Rheumatoid Arthritis versus Osteoarthritis - Coursework Example

OA characteristically affects older people and is more common compared to RA.

Nursing Care
Nursing care (NC) in both conditions demands pain management using drugs. The NC also involves maintaining or improving joint mobility and implementing exercise programs to increase joint motion and muscle strength. However, in RA the NC aims at suppressing the inflammation and masking the autoimmune disorder that causes self-tissue attacks. To achieve the desired outcome, anti-inflammatory and disease-modifying agents are compulsory in RA.

Factors that Increase Severity of Arthritis
The severity of RA depends on the genetic makeup of a person and runs in most families with the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) gene. Advancing the age of patients, excessive weight gain, cigarette smoking, and alcohol consumption not only increase the risk of OA but also the severity of the disease.

Role of Lifestyle Habits in the Development of Arthritis
Poor dietary habits lead to excess weight gain that causes OA, especially in obese patients. Obese individuals live a sedentary kind of lifestyle and rarely exercise, which leads to high stress on the joints and a decrease in joint mobility. Arthritis incidence is also high in individuals who also smoke and take alcohol (Porter & Kaplan, 2011). Read More