Dealing With Temporal Arthritis

Arthritis is a common disease that affects people of all ages but temporal arthritis affects only those over the age of 50 and is also known as the giant cell arthritis. Temporal arthritis is an inflammatory disease that affects the medium sized blood vessels that are responsible of carrying the blood to the head and eyes.

The Cause And Symptoms Of Temporal Arthritis

The exact cause of temporal arthritis is not known but it has been found usually in patients that are suffering from polymylagia rhuematica or other conditions that restrict the blood supply. The common symptoms of temporal arthritis are: headaches, blurred vision, drooping eye lids, tenderness of scalp, loss of appetite, sore neck, fever and fatigue.

If you are experiencing any of the above symptoms and are over the age of 50 a doctor’s check up would be recommended as soon as possible. It is important that you start a treatment immediately as temporal arthritis can cause vision loss.

Treating Temporal Arthritis

Because temporal arthritis affects your vision you may have to consult an ophthalmologist who will work with your doctor in order to administer you steroid medication that can be taken orally or by injection. Depending on the stage of your temporal arthritis you can see improvements within a few days or may have to continue the treatments for several weeks.

It is important you work with your own doctor as well as the ophthalmologist in order to successfully find relief and get back your normal self; your doctor will be of great help, as he knows your medical history and your present state of health, which is necessary in order to prescribe the present treatment. If temporal arthritis is left untreated you may loose your sight with time but if you consult the doctor immediately you can save your vision.

Helpful Tip

As we age it is important we keep a close watch on our health by consulting the family doctor regularly and also educating ourselves of the risks and conditions that we may face ahead given our individual medical history. The more you know about your own body the more you will be able to detect when something does not feel the way it should and it is always easier to treat a disease and find relief when it is in its initial stages.

It is your body and life so, if you want to live it in a healthy and happy manner start learning about your own body and how you can help it live better.