“Indian women above 40 are more prone to arthritis”

October 13, 2009 04:30 pm | Updated December 17, 2016 04:45 am IST - CHENNAI

Chennai:12-10-2009: Seminar on Arthritis and Management, at Hotel GRT on Monday. S.Ve. Shekher, M.L.A, V.K. Subburaj, Principal Secretary , Dept of Health and Family Welfare, Govt. of Tamil Nadu, and Dr. Sivamurugan,(Center) are in the picture. Photo:R_Shivaji Rao NICAID:111421395

Chennai:12-10-2009: Seminar on Arthritis and Management, at Hotel GRT on Monday. S.Ve. Shekher, M.L.A, V.K. Subburaj, Principal Secretary , Dept of Health and Family Welfare, Govt. of Tamil Nadu, and Dr. Sivamurugan,(Center) are in the picture. Photo:R_Shivaji Rao NICAID:111421395

On World Arthritis Day observed on Monday, hospitals in the city organised meetings and rallies for adults and children with the aim of creating more awareness of the disease. The theme of this year was ‘Let’s Work Together.’

According to doctors, awareness about rheumatoid arthritis, which could affect anyone, is low. “There is need for employers to understand that people suffering from rheumatoid arthritis will take longer time to dress and take leave more often,” S. Sivamurugan, Director of Soundarapandian Bone and Joint Hospital and Research Institute, told a gathering of senior citizens here on Monday.

The Institute had organised a seminar on arthritis and management, which was attended by Member of Legislative Assembly S.Ve. Shekher, and Health Secretary V.K. Subburaj. Mr. Shekher said people avoid going to the doctor because it is expensive. But, it would be wise to attend to a health problem immediately and pay attention to the doctor’s advice. People should take a medical insurance as it would prevent them from worrying about unexpected expenses later, he said.

Mr. Subburaj said that the State government offered excellent medical facilities, which is also sought by people from 55 other countries. About 1,500 of the 5,000 surgeries done under the recently introduced health insurance scheme of the State government were related to orthopaedic problems, he said.

Indian women over the age of 40 are more prone to arthritis while in the West women over 60 are affected by the disease, Dr. Sivamurugan said. Arthritis of the hip is common in the West, whereas in India arthritis of the knee is more common.

Even youngsters could become arthritic. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), found generally in youngsters could progress very quickly confining a person to the wheel chair. Among the elderly, osteo arthritis is more common. RA results in reddish, swollen joints whereas osteo arthritis is due to wear and tear. Exercises to strengthen quadricep muscles would prevent arthritis. There are now machines to measure the strength of these muscles, he said.

Geriatrician V.S. Natarajan said people over the age of 65 should go for a medical check up every six months and avoid self-medication. Low calorie, fibre-rich diet that included two glasses of milk, greens and a seasonal fruit every day will prevent diseases. Regular walking is necessary to maintain the health of bones, he said.

Rally held

More than 800 students from three different schools participated in an awareness rally organised by Parvathy Hospital, Chromepet. The rally, which commenced at MIT Playgrounds and culminated near TB Sanatorium, was inaugurated by educationist K. Narayan Rao and Madras Institute of Technology Dean A. Joseph Stanley. SCS Matriculation Higher Secondary School Correspondent, V. Santhanam, explained the various medical facilities available to treat arthritis.

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.