T.J. Samson | Destination Health | April 2021

April 2021 7 If you’re one of the 1.5 million people in the U.S. living with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), your immune system is mistakenly attacking your joints—usually many of them at once. That can make your joints painful, stiff and swollen. And it may even affect other tissue in your body, such as your eyes, lungs or heart. Symptoms of RA may go away temporarily and then return.These steps can help you bet- ter manage RA every day: Balance activity with rest. When your RA is active, taking breaks throughout the day can help you conserve energy and protect your joints. Still, gentle exercise is also a mainstay of treatment. Talk to your doctor about an exercise program that is best for you. It should emphasize low-impact aerobics, flexibility and stretching. And if you feel pain in a new joint while exercising, stop what you’re doing. Try hot and cold treatments. Hot Think of your body like a castle, complete with its own army—your immune system— to defend it. When germs try to invade your body, your immune system recognizes them as foreign and launches a defense. First, your skin tries to prevent germs from getting inside your body. Your mucous membranes try to trap and fight off the germs. And your body makes white blood cells to repel the invaders. After the skirmish, your immune sys- tem remembers the foreign substance. If it ever attacks again, your immune system will remember how it fought back the first time—even if it didn’t completely succeed. That way, most of the time you won’t get sick again. You’ll have immunity. KEEP A STRONG IMMUNE SYSTEM It’s important to help keep your immune system healthy so it can continue to fight off invaders. You can do that in several ways. Practice good hygiene. Wash your hands often to prevent the spread of germs. Wash produce before eating it. And be sure to thoroughly clean your dishes and utensils to prevent the growth of bacteria. Reduce stress. Stress can weaken your immune system. Find ways to manage stress, such as practicing deep breathing exercises or listening to music. Be on the lookout for prediabetes Prediabetes is a condition so common that 1 in 3 adults in the U.S. has it. But don’t let the pre fool you—it ’s serious. Prediabetes means blood sugar is higher than normal, but not yet high enough to be diagnosed as type 2 diabe- tes. The condition raises your risk of developing type 2 diabetes, as well as heart disease and stroke. The good news: Prediabetes is reversible with certain lifestyle changes. Unfortunately, most people don’t know they’ve developed it since it often has no clear symptoms. So talk with your doctor about getting your blood sugar tested if you have prediabetes risk factors such as these: ● You’re overweight. ● You’re 45 or older. ● You’re physically active less than three times a week. ● You have a parent, brother or sister with type 2 diabetes. ● You’ve had diabetes during pregnancy (gestational diabetes), or you gave birth to a baby that weighed more than 9 pounds. YOUR CHANCE FOR BETTER HEALTH If you do have prediabetes, research shows you can prevent or delay a di- agnosis of type 2 diabetes with these three steps: Drop a few pounds. Lose a modest amount of your weight—just 7%—if you’re overweight. For example, that’s only 14 pounds if you weigh 200 pounds. Exercise moderately. What’s moderate? A brisk 30-minute walk five days a week. Eat smart. Build your diet around vegetables, fruits, whole grains, lean proteins such as fish or chicken, and low-fat dairy products. Go easy on processed, fried or sugary foods, and watch portion sizes. Sources: American Academy of Family Physicians; American Diabetes Association; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 3 2 1 Wellness Get moving. Exercise can help your body produce immune cells that fight off disease. Make healthy sleep a priority. Poor sleep can weaken your immune system. Adults should try to get seven to nine hours of sleep a night. Children need as much as 8 to 14 hours of sleep, depending on their age. Eat well. Go for foods that contain the following nutrients, which help support the immune system: ● Protein. It’s found in both animal and plant-based foods such as fish, beef, chicken, eggs, beans, lentils, and nuts and seeds. ● Vitamin A. It is found in foods like sweet potatoes, carrots, broccoli, spinach and fortified foods. ● Vitamin C. Citrus fruits, tomato juice and food fortified with vitamin C are all good sources. ● Vitamin E. You’ll find this vitamin in fortified cereals, sunflower seeds, vegetable oils and peanut butter. ● Zinc. Good sources include lean meat, poultry, fish, whole-grain products, beans, seeds and nuts. ● Probiotics. These good bacteria are pres- ent in cultured dairy products, like yogurt, and in fermented foods, like kimchi. Sources: Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics; American Heart Association; National Institutes of Health Tips for a healthy immune system treatments, such as a heating pad or a warm bath, tend to work best for soothing stiff joints.They can help you stay limber. Cold treatments, such as a wrapped bag of ice, numb nerve endings and can dull pain. Watch the scale. If you’re overweight, extra pounds add stress to your joints. So do your best to get to—or stay at—a healthy weight. Mind your medicine. Take any medicine your doctor suggests or prescribes exactly as directed. You might also ask your doctor about taking omega-3 fish oil supplements. Studies show they may ease pain and stiffness. Stop smoking if you light up. Your tobacco habit can make RA worse and cause other medical problems. Ask your doctor for advice on the best way to quit for good. Sources: American Academy of Family Physicians; Arthritis Foundation; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Live well with rheumatoid arthritis