How To Prevent Arthritis

Arthritis is a disease that damages the joints in your body. You may experience joint swelling, pain, or stiffness. There are many types of arthritis, each with its own cause. The most common type, osteoarthritis, develops as tissues in your joints break down over time. Other forms of arthritis, such as rheumatoid arthritis, develop because your immune system attacks the body.

Depending on the type, arthritis may sometimes be preventable. For example, you can try to prevent infectious arthritis (arthritis caused when an infection spreads to your joints) by keeping cuts and wounds clean.

Arthritis isn't completely preventable. However, there might be risk factors you can address and lifestyle changes you can make to lower your chance of developing the condition.

Even if you've already been diagnosed with arthritis, you can do things to prevent or delay joint pain. Prevention of symptoms focuses on lifestyle changes and early, aggressive treatment through regular screenings with a rheumatologist (a doctor who specializes in musculoskeletal and systemic, or whole body, autoimmune conditions).

Who Is Most at Risk?

Some people are more at risk for developing arthritis:

• Sex: Females are more at risk for developing rheumatoid arthritis (RA) than men. Meanwhile, gout is more common in men. Researchers aren’t sure why there is a link between gender and certain types of arthritis.
• Age: Your chance of developing arthritis increases with age. Arthritis risk peaks in your 60s. At this time, your immune system starts to weaken, and your joints are damaged by wear and tear.
• Health conditions: If you have a history of lung disease, you have a greater risk of RA.
• Infections: Certain infections can trigger autoimmune diseases like RA by causing widespread changes to your immune system. Common infections linked to arthritis include Lyme disease and gonorrhea.
• Ethnicity: Native Americans have the highest rates of RA, followed by people of European ancestry. People of Asian ancestry have the lowest rates of RA.
  
• Birthing experience: If you had a complicated birthing experience, like a miscarriage or high-risk pregnancy, you may be more likely to develop RA in the future. These stressful health moments may cause an immune reaction that causes widespread inflammation.
• Economic status: People with a lower economic status may be more likely to develop arthritis. This may be because they can have a harder time accessing adequate healthcare.
• Work: Some people may have jobs that predispose them to arthritis. For example, construction workers are more likely to have joint pain.
• Smoking status: Research indicates smoking significantly increases your risk of developing RA. Your risk increases if you’re smoked for longer and more frequently.

Genetics

Arthritis can be hereditary, but lifestyle factors can influence whether or not the genes are expressed. That means you may have the genes that make you predisposed for certain types of arthritis, but environmental conditions may or may not trigger the gene to cause arthritis symptoms.

Researchers believe 30-60% of RA cases are caused by your genes and 40-70% are caused by your environment. If your family members have RA, you have a higher risk of also having it. However, you can change your environment to help prevent the onset.

Each type of arthritis can have its own genetic background. For example, researchers have linked ankylosing spondylitis (a type of arthritis that affects the spine and big joints) to the HLA-B27 gene. Ankylosing spondylitis is strongly linked to genetics, and 90% of white people with the disease have this gene. If your parents or siblings have ankylosing spondylitis, there’s a 20% chance you'll develop it.

Osteoarthritis has not been linked to a single gene but to over 100 DNA variations. Overall, these changes account for about 20% of your chance of developing the disease. Researchers are still discovering more genes that may play a role in osteoarthritis.

How To Reduce Risk

You can reduce your risk of developing symptomatic arthritis by getting regular testing to promote an early diagnosis and aggressive treatment. You can also make lifestyle changes to lower your risk.

Get Tested

There may be signs that your immune system is starting to change at a biological level before you feel any physical changes. Antibodies are circulating within your body years before your first painful joint. If you can receive a diagnosis, you may be able to treat your RA or other autoimmune-related arthritis type and prevent symptoms.

If you have a high risk of developing RA, consider getting tested regularly by a rheumatologist (a doctor specializing in autoimmune and joint conditions). The blood tests are quick and painless. During these visits, you should report any new changes to your joints.

Your healthcare provider may screen you for arthritis by asking about your family history. They may perform a physical exam to determine if you have any joint tenderness, swelling, or warmth. Sometimes, they may request an imaging test to visualize any joint changes. If they believe you may have early arthritis, they will start treatment to prevent the progression of the disease and promote remission.

Adopt Certain Lifestyle Habits

Factors like diet, weight, sleep, stress, and smoking can all play a role in arthritis development. Practicing certain habits may be able to reduce your risk of arthritis.

Diet

Eating a diet rich in vegetables, fruits, and fiber may help prevent RA. Doing so may help regulate your immune system and reduce joint erosion. The Mediterranean diet has also shown promise in preventing rheumatoid arthritis. That diet, which prioritizes plant-based foods and limits processed foods, can also help improve outcomes in osteoarthritis.

Weight

Maintaining the body weight you and your healthcare provider decide is best for you may help prevent some forms of arthritis. Overweight and obesity are risk factors for arthritis. They can increase your risk of developing infections and cause trauma to your joints. Regular aerobic exercise can reduce your chances of developing arthritis while helping you maintain a weight that supports your joints.

If you've already developed arthritis, weight loss and physical therapy may help prevent the progression of arthritis.

Sleep

Regular sleep protects your brain from stress and certain hormone changes. These hormones help regulate your immune system. When you lose sleep, you risk increasing the inflammation in your body. Prioritize regular sleep to help prevent arthritis.

Stress

Mental stress can trigger changes to your immune system, weakening it and making you more prone to developing an infection. Infections can cause some forms of arthritis.

Stress can also cause an inflammatory response in the immune system. RA, psoriatic arthritis (PsA), and ankylosing spondylitis are some forms of arthritis caused by inflammation in the immune system. The longer you experience stress, the more the inflammation can affect you.

Smoking

Smoking is a strong risk factor for arthritis. Smoking stresses your body and causes joint inflammation. By avoiding smoking, you may be able to prevent future joint pain.

Take Medications

Sometimes, early treatment can prevent symptoms from causing further damage to the joints. The goal is to start treatment within the first six months of symptoms.

Typically, clinicians use disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) to aggressively treat arthritis during this time. Early treatment with DMARDs can promote total remission. Some people can halt their medication without any damage to their joints.

Altering your gut’s microbiome may help prevent some forms of arthritis, including RA. Fish oil plays a major role in lowering the widespread inflammation in your body. Because inflammation is a hallmark symptom of arthritis, fish oil may also prevent tender joints and morning stiffness.

You can also incorporate prebiotics and probiotics into your medication regimen to help prevent inflammation from causing arthritis symptoms. The prebiotic inulin and probiotics within the Bifidobacterium group may help prevent RA development or changes.

When To See a Healthcare Provider

You might want to consider going to a healthcare provider about arthritis if you are experiencing symptoms like pain, swelling, or stiffness in one or more joints. This is especially true if the symptoms last three or more days or you've experienced the symptoms several times within a month.

Even if you aren't experiencing any joint symptoms, you might want to talk to your healthcare provider about your concerns about developing arthritis and ask for preventative measures you can take. If you're considering making any major lifestyle changes or have had a change in medical history, you should discuss that with them as well.

A Quick Review

Arthritis is swelling or stiffness in the joints that can be caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. There are many types of arthritis, and while they might not be completely preventable, you can do things to lower your risk of developing them.

Even if you've already been diagnosed with arthritis, you can take steps to prevent its progression. Following a balanced diet, managing weight, and reducing stress are examples of lifestyle changes you can make to help prevent or delay arthritis onset or progression.