6 Most Common Arthritis Causes

Ask a doctor why you have arthritis and you’ll probably hear a rambling response involving vague phrases like “multiple causes”, “inflammation” and “genetics”.

There’s some truth to the fact that many things contribute to common disease. But most of these fly under the radar screen of most doctors (and many of their patients).

That’s why we are shedding light are 6 of the most common causes:

Smoking: It’s no secret that smoking rips your lungs to shreds. According to research published in Arthritis & Rheumatism, people who smoke have double the risk of developing arthritis than those that “say no to butts.”

How does a pack a day habit make your joints ache? Scientists have found that smoking dramatically escalates your body’s inflammation levels –the underlying cause of all arthritic conditions.

Eating Red Meat: You choose chicken over steak for your heart. But could that occasional breakfast bacon bout lead to arthritis?

Dorothy Pattison of National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society discovered that people who regularly red meat doubled their risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis. The saturated fat in red meat seems to bumps up inflammation –leading to arthritis.

Not Enough Vitamin C: A new study shows people who ate the least amount of fruits and vegetables were twice as likely to develop inflammation in the joints characteristic of rheumatoid arthritis compared with those who ate the most, and researchers say the antioxidant vitamin C seems to be largely responsible for the protective effect.

Researchers say people who had the lowest levels of vitamin C in their diet were three times more likely to develop inflammatory issues than people who got the most of the vitamin from fruits and vegetables, such as citrus fruits, strawberries, and raw, red sweet peppers.

Duke University researchers found that people who didn’t get enough vitamin C had higher rates of osteoarthritis –the most common form of this chronic condition.

Watching TV: People that watch TV are much more likely to suffer from the extra pounds that often lead to arthritis. Flipping channels actually burns less calories than sleeping. Also, inactive joints are much more susceptible to arthritis “flare ups”.

To prevent arthritis (and obesity) limit your TV watching to an hour or less per day.

Being Alone: Loneliness levels have reached an all-time high, with nearly half of 20,000 U.S. adults reporting they sometimes or always feel alone. This has  significantly increased in the past year. Drop by the neighbors house, pick up the phone, or shoot off an email: being socially connected significantly reduces your risk of struggling with severe arthritis.

Researchers at the University of Oxford found that people who were socially isolated tended to have a more severe condition than those with a strong social network.

Allergies: Believe it or not, allergies, whether seasonal or food-related, can affect joint pain. Allergy symptoms appear for a variety of reasons, but some symptoms — like joint pain — may occur because of the humidity and rapid temperature changes that accompany the spring season.

Whether you’re allergic to peanuts or pollen, those allergies can make your joints cry out in pain. Allergies make your body’s immune system go haywire –making inflammation spiral out of control.

That’s why people with allergies are much more likely to have arthritis joints than those who are allergy free.

21 Ways To Knock Out Arthritis You Don’t Know (But Should)

Knowing the causes of arthritis is one thing. Doing something about it is something else altogether.

To help you recover from arthritis in 21 short days, we’ve found a new program: Blue Heron Guide to Healing Arthritis. After you reserve your copy, you’ll learn the secrets that thousands of others have used to reverse their condition without needing mind-numbing medications or deadly surgical procedures.