Arthritis Awareness Month

By Jamie Shapiro | April 20, 2016 | Comments Off on Arthritis Awareness Month

Senior Care in Lake Forest IL

Feeling a bit of pain and stiffness, or having some “creaks” in their joints may seem like something that just comes along with aging. Your parent might even joke about being able to predict the weather with their stiff and achy joints. In the context of your senior care journey, however, it is important that you realize this pain and stiffness is not an inevitable part of aging and is not something that your parent just has to deal with. May is Arthritis Awareness Month. This health observance is set aside to help people understand arthritis and what they can do to help their loved ones cope with it in their daily lives.

 

Some things that you should know about arthritis include:

  • More than 50 million adults throughout the United States are currently suffering from arthritis
  • This accounts for 20 percent of people over the age of 18
  • By the year 2030 doctors expect that more than 67 million adults will have received a diagnosis of arthritis
  • Nearly 50 percent of adults have developed arthritis in at least one knee by the age of 85
  • More than 90 percent of adults who are obese will develop arthritis in at least one knee at some point in their lives
  • 25 percent of adults will develop arthritis in at least one hip by the age of 85
  • More than 49 percent of adults over the age of 65 report a diagnosis of some form of arthritis
  • Nearly 60 percent of adults who have heart disease also have arthritis
  • More than 50 percent of adults who have diabetes also have arthritis
  • Nearly 45 percent of adults who have high blood pressure also have arthritis
  • 30 percent of adults over the age of 45 who have arthritis also have anxiety and/or depression
  • 38 percent of adults who have arthritis report that they get no aerobic activity in their leisure time

 

Though the medical community is still not completely sure what causes arthritis, there are some factors that seem to increase the chances of a person developing one of these conditions. These risk factors include:

  • Family history of arthritis
  • Excessive wear and tear on the joints
  • Muscle weakness
  • Persistent inactivity
  • Injuries to the muscles or joints, particularly those that cause weakness or prolonged periods of inactivity
  • Being overweight or obese
  • Overuse of the joints such as through performing the same movements repetitively
  • Age

 

Though some of these risk factors are outside of your control, you can make changes and decisions in your senior care journey to help protect your aging loved one from this disease. Get in touch with their doctor to discuss their risk for developing arthritis or to determine if they already have. Ask the doctor for recommendations of ways that you can protect your aging parent and improve their overall health and wellbeing. Some common ways to reduce the risk of this disease as well as to help ease the challenges associated with it include losing weight, eating a healthier diet, and getting more physical activity.

 

If you or an aging loved one are considering senior care in Lake Forest, IL, contact the caring staff at Companion Services of America today at (847) 943-3786. Our home care service area includes Northbrook, Highland Park, Deerfield, Glenview, Buffalo Grove, Evanston, Des Plaines, Skokie, Lake Forest, Wilmette and the surrounding areas.

 

Sources:

https://www.arthritis.org/about-arthritis/understanding-arthritis/arthritis-statistics-facts.php

https://www.cdc.gov/arthritis/data_statistics/arthritis-related-stats.htm

https://www.healthcommunities.com/arthritis/causes.shtml

Jamie Shapiro
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