Osteoarthritis is one of the most common conditions affecting older women. The joint disorder is commonly known as “wear-and-tear” arthritis because it involves the wearing or thinning of the cartilage or tissue around the joints and is more likely to afflict older people.
In India, for example, women are three times more likely to develop osteoarthritis than men. Much of this is considered by doctors to be because of lifestyle, such as failing to have a balanced diet and a lack of exercise, as well as being overweight and doing too much lifting and bending as part of a daily regime in the home or at work. While the disease does typically affect women over the age of 50, it can also strike at a younger age because of a bone fracture or other joint injury.
Many doctors are now working to raise awareness of the condition and to advise patients of how they can avoid developing osteoarthritis by implementing lifestyle and dietary changes, such as losing weight, wearing shoes with a lower heel and indulging in regular exercise to increase joint mobility and flexibility.
For those unfortunate individuals who do develop osteoarthritis, there is no cure and only pain relief to alleviate the worst of the symptoms. When the condition worsens, often a joint replacement operation is required and this is one area where your gender may dictate what kind of replacement joint you are given. In knee surgery, for example, implants are now being specifically designed for female patients that take into account the different physiological make-up of men and women.
Osteoarthritis remains a high-risk condition for all women, all over the world, and may often be unavoidable. But implementing simple changes to diet and lifestyle may help keep the condition at bay.
Comments are closed.