CMC Joint Arthritis - What Foods Make Arthritis Worse?

CMC Joint Arthritis

Most of the people generally think that CMC joint pain also known as arthritis is a single disease. But the fact is arthritis is not a disease. It is a term that is described as a symptom shared by a group of diseases and conditions. Such a condition is also known as joint inflammation.

Are you feeling terrible pain while moving your joints? Are you unable to walk or move around comfortably? If yes, it is time to visit your doctor and seek medical attention. You may have CMC joint arthritis. This is commonly used as a unification term to describe a group of rheumatic diseases and related conditions.

It is a fact that, there are some foods which can cause arthritis. So, if you are looking for some effective preventive measures, you should first know about which foods and avoid them completely. Go through the article to learn which types of food can increases the chances of arthritis. So, that you can avoid such food and prevent such painful condition.

What do you mean by Arthritis?

The condition is defined as the joint’s inflammation. Arthritis can affect one, or sometimes it can affect multiple joints in the body. You will find 100 and more different types of arthritis, which develop due to different causes and require different treatment options. However, you can face two major types of arthritis, i.e., Osteoarthritis (OA) and Rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

You may not see the symptoms of arthritis suddenly as it generally develops with time. But in some cases, it may arise suddenly. The condition is generally seen in people aged 65 and above. In rare cases, it can also be seen in teens, younger adults, and children.

Common Symptoms of Arthritis

• You will feel mild to strong pain, swelling and stiffness in joints.
• You can feel a decrease in your range of movement.
• In some case, you may sense redness of the skin around the joint.
• People with CMC joint pain notice that their symptoms are worse during the morning time.
• Those who have RA can feel tired, and their appetite level will get reduced.
• You may become anaemic, a condition where the body’s red blood cell count decreases.
• You may develop a slight fever.
• In severe cases, if not treated on time, it can lead to joint deformity.

Treatment Options for Arthritis

Analgesics like hydrocodone or acetaminophen are quite effective in lowering the pain. You can also use NSAIDs- Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs to control pain and inflammation.

In severe cases, the doctor may suggest you go for a surgery, where your joint will be replaced with an artificial joint. In some cases, the doctor may go for joint fusion surgery.

Physical therapy involves different types of exercises which can strengthen the muscles located around the joint.

Some Foods Can be the Reason Behind Your Arthritis Condition

You must have heard about that Omega-6 Fatty Acids are quite important and they help you to develop good health and to live a healthy life. However, some of these fatty acids can reduce the inflammation, but there are some who can bring an opposite result, increasing inflammation and will make your arthritis condition worse.

There is a substance called arachidonic acid which is generally found in the Omega-6, creates a harmful compound in the body named eicosanoids. The eicosanoids can boost different negative symptoms like inflammation, blood pressure, and allergic. That’s why if you are suffering from CMC joint arthritis, you should avoid foods that carry eicosanoids. Some examples of such foods are cottonseed, corn oils, soybean, and mayonnaise. They come under the saturated and trans fats category foods. There are more such foods that you need to avoid completely to prevent arthritis as those foods can increase the chances of getting arthritis.[1]

Foods That Can Worsen Your Arthritis Condition

It is a common fact that you may not be thinking about your arthritis while buying groceries or eating in a restaurant. But by this, you are doing a big mistake, and you are indirectly leading your life to a dangerous situation. So, it’s high time that you should start thinking about those foods.

To make it easy for you, here are some foods that can increase your arthritis condition and you should avoid them.

If you have CMC joint pain, then it will be better for you to avoid processed foods. Process foods contain baked food and prepackaged meals and snacks. The reason behind this is the process contains more amount of trans fats which keep them preserved for a long time. But talking about the negative effect of trans fats on the human body, this particular food compound can trigger systemic inflammation. So, if you don’t want to encounter this painful condition, then start avoiding foods labelled as contain hydrogenated oils.

The proteins compounds which are generally found in most of the dairy product can increase the chances of Rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Some people have RA illiberal to such proteins. Their bodies create antibodies to deal with milk proteins. They attack those proteins. But some studies have proved that not all the RA patient’s body react in the same way. A study conducted in 2015 found that even though milk improves the knee pain caused by osteoarthritis, cheese makes it worse.

Foods that come with processed sugar such as candy, soda, packaged fruit juice, chocolate, etc. can boost the release of cytokine proteins in the body. These proteins develop inflammation, exacerbating various arthritis symptoms as per a study which was published in the Journal Rheumatology, processed sugar, and sweet increase the pain. Doctors assume that it is the glucose levels of the body which develop painful symptoms in the body, casing CMC joint arthritis. While buying food watch out for different sugar labels such as fructose, maltose, sucrose, and corn syrup.  

Meats carry a high level of fats and calories which can easily increase the cholesterol level and inflammation. Such particle can easily get metabolized into harmful chemicals. It will be more worsen if you sear, fry or grill the meat at a high temperature. Because when you heat the meat at high temperatures, it releases toxins known as Advanced Glycation End products (AGEs).  The AGEs damage the body’s protein and stimulate inflammation. As per the health professionals, a higher level of AGEs can increase the inflammation. Not only the fried chicken, but you should also avoid fried foods like donuts and French fries. Such food contains high level of AGEs as we as the trans fats.

Such food includes white pasta, crackers, white pasta and more. It was found that refined grains increase the level of glucose in the blood, causing inflammation. Refined grains carry a high level of refined carbohydrates. As per the Arthritis Foundation, such food hikes the production of AGEs and create inflammation. The human body turns the refined grain into sugar much faster and as mentioned above sugar is highly inflammatory. Choose whole or multi-grain food whenever possible. There is another factor about the refined grains is if you have sensitivities toward gluten, you can face joint pain and inflammation when you consume wheat products.

Cream cheese, margarine, mayonnaise, butter, etc. carry a high level of saturated fats and AGEs. These foods are well known as inflammation triggers, and you must consume them as low as possible.  

Coffee can increase the chances of RA in the body. Some researchers have stated that coffee has some ingredients which can boost the rheumatoid factor, causing RA. The finding is based on a study coffee drinker who drank boiled coffee. In 2009, a study published in Arthritis Research and Therapy informed that the decaffeinated coffee could cause RA. So, it will be better for you to drink antioxidant-rich tea.

Some oils like soy oils, corn oils, safflower oils, sunflower oils, etc. carry a high level of Omega-6 fatty acids. Prefer to take a small dose of them. Because excessive consumption of Omega-6 can increase the inflammatory chemical level in the body.

If you think alcohol only affects the liver, then you are wrong. Alcohol also disturbs the interaction process between different organs, causing inflammation. There are some researches which have suggested that by consuming red wine you can make your heart, muscles, and joints healthy. But excessive consumption of alcohol can enhance the production of cytokines, which is a major inflammatory. One glass per day will be enough for women. For men, keep it to two glasses per day.

By avoiding foods and drinks which can trigger inflammation in the body is not the only preventive measure for CMC joint arthritis. You need to maintain an anti-inflammatory diet which can help you in preventing chronic health issues like diabetes and disease.

There is a lot of things which you can do to preserve your joint function, mobility, and quality of life. This is also important to have proper knowledge about the condition and treatment options. Spend some time for physical activities.

References

1..https://www.arthritis-health.com/blog/kitchen-arthritis-foods-avoid