Seniors face a number of health related issues, often simply as the result of aging, but also because over time their body is at an increased risk of developing an illness. Of the many conditions common to those over sixty, arthritis is one of the most commonplace disorders, which can have a very large impact on a senior's daily life.
One of the most common misconceptions about arthritis is that it only affects the elderly, but this is not actually the case. Arthritis can affect even children who are very young, however it is far more common among the elderly. In fact, among seniors, arthritis is the single most common mobility related disorder. Another misconception about arthritis is that it is only a single disease, but arthritis is actually a very broad term used to describe over a hundred different disorders.
Even though there are many different types of arthritis and it can affect the body in many ways, it is commonly a joint disorder, which affects the cartilage and bones around an individuals joints.
Osteoarthritis is the most common form of senior arthritis and is called wear-and-tear arthritis, as a result of it typically being the result of time and use in a joint. The risk of this type of degenerative arthritis is much more common among those who play certain high impact sports, such as soccer, or professions such as farming, where the individual might perform the same repetitive motion over and over again. The Knee is the most likely joint to be affected by osteoarthritis, however it can also affect a number of other joints, including those in the hand or feet. Generally, this will only affect a single side of the body and not both sides at once, unlike many other types of arthritis.
Another common type of arthritis is rheumatoid arthritis, however this is generally not the direct result of joint use, but is considered to be an autoimmune disorder. With an autoimmune disorder, the immune system, which is the part of the body responsible for fighting infection, begins attacking healthy tissue and body parts. In rheumatoid arthritis, this results in the cartilage and are around a joint being broken down, resulting in joint damage. Unlike many other kinds of arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis can extend to organs as well as joints. In most seniors with rheumatoid arthritis, joints are attacked symmetrically, so that those on both of the side of the body are affected at once.
While rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis are by far the most common kinds of elderly arthritis, with wear-and-tear arthritis being exceptionally common, there are over a hundred other kinds of arthritis and many affect the elderly. In addition, the elderly are at risk for a number of other diseases and conditions, like osteoporosis, which affects bone strength. In many seniors, it is a combination of these sorts of diseases working together that significantly decrease mobility, as well as increase the risk for injury.
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