Ladies’s Well being Month Collection: Rheumatology Reminders

For the fourth and last installment of our Ladies’s Well being Month weblog collection, we spoke with Lei Wang, MD, a rheumatologist with Dignity Well being Woodland Clinic. Dr. Wang shares steerage on frequent rheumatic ailments — that are situations that have an effect on joints, tendons, ligaments, bones, and muscle tissue.

What are some rheumatic situations ladies ought to concentrate on as they age?

Dr. Wang: There are a number of frequent rheumatic issues that may have an effect on individuals as they age, together with polymyalgia rheumatica, big cell arteritis, osteoarthritis, crystal arthritis and osteoporosis. Amongst these situations, the next are extra frequent in ladies, particularly after they enter menopause, round age 55:

• Osteoarthritis is harm to the cartilage on the finish of our bones, inflicting the bones throughout the joint to rub collectively and produce ache, swelling or lack of movement.
• Osteoporosis is a lack of bone mass or density, inflicting bones to develop into brittle and elevating the danger for bone breakage.

What preventative measures can ladies take to decrease their danger of those situations?

Dr. Wang: Taking calcium and vitamin D dietary supplements, each that are important vitamins for bone well being. Even ladies of their early teenagers ought to get satisfactory calcium of their weight-reduction plan to stop osteoporosis later in life.

Wholesome life-style habits will help cut back the danger of creating rheumatic situations, in addition to contribute to total good well being together with:

• Sustaining a wholesome weight
• Incorporating train into day by day exercise (cardio train, weight-bearing and resistance workouts)
• Quitting or avoiding smoking cigarettes
• Limiting alcohol consumption
• Eradicating potential risks from the house to stop falls or damage

Usually, osteoporosis signs are usually not noticeable, making screening particularly vital as we age. The earlier osteoporosis is detected, the earlier life-style adjustments will be carried out that may vastly cut back the danger of fractures. Ladies who’re postmenopausal and ladies over 65 years outdated ought to be screened for osteoporosis yearly. Should you discover a lack of top, stooped posture, low again ache, or an simply damaged bone, you need to speak to your physician about screening.

Contact your main care doctor or rheumatologist to debate and schedule annual screenings, or seek the advice of our “Discover a Physician” instrument to discover a Dignity Well being physician close to you.