammatory condition, which may occur at any age. Post-traumatic arthritis occurs after an injury is inflicted to the knee and may occur several years after a ligament injury or knee fracture.

Major symptoms

Arthritis pain may occur all of a sudden but develops slowly. In the early stages, the pain is observed in the morning after you have been inactive over the night. Pain is likely when you want to move around. Pain may be experienced even when immobile.
Periodic inflammation is a common symptom of arthritis of the knee. This happens because of the formation of bone spurs or excess fluids in your knee. The swelling gets pronounced after being inactive for a long period. The skin on your knee may look red and feel warm while you touch it. This may lead to chronic inflammation, which is very difficult to manage.
Treatment
There are several ways of treating knee arthritis. The mode of treatment depends on the severity and cause of knee arthritis. NSAIDS or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are commonly prescribed for dealing with arthritis pain temporarily. Other medicines used for knee arthritis treatment are as follows:

Analgesics, which help in pain reduction act as good alternatives to NSAIDS.
Corticosteroids are used for reducing inflammation.
Certain DMARDs or disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs are used.
Certain injections that are used for helping with knee arthritis. They include:

Hyaluronic acid supplements, which ease the pain and inflammation by lubricating your knee joints.
Corticosteroid injections also soothe inflammation and pain.
You may also require a surgery for dealing with knee arthritis when other modes of treatment fail. The most common surgeries are as follows:

Total joint replacement, where your knee is replaced with a prosthetic made of metal, plastic or ceramic.
Osteotomy, where the knee bones are modified for controlling pressure and damage in the knees.
Arthroscopy, where an incision is made in the knee for removing damaged parts.
It is recommended for you to consult a doctor, if you experience any symptom of knee arthritis. Early treatment will prevent the condition from worsening.

Know if You Have Arthritis in the Knee

International Childhood Cancer Day is celebrated annually on 15 February to raise awareness and to express support for children and adolescents with cancer, survivors and their families.

Why is Cancer the biggest Threat to the YOUNG in India?

There are fewer Indians who have successfully battled Cancer and have emerged successful. Yuvraj Singh, the legendary cricketer, who was diagnosed with a rare cancer at 29, survived due to an early detection. Cancer cases in India are not as many as they are in the developed world. However, due to late detection the survival rate in the country is far worse. Particularly, we are losing our youth to Cancer. Most tobacco (pan masala) related cancers and child cancers go undetected until very late.

Few cancers like cervical cancer and breast cancer which affect women of any age, are curable, however, due to lack of awareness and timely screening, many Indian women succumb to these cancers. The most common sites for cancer among men are lung, prostate, colon, rectum, stomach and liver while that among women are breast, colon, rectum, lung, cervix and stomach.

In proportion to our population, we lack the right infrastructure nationwide. esp in the northern and north eastern region, there is a dearth of good cancer facilities, where radiation, care or treatment can be given. Not even one third of cancer patients are alive beyond 5 years after their diagnosis in India, and about 71% of cancer deaths occur in patients in their prime productive years   between the ages of 30 to 69 years.

 Most Indians believe that cancer is generally incurable and that it should be kept secret from neighbors and family.  -  Dr Paul Goss, MD, Harvard University.

All these factors have contributed to a very high mortality rate. No wonder Cancer is dreaded in the country. Investment, infrastructure, lifestyles as well as mindsets need to change if we were to contain the Cancer mortality rate. While you need to watch out for early signs of cancer, here are the lifestyle changes every individual esp. all youth must adopt to avoid cancer.

Avoid Tobacco - both smoking and chewing.

Reduce alcohol intake - Save your organs from deteriorating.

Limit UV ray exposure from the sun - Keeps your skin safe.

Maintain a healthy diet - Include foods rich in Vitamins, minerals and fiber which nourish your body and build immunity.

Increase your level of fitness - Maintain a good bodyweight. Additional flab invites a host of troubles, that includes variety of cancers.

Seeking regular medical checkup or screening - This is the only way to prevent and get detected early on.

International Childhood Cancer Day - Why Cancer Is A Threat For Young?

Being diagnosed with cancer is something no one looks forward to and Gynaecological Cancer is every woman s worst nightmare. However, if diagnosed in time, it can be treated. Cancer in any part of a woman s reproductive system is termed as gynecological cancer. It is of five types:
Cervical cancer
Ovarian cancer
Vaginal cancer
Vulvar cancer and
Uterine cancer
Paying attention to your body and understanding its natural rhythm can help you recognize signs of gynecological cancer. This is because signs of gynecological cancer can be difficult to identify unless you know your body. Here are a five signs to watch out for-
Abnormal Vaginal Bleeding: Bleeding in between periods is okay once in a while but if it happens continuously over a period of 2 to 3 months, do not ignore it. Vaginal bleeding after menopause should also never be ignored. Abnormal bleeding could be triggered by a number of conditions including cancer of the lining of the uterus. Sudden changes in your menstrual blood that persist for over 2 cycles such as heavy bleeding can also be a symptom of uterine cancer. Heavy bleeding can be defined as a period that lasts for over 7 days.
Changes in the Vulva: Any change in colour of development of bumps, sores of thickened skin should be immediately shown to a gynecologist. Any form of vulvar itching or burning should also not be ignored. These conditions could be symptoms of vulvar cancer. Hence, it is important to know what your vulva looks like normally.
Bloating: Persistent bloating that lasts for over a fortnight can be a sign of ovarian cancer. This is especially true in cases of bloating accompanied by sudden weight loss or between-period bleeding.
Change in Bathroom Habits: Due to the proximity of the bladder to the reproductive organs, a tumour or swelling in the reproductive organs can trigger symptoms similar to those of a urinary tract infection. This includes pain while urinating, difficulty passing urine, diarrhea or constipation. Urinary incontinence could also a sign of gynecological cancer.
Abdominal or Back Pain: In rare cases, lower back pain could be a sign of ovarian cancer or uterine cancer. Pain in the lower abdomen or pelvic area can also be a sign of ovarian cancer.
The above could also be signs of other health disorders. The only way of knowing for sure is by consulting a doctor. Hence, understand your body and if you notice any of these symptoms consult your gynecologist at the earliest. 

Signs of Gynecological Cancer

Ayurveda is a very old system of medicine, which originated in India. Using herbs found in nature to cure various illnesses, knee pain can also be permanently cured with this method indigenous to India. It reduces knee pain caused by various illnesses including arthritis, inflammation of the cartilage and wearing of the patella among others. Here are some common Ayurvedic remedies, which help reduce knee pain:

1. Alfalfa: Alfalfa is medically known as Medicago Sativa. Alfalfa is excellent for making sure that your joint pain reduces, when taken in liquid form four times a day.

2. Ashwagandha: Ashwagandha is medically known as Withania Somnifera. In the West, Ashwagandha is popularly known as Winter Cherry. Also, it has a lot of therapeutic properties, which include reducing joint pains. 

3. Banyan: The Banyan tree's medical name is Ficus Benghalensis. It has a sap very similar to the form of rubber known as latex is derived from the Banyan tree. The Banyan tree's sap is externally applied over the joints and the pain usually disappears after a few regular applications. 

4. Bishop's weed: The medical name for Bishop's weed is Trachyspermum Ammi. The oil extracted from this herb is usually applied to the knees to reduce the intensity of such knee pains.

5. Celery: The medical name for celery is Apium Graveolens. Celery is not only an effective treatment for rheumatoid arthritis and associated pains in the knees, but it is also helpful in treating gout. It is usually agreed upon that this particular treatment is usually long lasting because of its alkaline nature.

6. Dandelion: Dandelion's biological name is Taraxacum Officinale. It is rich in magnesium and is crucial for the correct mineralization of the bones. This mineralization allows the bones to become stronger and also prevents knee pain.

7.  Garlic: The medical name for garlic is allium sativum. Five to six cloves eaten everyday has proved to reduce knee pains.

8. Ginger: Ginger is biologically called Zingiber Officinale. These can be easily included in your diet and go a long way in curbing knee pain.

Ayurveda and Knee Pain

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