| By :
Andrew Gallop
It is important that you get the flu shot if you suffer from arthritis. Just like with many other chronic illnesses, arthritis symptoms will get much worse if you get the flu and could even land you in the hospital. The flu shot is a simple shot that you only have to get once a year. Take your time with major clean up tasks if arthritis is a part of your life. Major cleaning tasks, like mopping and changing bed sheets, put a strain on your body. They involve the use, and sometimes over use, of several different muscles and joints. Take a break when you can or better yet, ask for help. You don't have to do it all in one day. Getting 8 hours of sleep a night is great, but it won't help if you're not getting a sound sleep. Arthritis may bother you while you're in bed, so why not check out some of the items available to help you get and stay comfortable over night? You may also adjust pain medications to cope with your joint troubles. Rheumatoid arthritis fatigue can be difficult to overcome, but if you've tried everything and are still lethargic you should consider other problems you might have. Visit a sleep clinic to get an assessment and you might find you're actually battling sleep apnea, a condition where you literally stop breathing overnight. Set goals for yourself. Planning out what you want to do for the day or week ahead can help to motivate you into actually getting it done. You should even speak to your doctor about what you want to accomplish within the next few months or year, in order to work out a plan that will help you do it. Regular exercise can help you manage the pain which is associated with arthritis. Your doctor can recommend an exercise program for you. Some physicians elect to send their arthritis patients to a physical therapist or an occupational therapist to have them design an exercise program for them to follow. Schedule time in your day to rest and relax. Having a little downtime can reduce the pain in your joints and help you feel more energized. You do want to be careful not to get too much rest, however; it is important to stay active to help with the symptoms associated with your arthritis. After being diagnosed with arthritis you should go have your eyes checked. Rheumatoid arthritis can cause complications with your vision and in some cases will lead to blindness. Your eye doctor may suggest using anti-inflammatory eye drops to help decrease symptoms of blurred vision, redness, pain, and light sensitivity. When you are not hurting, you should stretch your whole body every day. Even if you are not planning on exercising, you should still spend a few minutes each morning stretching your body. This will make your joints more supple and could prevent you from hurting later in the day. Arthritis Look into relaxation and breathing exercises. This type of exercises allow you to train your body and control it. When you are hurting, you should be able to relieve the pain through breathing exercises and relaxation. This should make arthritis easier to live with on a daily basis for you. Watch what you eat - cut down on red meat too. People who follow a Mediterranean diet are less likely to suffer from arthritis. A Mediterranean diet includes fish, cereals, fruits and oils. Make sure you include these important elements in your daily diet and you should see a difference. This will not cure arthritis but should help reduce the pain.
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