Seconds Matter
What does a second mean to you?
Does it mean missing the last post or running late and not getting the last train home?
For someone with arthritis those seconds are regularly missed and they can turn from minutes to hours in the struggle to get through the day. To raise awareness for World Arthritis Day, we challenged Nick to wear an arthritis simulation suit, while his twin brother John carried out his daily duties as normal – to demonstrate how an able-bodied person copes when their mobility is taken away. How would you cope?
To donate to the National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society and see the great work that they do you can click the link below:
Know the symptoms
Head
The eyes can be affected in people with rheumatoid arthritis. When the eyes are affected, symptoms can include red, painful eyes or possibly dry eyes. As well as the eyes, it is common for jaw pains to occur as the arthritis tends to spread to other joints in the body.
Torso
The symptoms of arthritis people experience varies depending on the type they have. Joint pain, tenderness and stiffness are symptoms to look out for. For example, if your hands are affected, you may not be able to fully bend your fingers or form a fist. There is generally an inflammation in and around the joints and due to this, movement of the joints are highly restricted.
Legs
As arthritis mainly affects the joints, it is very common for people that suffer from arthritis to have swollen joints that aren’t linked to an injury or to experience swelling, stiffness or a painful ‘squeeze’ in their joints. Everyday tasks become challenges, like walking for example. With arthritis working in the knees and ankles, someone with arthritis will find it hard to walk due to the pain they will incur.