Tidbits of Coachella Valley
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TRIVIA NEWSFRONT
your body
"Fearfully and wonderfully made" One in a series
February 2 is observed as Rheumatoid Arthritis Day, giving Tidbits the opportunity to investigate this autoimmune disease and its effects on the human body.
• The body’s immune system normally protects ADVERTISING PROOF your body from disease. But for those afflicted (Answers on page 16) with with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), the immune Fri., JAN. 12 Changes DUE: 5:00 p.m.. CLIP AND SAVE system mistakenly attacks the healthy tissue arefully. Double check: Phone Number(s) Spelling Prices Hours lining the joints. Although the exact cause is as our Tidbits representative immediately with changes or corrections. yet unknown, research indicates that it’s caused -320-0997 email: valleybits@msn.com Fax: 760-320-1630 by a combination of genetics, hormones, and environmental factors. The immune system can be triggered by an infection, stress, or even a change in the weather.
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• RA creates inflammation that can cause joint erosion and permanent damage. The inflammation harms cartilage, which is the joints’ “shock absorber.”
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1. GENERAL KNOWLEDGE: What is the last name of Ken, who was Barbie’s boyfriend? 2. TELEVISION: In the sitcom “The Office,” the company is in which U.S. city? 3. GEOGRAPHY: In which country is The Matterhorn located? 4. MUSIC: Which 1990s group was the singer Beyonce a part of? 5. U.S. STATES: In which state is Monument Valley located? 6. LITERATURE: In which children’s book do the characters Tweedledee and Tweedledum appear? 7. MATH: In Roman numerals, what is XLVIII divided by XII? 8. MEDICAL: What is a common name for polythelia? 9. CHEMISTRY: How many elements are listed on the Periodic Table? 10. MOVIES: What is the year of the Olympics in the movie “Chariots of Fire”? Answers (Trivia Test answers page 16) 1. His full name is Kenneth Sean Carson. 2. Scranton, Pennsylvania. of Coachella Valley
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• Those born with a variation in the Human Leukocyte Antigen gene are more prone to develop RA. These genes assist the immune systems to distinguish the difference between proteins manufactured by the body and proteins from disease, viruses, and bacteria. • RA affects upwards of 1.3 million people in the U.S., affecting 2.5 times more females than males. Although it usually starts to develop between the ages of 30 and 60, it can attack children and young adults, and those older than 60. Smokers have a higher risk as do those who are obese. Family history also plays into increased chances. • Rheumatoid arthritis isn’t the same as osteoarthritis. With osteoarthritis (OA), the cartilage between the joints breaks down, usually due to wear and tear, with the bones on either side of the cartilage aching. With RA, the immune system sees the joints as enemies and attacks them. OA usually affects the joints you use most, such as your hands, spine, hips, and knees, while RA attacks smaller joints in the hands and feet. RA also occurs in the same joints on both sides of the body and can eventually
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result in bone erosion and joint deformity. • RA goes after the body’s smaller joints first, specifically the joints that attach the fingers to the hands and the toes to the feet. It then spreads to the wrists, knees, ankles, elbows, hips, and shoulders. The damage usually occurs within the first two years, making it vital to see a medical specialist as soon as symptoms are noticed, when damage can be slowed. • Tender, warm swollen joints are one of the first things that people notice, along with stiffness that is worse in the mornings and after periods of inactivity. Many say that fatigue is the worst symptom, accompanied by fever and loss of appetite. • It’s not just the joints that can be affected. RA can also damage the skin, eyes, lungs, heart, blood vessels, kidneys, nerve tissue, and salivary glands. About 40 percent of those with RA experience symptoms that don’t involve the joints. • Controlling joint inflammation is one of the keys to slowing joint damage and reducing pain. While Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) and corticosteroids, such as prednisone, ibuprofen and cortisone, help reduce chronic pain, inflammation, stiffness, and swelling, they do not slow down the disease. Drugs known as DMARDs slow the disease by modifying the immune system. They are antirheumatic drugs that block critical pathways inside immune cells, suppressing the immune system to control inflammation.
