Dubai: Once known as rheumatism and known chiefly as a condition for the aged, arthritis can no longer be dismissed as a concern of the greying population alone.
The painful affliction is now increasingly casting a shadow on younger generations, which makes everyday activities difficult for those who like to consider themselves active.
Estimates suggest that one in five people in the UAE are afflicted with arthritis and the autoimmune strain called juvenile arthritis can affect children as young as one. A delay in diagnosis and a lack of awareness about arthritis is aggravating the management of the disease in the UAE.
The facts are being revealed as the Middle East Arthritis Foundation (MEAF) prepares to observe World Arthritis Day on October 12.
In the UAE, the awareness day is celebrated over two days — October 11 and 12.
“There is a 1.2-year delay in the diagnosis of arthritis, which is damaging, as deformity in joints can set in as early as two months into the disease and leads very easily to disability. Imagine having a deformed thumb due to arthritis, which will soon make it difficult to grip anything. The other most important fact is that a high level of Vitamin D deficiency triggers osteoarthritis and, in cases of rheumatoid or autoimmune strain, the deficiency increases the disease activity,” said Dr Humeira Badshah, consultant rheumatologist, founder and board member of MEAF.
Major factors aggravating the condition are high levels of obesity and sedentary lifestyles. Weight reduction is a natural antidote to the condition as it reduces the stress on affected joints.
Doctors say that it is possible to manage rheumatoid arthritis with complementary treatment that includes low-impact exercises such as swimming, yoga and stretching that increase flexibility and strengthen the muscles around the affected joints.
“While there is no proven link to reduction of arthritis with special diets, it has been observed that having a diet rich in fruits and vegetables and including natural anti inflammatory supplements such as ginger, garlic and turmeric in your diet relieves the symptoms,” said Dr Badshah. “It is also recommended that arthritic patients cut out red meat and sugar from their diet, avoid refined food that contain artificial preservatives and limit gluten intake,” she added.
