Allergic Reactions and Arthritis: Food for Thought

Arthritis can make even the simplest of tasks turn into a chore. There are two types of arthritis that people suffer from:

• Osteoarthritis
• Rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis cannot be cured but luckily it can effectively be brought under control with the help of certain measures.

Can food be the cause?

People are under the impression that rheumatoid arthritis is due to aging or may even be passed down with family genes, but what if a certain group of food plants can be the cause for your joint pains and swelling? What if the pain you are suffering is caused by a food allergy? It may sound too good to be true, but by simply avoiding certain types of foods your arthritis symptoms may disappear.

There is a group of food plants known as nightshades have been linked to joint pain. This food group includes the following:

• Potatoes
• Tomatoes
• Zucchini
• Eggplants

The following are 4 simple steps that can be taken to help eliminate food related arthritis.

1. You should stop eating all foods which are considered 'nightshades', such as potatoes, tomatoes etc for 7 days.
2. After the first week, add one nightshade into your diet. Over the next several days look for any symptoms of joint pain.
3. Repeat step 2 for every food within the nightshade grouping. While doing this step it's important to stop eating all other nightshades.
4. Record which food caused the most joint pain.

Also, once you have defined your tolerance to these food items, it's advisable to discuss the results with your physician. You should ask before stopping any prescription medication as they may have benefits beyond pain relief that you may be unaware of. Even if you manage to reduce the symptoms by following a proper diet, you must not forget to monitor your condition with your doctor on a regular basis.

Conclusion

Following a proper diet can help you avoid food allergies and effectively help you lessen your arthritis pain and in some cases, the pain completely disappears. However, arthritis is a serious chronic illness that may get worse with time, hence, it is important for you to seek professional guidance for proper treatment and make sure to follow proper eating habits which could ensure a happy, problem-free life.

Don't let food allergies effect your life. For more information please visit our Food Allergies page. We're a website that's dedicated to finding safe treatments to all types of allergies.