Daily care for arthritis patients in the fall and winter

  Arthritis is a common and frequent disease in China. About 90% of rheumatoid arthritis patients are sensitive to climate change. Local swelling and pain in the joints can be aggravated when it is cloudy, rainy, windy or stimulated by cold or damp. Therefore, it is important to pay attention to the influence of climate and seasons on the disease, to achieve prevention and to pay attention to avoiding cold and keeping warm. Protect your joints against cold and moisture, make use of knee pads, wrist guards, stockings and gloves, and avoid direct contact with cold things. Before going to bed at night, use hot water or add Chinese herbal medicine to soak the feet, the water temperature should be 43-46 ℃, the time is 20-30 minutes, the liquid surface should exceed the ankle joint, patients with conditions allow the use of hot water bath (except for those with broken joints), in order to promote blood circulation and enhance the body’s resistance.  The diet of arthritis patients should be high in protein, medium in fat, low in sugar, high in vitamins, medium in calories and low in salt. The ratio of carbohydrate, protein and fat in the diet is 3:2:1. Since fat can produce ketone bodies during the oxidation process in the body, too much ketone body will stimulate the joints and make the pain worse, which is extremely unfavorable to the recovery of rheumatoid, therefore, the intake of high-fat food should be limited. Use more vegetable oils, less animal oils, salad oil, corn oil, olive oil, sunflower oil is better.  Patients with arthritis need to pay special attention to functional joint exercises because they can relieve joint pain, reduce joint stiffness, increase joint mobility and flexibility, and prevent muscle atrophy in order to maintain daily living ability. Specific methods such as: daily finger exercises in the morning and at bedtime under the guidance of a doctor; insist on daily walks, etc.  The role of mental factors in the rehabilitation and treatment of diseases should never be ignored. Modern physiology has proved that human mental activity can cause changes within the body. Optimism and confidence can mobilize the great potential inside the body, influence endocrine, accelerate the metabolic process, enhance the body’s ability to resist disease, and promote the healing of disease. A good family environment and a harmonious atmosphere are very important for the treatment and recovery of arthritis patients.  The most important point is that arthritis patients need to adhere to long-term, regular, and regular doses of medication in order to reduce the recurrence of arthritis. Watch your weight and prevent excessive obesity. Use medication under the guidance of a doctor and regularly test blood tests, liver function and other safety indicators. Stable patients should reduce and withdraw medication under the guidance of a doctor to prevent arthritis from “rebounding”. Seek early medical attention in case of recurrence to avoid aggravating organ damage.