Osteoarthritis

Arthritis is a joint disorder featuring inflammation. A joint is an area of the body where two different bones meet. A joint functions to move the body parts connected by its bones. Arthritis literally means inflammation of one or more joints. In most cases, over time, cartilage in joints breaks down, and OA symptoms begin to occur. OA is most commonly found in the:

• Knees
• Hips
• Hands and fingers
• Spine
• Wrists, elbows, shoulders, and ankles can also be affected by OA, but this occurs less frequently. When OA is found in these joints, there may have been a history of injury or stress to that joint.

The symptoms of osteoarthritis
Typically, OA comes on slowly. For many, the first signs are joints that ache after physical work or exercise. As the disease progresses, other most common symptoms include:

• Pain in a joint
• Swelling or tenderness in one or more joints
• Stiffness after periods of inactivity, such as sleeping or sitting
• Flare-ups of pain and inflammation after use of the affected joint
• Crunching feeling or sound of bone rubbing on bone (called crepitus) when the joint is used
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OA most often occurs in the following areas:
Knees 
Because knees are primarily weight-bearing joints, they are very commonly affected by OA. If you have OA in your knees, you may feel that these joints are stiff, swollen, and painful, making it hard to walk, climb, and get in and out of chairs and bathtubs.
Hips 
OA in the hip can cause pain, stiffness, and severe disability. Hips both support the weight of the body and enable movement of your lower body. When you have OA in your hips, you may also feel the pain in your groin, inner thigh, or knees. OA in the hip can lead to difficulty moving, bending, and walking.
Fingers and Hands 
When OA occurs in hands and fingers, the base of the thumb joint is commonly affected and people experience stiffness, numbness, and aching. Other symptoms of hand and finger OA include:
Heberden's nodes: small bony knobs that appear on the end joints of fingers
Bouchards's nodes: small bony knobs that appear on the middle joints of fingers
Spine 
If you have OA of the spine, you may experience stiffness and pain in the neck or in the lower back. Sometimes arthritis-related changes in the spine can put pressure on the nerves, causing weakness or numbness in your arms or legs.

What causes osteoarthritis?
While the exact cause of OA is unknown, joint damage can be due to repetitive movement (also known as "wear and tear"). It can also begin as the result of an injury. Either way, with OA there's erosion of the cartilage, the part of the joint that covers the ends of the bones.
Cartilage acts as a shock absorber, allowing the joint to move smoothly.
As cartilage breaks down, the ends of the bones thicken and the joint may lose its normal shape.
With further cartilage breakdown, the ends of the bones may begin to rub together, causing pain.
In addition, damaged joint tissue can cause the release of certain substances called prostaglandins, which can also contribute to the pain and swelling characteristic of the disease.
Here are some factors that may increase your risk of developing OA:
Age
Age is the strongest risk factor for OA. Although OA can start in young adulthood, in these cases, it is often due to joint injury.
Gender 
OA affects both men and women. However, before age 45, OA occurs more frequently in men; after age 45, OA is more common in women.
Joint injury or overuse caused by physical labor or sports
Traumatic injury to a joint increases your risk of developing OA in that joint. Joints that are used repeatedly in certain jobs may be more likely to develop OA because of injury or overuse.
Obesity 
The chances of getting OA generally increase with the amount of weight the body’s joints have to bear. The knee is particularly affected because it is a major weight-bearing joint.
Joint Alignment 
People with joints that don’t move or fit together correctly, like bowlegs, dislocated hips, or double-jointedness, are more likely to develop OA in those joints.
Heredity 
An inherited defect in one of the genes responsible for manufacturing cartilage may be a contributing factor in developing OA.
 Diagnosis
If you experience joint pain, stiffness, and/or swelling that won't go away, you should make an appointment to see your doctor. Your doctor will be able to determine if you have arthritis and, if so, what type.
When you see your doctor about your symptoms, he or she may ask questions about when and how you started experiencing them. The doctor will probably give you a physical examination to check your general health, and examine the joints that are bothering you.
You may also need other tests to help confirm the diagnosis of OA and determine the extent and severity of joint damage.
Some of these may include:
X-rays can help the doctor determine whether you have OA or rheumatoid arthritis (RA). A series of X-rays obtained over time can show how fast joint damage is progressing. X-rays of the affected joints can show cartilage loss, bone damage, and extra bone growth (known as bone spurs) that can develop on the surface of normal bones.
Joint Aspiration.
If your doctor is still uncertain about the diagnosis or suspects that you may have an infection, he or she may perform joint aspiration. In this procedure, your doctor withdraws and examines synovial fluid (a liquid that lubricates the joint) from affected joints using a needle.
If you are experiencing some of these symptoms, the sooner you talk to your doctor, the sooner you may get diagnosed and get treatment.

LASIK SURGERY

Hi  friends today i am talking about LASIK EYE SURGERY.you can see world now with your eyes without any contact lenses or specs, I have a personal experience of it and i am enjoying,

LASIK, which stands for laser in-situ keratomileusis, is a popular surgery used to correct vision in people who are nearsighted, farsighted, or have astigmatism.

All laser vision correction surgeries work by reshaping the cornea, the clear front part of the eye, so that light traveling through it is properly focused onto the retina located in the back of the eye. LASIK is one of a number of different surgical techniques used to reshape the cornea in most cases, laser eye surgery is pain-free and completed within 15 minutes for both eyes. The results — improved vision without eyeglasses or contact lenses — can usually be seen in as little as 24 hours.

Laser eye surgery requires only topical anesthetic drops, and no bandages or stitches are required.
It works! It corrects vision. Around 96% of patients will have their desired vision after LASIK. An enhancement can further increase this number.

• LASIK is associated with very little pain due to the numbing drops that are used.
• Vision is corrected nearly immediately or by the day after LASIK.
• No bandages or stitches are required after LASIK.
• Adjustments can be made years after LASIK to further correct vision if vision changes while you age.
• After having LASIK, most patients have a dramatic reduction in eyeglass or contact lens dependence and many patients no longer need them at all

Before LASIK Surgery
Your eye doctor will perform a thorough eye exam to ensure your eyes are healthy enough for the procedure. He or she will evaluate: the shape and thickness of your cornea; pupil size; refractive errors (myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism); as well as any other eye conditions.

BEST CANDIDATES
mild/moderate myopia, hyperopia and/or astigmatism, adequate corneal thickness

• The moistness of your eyes will also be evaluated, and a precautionary treatment may be recommended to reduce your risk of developing dry eyes after LASIK.
• Usually, an automated instrument called a corneal topographer is used to measure the curvature of the front surface of your eye and create a "map" of your cornea.
• With wavefront technology associated with custom LASIK, you also are likely to undergo a wavefront analysis that sends light waves through the eye to provide an even more precise map of aberrations affecting your vision.
• Your eye doctor will also note your general health history and any medications you are taking to determine if you are a suitable candidate for LASIK.
• You should stop wearing contact lenses for a period of time advised by your doctor (typically around two weeks) before your eye exam and before the LASIK procedure, as contacts can alter the natural shape of your cornea.

What To Expect During LASIK

Before your surgery begins, numbing eye drops are applied to your eye to prevent any discomfort during the procedure. Your doctor may also give you some medication to help you relax.

1. Your eye will be positioned under the laser, and an instrument called a lid speculum is used to keep your eyelids open.
2. The surgeon uses an ink marker to mark the cornea before creating the flap. A suction ring is applied to the front of your eye to prevent eye movements or loss of contact that could affect flap quality.
3. After the corneal flap is created, the surgeon then uses a computer to adjust the excimer laser for your particular prescription.
4. You will be asked to look at a target light for a short time while he or she watches your eye through a microscope as the laser sends pulses of light to your cornea.
5. The laser light pulses painlessly reshape the cornea, although you may feel some pressure on your eye. You'll also hear a steady clicking sound while the laser is operating.

LASIK is performed on each eye separately, with each procedure taking only about five minutes.

Immediately After LASIK Surgery
Upon completion of your LASIK surgery, your surgeon will have you rest for a bit. You may feel a temporary burning or itching sensation immediately following the procedure. After a brief post-operative exam, someone can drive you home. (You cannot drive after LASIK until your eye doctor sees you the following day and confirms your uncorrected vision meets the legal standard for driving.)

• You should expect some blurry vision and haziness immediately after surgery; however, clarity should improve by the very next morning.
• Your eyesight should stabilize and continue to improve within a few days, although in rare cases it may take several weeks or longer. For most people, vision improves immediately.
• You may be able to go to work the next day, but many doctors advise a couple of days of rest instead.

Also, it is usually recommended that you refrain from any strenuous exercise for at least a week, since this can traumatize the eye and affect healing.
Generally, you will return to see your eye doctor or your LASIK surgeon the day after surgery.
At this initial check-up, he or she will test your vision to make sure you are legal to drive without glasses or contact lenses. In most states, this requires uncorrected visual acuity of 20/40 or better.
As with any other surgery, always follow your doctor's instructions and take any medication prescribed. Also, avoid rubbing your eyes, as there's a small chance this could dislodge the flap until it heals and adheres more securely to the underlying cornea.


Long-Term Results
Laser eye surgery offers numerous benefits and can dramatically improve your quality of life. Most people achieve 20/20 vision or better after the surgery, but LASIK results do vary. Some people may achieve only 20/40 vision or less.