When the body gets infected with toxins, these toxins can accumulate and lead to inflammations that develop into arthritis, gout, bursitis, fibromyalgia, joint and muscle inflammation, and a countless number of other diseases and conditions.
There is strong prove that some forms of arthritis may occur because of toxic substances in the intestines that may be absorbed by the human organism.
Approximately one-sixth of the total American population, nearly 40 million Americans, suffer from arthritis. About eighty percent of people over the age of fifty will experience arthritis in one of its many forms. Arthritis, however, is not entirely a problem of the aged. It can occur at any time and at any age. Under the age of forty-five, osteoarthritis is much more common in men. At age fifty-five, it makes a dramatic shift, becoming much more typical of women.
"Arthritis" has become the catchall term for over one hundred various diseases generally referred to as "rheumatic diseases". The American College of Rheumatologists list ten categories of rheumatic disease, including osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, gout, ankylosing spondylitis, Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), tendinitis, bursitis, fibromyalgia and a number of bone and cartilage disorders. "Arthritis" is, in fact, a major symptoms of this larger group.
The term arthritis is said to be derived from Greek and means "inflammation of a joint." Symptoms include swelling, stiffness, tenderness, redness, loss of joint function, degradation, deformity and pain that have become the symbol of the "rheumatic family of diseases." While not all forms of arthritic diseases are referred to as "inflammatory", each, in its own way, involves inflammation to some extent and affects not only the joints and secondary tissues, but the body as a whole. Movement can be severely impaired and the associated pain can be episodic, unpredictable in duration and can even fade away for an undetermined period of time, only to "flare-up" when least expected.
Over time these long-lasting "flare-ups" can leave a myriad of problems. The affected joints may become deformed or bent into unnatural positions. Loss of mobility can range from limited to severe, with some joints literally frozen in place. Fleshy nodules can appear under the skin and calcification is common. The whole body can experience fatigue. Eyes may become dry and inflamed, lymph nodes swell, the appetite is reduced, and sores refuse to heal. Compression of nerves and blood vessels can cause pain and vascular insufficiency. Cartilage loses its integrity, causing uneven joints and bone rubbing.
In short, the cumulative effects of arthritis wear on us to the point that we reach for a "quick fix' readily offered by hundreds of commercials and advertisements that claim symptoms and pain can be eliminated by reaching for an ever stronger dose of the most recent arthritis medication.
The primary medications used in the treatment of arthritis, particularly rheumatoid and osteoarthritis are nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAIDS) which include aspirin. Commonly, these medications have proven to be of only limited value. They often ease the symptoms, but speed up factors that promote the disease itself NSAIDS have been shown to greatly speed up the already hyperpermeable gastrointestinal tract of those who suffer from rheumatoid arthritis. Best selling author, Dr. Michael Murray, in his book Arthritis, says, "The use of NSAIDS are a significant cause of serious gastrointestinal tract reactions, including ulcer hemorrhage and perforation, and lead to as many as 20,000 hospitalizations and 2,600 deaths each year"
Aspirin is often useful in alleviating both the pain and inflammation of arthritis, how ever, since the therapeutic dose required is relatively high (two to four grams a day), toxicity is quite common. Tinnitis (ringing in the ears) and gastric irritation are early manifestations of toxicity
Among other NSAIDS are: Fenoprofen (Nalfon), Ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil, Nuprin), Indomethacin (Indocin, Indometh), Meclofenamate (Meclofen, Meclomen), Naproxen (Naprosyn), Piroxicam (Feldene), Sulindac (Clinoril) and Tolmetin (Tolectin).
Although these medications have not been proven to be more efficient than aspirin, they appear, in some cases, to be better endured. Usually, they are recommended for only short periods of time since prolonged use carries the risk of significant by-effects.
Most by-effects are the result of high doses that must be given in order to restrain the symptoms. The most typical by-effects of NSAIDS is damage to the intestinal tract and NSAID-induced peptic ulcer.' NSAIDS often cause allergic reactions, easy bleeding and bruising, ringing in the ears, fluid retention, heartburn, indigestion, abdominal cramps, gas, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, urinary tract infection, rashes, headaches, anxiety, depression, dizziness or fatigue, weight gain or loss.
In casae of taking high doses over long periods of time, NSAIDS may lead to kidney or liver damage
One serious by-effect of aspirin and other NSAIDS that is often overlooked is the inhibition of cartilage repair and acceleration of cartilage destruction. A number of clinical studies have shown that NSAIDS are associated with aggravation of osteoarthritis and raised joint destruction. The higher the dose and the longer the use of NSAIDS, the greater the joint destruction.
There is some prove that aspirin and other NSAIDS appear to ease the symptoms, but speed up the progression of osteoarthritis. Whenever possible, the use of these medications should be avoided or considerably reduced.
Discontinuing any medication should be done step by step over a period of time and under the direction of your health care provider.
A second class of commonly used medications for arthritis are the corticosteroids. These include cortisone hormones and synthetic corticosteroids like prednisone and methylprednisone. While the synthetics have less extreme by-effects, the long term use of synthetic corticosteroids, even at low doses, can cause serious, sometimes life- threatening problems. The least dangerous of these by-effects are: the growth of facial hair, acne, fluid retention, weight gain, easy bruising, insomnia, muscle wasting and headaches. More dangerous side effects are stomach ulcers, inflammation of the pancreas, and the leaching of calcium from the bones (osteoporosis), which makes fracturing easier. These drugs suppress the immune response and, as a result, increase the risk of bacterial infections. They can boost narrowing of the blood vessels by fatty deposits and calcification (atherosclerosis). They can cause cataracts and glaucoma. Some investigations show that they can oppress the normal functioning of the adrenal glands, suppressing the production of their natural hormones.
High doses of corticosteroids can spread previously limited infections to all parts of the body and can actually kill the living parts of bone, ultimately leding to bone collapse.
A third class of medications are known by two names: Slow Acting Anti-Rheumatic Drugs or SAARDS, and Disease Modifying Anti-Rheumatic drugs or DMARDS. As the first name implies, these medications take a long time to begin working, but eventually have some effect. They are used chiefly in the treatment of inflammatory forms of arthritis, especially rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis and arthritis associated with systemic lupus erythematosus.
The first group are antimalarials such as chloroquine (Aralen) and hydroxy-chloroquine (Plaquenil). Nausea, vomiting, headaches, nervousness, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, psoriasis, ringing in the ear and blurred vision can be the by-effects. As the risk of eye damage is great, most health care providers recommend an eye examination every six months.
D-penicillamine
More than twenty-five percent of people taking D-penicillamine (Cuprimine) quit within the first year due to its unwanted side effects. These include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, rashes, kidney damage, blood abnormalities, drug-induced lupus and myasthenia gravis (where muscles gradually be come weaker and weaker). Anyone taking this drug is advised to have regular blood and urine tests to determine whether they should continue its use.
To sum it up, the prognosis is not bright for the long term use of most of these drugs. In most cases, their benefit is greatly outweighed by significant toxicity. Their use often produces significant side effects that can only be suppressed with additional drugs. Dr. Michael Murray…states that "It is not uncommon for individuals with rheumatoid arthritis to be on 12 or more prescription drugs at one time."
Anyone who is considering using these or other arthritic medications should ask their health care professional about their side effects. Your physician can also provide assistance in exploring natural alternatives without the side effects.
Standard therapy recommended for those who suffer from arthritis is estimated to be a $10 billion-a-year industry in the U.S.A.. "How successful have these traditional treatments been?" A group of English Rheumatologists conducted a study from 1964 to 1986 (22 years) of 112 rheumatoid arthritis patients who had received aggressive treatment at a center for rheumatoid diseases in Great Britain. At the end of the study, "over one-third of the patients were dead and more than half were either dead or severely disabled" At the ten year mark, participating physicians had been optimistic The patient's condition and function seemed to improve initially. After ten years of treatment, however, their condition declined considerably and joint destruction progressed. At the twenty year mark, nineteen percent of the patients were severely disabled. (Apparently none of the remaining patients showed any improvement.) The authors concluded that the concept that drugs induce a remission in patients is fallacious.
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