World Autoimmune Arthritis Day

Home Care in Marlboro Township NJ

No matter how long you have been on a home care journey with your elderly parent, arthritis is likely something that you have thought about. Extremely common but also highly misunderstood, arthritis is not just a single disease, but rather a collection of diseases and conditions that impact the joints and tissues.

Understanding this distinction can help you to better appreciate what your parent is going through and work with their doctor to come up with a course of management and treatment that is right for their particular type of arthritis as well as their personal health goals.

May 19 is World Autoimmune Arthritis Day. This is an opportunity to raise awareness of the particular forms of arthritis caused by autoimmune disorders, and to educate seniors, their caregivers, and others about these diseases and the impact that they can make on life.

Not all autoimmune disorders have arthritis as a symptom or effect. Some of those that do, however, include:

• Crohn’s disease
• Sarcoidosis
• Wegener’s Granulomatosis
• Behcet’s disease
• Dermatomyositis
• Felty’s Syndrome
• Relapsing Polychondritis
• Scleroderma
• Jaccoud’s Arthritis
• Palindromic Rheumatism

There are many conditions that also frequently occur in conjunction with these types of arthritis. Some of these include:
• Dysautonomia
• Fibromyalgia
• Raynaud’s Phenomenon
• Vasculitis

The most common type of autoimmune arthritis, particularly among elderly adults, is rheumatoid arthritis. This condition occurs when the body’s immune system has a mistaken immune response and begins to attack its own tissues. Though many people think of this condition as only being something that impacts the joints, it can actually influence many different areas of the body, including the blood vessels, skin, heart, lungs, and eyes. This condition is inflammatory, meaning that it leads to painful swelling within the joints. Over time, the joints affected by rheumatoid arthritis can become deformed and twisted, making mobility and management of daily tasks more difficult or even impossible.

Some of the most common symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis include:
• Tender or swollen joints
• Warmth around the joints
• Stiffness in the joints that tends to be worse in the morning and after long periods of inactivity
• Fatigue
• Fever
• Unintentional weight loss

Most people will experience the signs and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis in the smaller joints and areas of the body first. The joints of the fingers and toes are particularly common sites, and it is most common that a person will experience the same types of symptoms in the same joints on either side of the body.
If you are concerned about your parent’s health and suspect that they might be suffering from autoimmune arthritis, or they already have an autoimmune condition and you are worried about the possibility of arthritis, get in touch with their doctor. They can determine if your parent is suffering from this type of condition or what you do to help reduce the risk of developing it. They can then give recommendations for ways that you and your parent’s in home health care services provider can help your loved one continue to enjoy a high quality of life while dealing with this type of condition.

If you or an aging loved one are considering home care in Marlboro Township, NJ, please contact the caring staff at Lares Home Care 1-800-781-7435 or 732-566-1112.

Sources:
http://www.worldautoimmunearthritisday.org/
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/rheumatoid-arthritis/home/ovc-20197388