Mayo Clinic Health Letter - December 2003

Monday, December 08, 2003

Contact information for journalists:
Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale - Anne Tewksbury - 480-301-4368
Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville - Erik Kaldor - 904-953-2299
Mayo Clinic in Rochester - Carol Lammers - 507-284-5037 (days) 507-284-2511(evenings) e-mail: newsbureau@mayo.edu

Here are highlights from the December issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter. You may cite this publication as often as you wish. Also, you may reprint up to four articles annually without cost. More frequent reprinting is allowed for a fee. Mayo Clinic Health Letter attribution is required. Include the following subscription information as your editorial policies permit: Call toll free for subscription information, 800-333-9037, extension 9PR1.

Arthritis — It's Not Just One Disease

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Although people often talk about arthritis as if it's one disease, it's not. Arthritis refers to diseases of the joints. It occurs in more than 100 forms.

The December issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter highlights some signs and symptoms. Some forms occur gradually over time, others appear suddenly. Some lead to chronic symptoms. With others, symptoms come and go. Some types cause pain that may occur in many joints. With others, pain may occur in just one joint.

Most adults will have some form of arthritis in the course of their lifetime. Osteoarthritis, often called wear-and-tear arthritis, is the most common form. It's a chronic condition that usually occurs at midlife or later. It's thought to be due to the wearing out of a joint through use or overuse. Symptoms include pain and stiffness in the affected area during or after use.

Rheumatoid arthritis, the second most common form, is an autoimmune disease and not associated with wear and tear. It most often occurs between ages 25 and 50. It can affect the whole body, including lungs, nerves, blood vessels and eyes. It frequently causes general muscle aching and stiffness, fatigue, anemia and sometimes a low-grade fever.

If you have arthritis, your doctor likely will recommend one or more medications to help relieve pain and inflammation, to improve joint function, and in some cases, to slow joint degeneration. A treatment plan also could include exercising regularly, controlling your weight, applying heat or cold to affected joints and using assistive devices as needed. Many products, such as jar openers and kitchen knives, are designed to make common daily tasks less harmful to joints.

When Jack Frost Nips Too Much — Tips to Treat Frostbite

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — It's the season of sleds, skis and snow, and if you're not careful, frostbite. Frostbite typically affects smaller, more-exposed areas of the body, such as hands, feet, nose, ears and face. The risk of frostbite increases if you take certain medications for heart conditions or have circulatory problems, such as narrowing of the arteries.

The first sign of frostbite is a slightly painful, tingling sensation. Often, it's followed by numbness. Frostbitten skin may be hard, pale and cold. The December issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter offers these tips to treat frostbite:

• Gradually warm affected areas as soon as possible. If you're outside, warm frostbitten hands by tucking them in your armpits. Warm frostbite on your face, nose or ears by covering with a dry, gloved hand. Don't rub the affected areas, and never rub snow on frostbitten skin.
• Get out of the cold. Once inside, put frostbitten hands or feet in water slightly above normal body temperature (100 to 105 F). Don't use direct heat, such as a heating pad.
• Know what to expect as skin thaws. If the skin turns red and there's a tingling and burning sensation as it warms, circulation is returning. If numbness or sustained pain remains during warming, seek emergency medical care.

A Name — And Treatment Options — For Shooting Facial Pain

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Shooting pain in your face stops you cold. It may last for just seconds or up to about a minute. Shooting pains can occur one after another for hours or days at a time, or just a few times a day. The attacks may disappear for weeks, months or years.

These facial pains are symptoms of trigeminal neuralgia (tri-JEM-i-nul noo-RAL-juh), a condition detailed in the December issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter. It's a disorder that affects one of the largest nerves in the head — the trigeminal nerve.

It's not known what causes trigeminal neuralgia. Doctors do know that it's most likely to occur in people who are over age 70. And it's more common in women than men.

There are many treatment options, but no cure. Often, the first line of treatment is medication that reduces or blocks pain. In addition, your doctor could recommend one of several procedures to reduce the pain, including alcohol injections, glycerol injections, electric current treatment or surgical procedures.

Mayo Clinic Health Letter is an eight-page monthly newsletter of reliable, accurate and practical information on today's health and medical news. To subscribe, please call toll free 800-333-9037, extension 9PR1.

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