• Recently I discovered an article about what your hands can tell you about your health. It seems that they can say quite a bit.

    It seems there is a correlation between the length of certain fingers and arthritis so I thought I should let you know about it. Although on the surface, this seems ridiculous, it is still worth looking into.

    Finger length is something usually predetermined whilst still in the womb. Could it mean that the longer finger means there was more exposure to certain hormones, such as testosterone, as in the case of ring fingers. With index fingers that are longer, higher exposure to estrogen is suggested. Some cancers, like breast cancer, for example, is estrogen fueled. The leap then is to suggest that longer index fingers could mean a higher exposure to breast cancer. Just as in men, more testosterone could indicate a higher rate of prostate cancer.

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  • We all love our pets. When they are happy we are happy. When they get older, just like humans, they slow down and are often prone to arthritis. There are several forms of pet arthritis treatment. Some veterinarians describe it as degenerative joint disease.

    In dogs, it is often the hips and back legs that get arthritis and this particularly in larger dogs like Labradors, golden retrievers, etc. Cats unfortunately can suffer too when they get older. It’s not fun for them. Dogs love to go where their human companions go, and going upstairs or up and down from couches can become a problem. The same with cats, who especially love higher places. Many a caring cat owner has bought steps to help their cat manage to get to their favorite places.

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  • Well it’s similar to us humans. Arthritis is usually found in older or even geriatric cats. It can be found in younger cats, but that’s not so common. Again similar to humans.

    Still, whoever has arthritis, is not exactly going for a joy ride and there are steps you can take to make sure your cat remains healthy and will possibly bypass this chronic and painful disease.

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  • Although many of us humans have arthritis and all the chronic pain and trauma that goes with it, it can equally affect our pets. Just like us, as pets age, they get slower, sleep more and they could be a victim to this insidious disease. Older cats are prone to it. The larger the dog breed, the more likely they are to get it, but it can affect smaller breeds too.

    First of all, how do you know if your beloved pet is suffering from arthritis? If you know your pet well, and of course you do, you will notice that something is out of balance. Then you observe him or her well. The signs could be that getting up or settling down seems to be causing problems, excessive sleep (mind you cats, for example, sleep away most of the day as it is). Also favoring one limb over another could be a sign. Being  less alert as though their attention is on something internal.The next step would be to visit your veterinarian. He or she will check out the animal and look for obvious signs. Just like us, pets can receive NSAIDs which are non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Just like us, they can have problems with certain drugs, so if your pet is on NSAIDs, check carefully that they are doing him more good than harm. Your veterinarian will let you know what to look for.

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  • What could be worse that this awful joint pain and stiffness, you wonder as you try to will yourself out of bed. While the pain and fatigue that goes along with rheumatoid arthritis can be excruciating and is without a doubt a possibly debilitating condition, there is actually a form of arthritis that is worse. Psoriatic arthritis is a form of the disease that affects not only the joints, but also the skin, and possibly the tendons, eyes, spine, heart and lungs.

    In most people who suffer from psoriatic arthritis, the first sign that something is wrong is the inflammation of the skin. Patients can develop psoriasis on their elbows, knees, scalp, and area around the navel and around the anus or genitals. Psoriasis causes red, raised areas of scaly skin. The signs of the skin disease are first seen in the forties or fifties and generally precede joint pain by several months to years. Once the joint pain starts, it generally involves the joints in the feet, ankles and knees. Inflammation can cause the joints to become red, hot and swollen. Often toes and fingers swell so badly they can resemble sausages. Psoriatic arthritis can also affect the spine.

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