¿Qué puedes hacer para ayudar a prevenir la artritis?

What causes arthritis?

Artritis simply means inflammation and pain in one or more of your joints - the areas connecting two bones that allow you to move various parts of your body. There are more than 100 types of arthritis and related conditions, each with their own root causes and contributing factors.

Can you prevent arthritis?

There is no sure way to prevent arthritis. However, you can lead a lifestyle that reduces your chances of developing the condition and delays the onset of certain types of arthritis.

Arthritis can't always be avoided, because some higher likelihoods are not modifiable - there isn't anything you can do about them.

Healthy lifestyle habits to help prevent arthritis

Arthritis prevention focuses on what you can control - the habits and behaviours in your day-to-day life that you can change to reduce your odds, or delay the onset, of this condition.

If you have healthy joints now, take good care of them and help protect against future pain and immobility by following these joint-friendly rules.

Maintain a healthy weight

Osteoarthritis (OA) generally develops in people over 50 years of age. However, la obesidad is the main preventable contributor to OA that can cause people of younger age to experience the arthritis symptoms of joint pain and stiffness. This is because carrying excess body weight places extra pressure and stress on your joints. At the same time, an increase in fat cells promotes inflammation.

Ejercítate regularmente

Regular exercise is a common treatment for types of arthritis, including rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Low-impact exercise limits wear and tear while helping to keep your joints strong, as well as the bones and muscles surrounding and supporting them.

Follow a healthy diet

The benefits of a healthy diet are almost endless, but one form of arthritis that diet plays a particularly important role in is gout. This condition is caused by an excess of uric acid in your bloodstream, and what you eat can contribute to this.

Dejar de fumar

Fumar is the most significant lifestyle change you can make to reduce your chance of developing RA. This is a form of arthritis that causes inflammation in your joints because your immune system mistakenly attacks your own healthy tissues. Smoking triggers inflammation and may also cause your body to make anti-CCP antibodies - a protein specific to the development of RA.

Limit alcohol

Alongside certain foods, alcohol can also raise your uric acid levels and trigger a gout attack. Alcohol stimulates the production of this chemical in your liver, and beer in particular contains large quantities of purines, contributing further to uric acid production. One study confirmed that regular beer drinkers had a greater likelihood of getting gout compared to those who drink equivalent amounts of wine and spirits.

Protect against sports injuries

Aunque lesiones deportivas are accidental, warming up before playing and wearing proper safety equipment - such as supportive footwear and knee pads - could help prevent arthritis caused by joint damage. One of the main causes of OA in people under 50 years is prior sports joint injuries such as ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) y meniscus tears in the knee.