Is Arthritis Caused By The Air You Breathe?

Since arthritis mostly attacks your joints and muscles, paying attention to your breathing may be the last thing on your to-do list.

But air pollution can be as damaging to your joints as it is to your lungs, according to a flurry of recent research. But it’s probably in a different way than you think.

In New Delhi, India, a city with some of the highest levels of pollution particulates in the world, researchers found a spike in symptom flare-ups in RA patients during peak air pollution months. This has led to a theory that the problem may stem from particulate matter – soot, smoke, dust, and dirt particles suspended in the air.

Exhaustive Evidence

Pollution from vehicle exhaust, and therefore living near a busy road or highway, seems to be the main culprit.

According to the U.S. Nurses Health Study, participants who lived within 50 meters of a highway had 1.62 times the risk of developing RA compared to their counterparts who lived further from the nearest busy road.

Residing more than 150 meters from a highway places you well into the arthritis-free zone, with regard to road and vehicle particulates.

A lot of evidence points to cadmium, a toxic metal found in gasoline as well as automobile parts such as tires, brake pads, radiators and paints.

Other particulates in air pollution that can contribute to the development of RA include nitrates, sulphur dioxide, ozone, and carbon monoxide.

How It Happens

So, how is it that RA gets its start in the lungs?

The answer can be found where the immune system, the environment, and genetics meet. Some RA patients lack the ability to produce certain detoxifying enzymes, making them more vulnerable to the damaging effects of pollutants.

If you are one of those individuals and you are exposed to certain airborne toxins, notably the ones found along highways, some of your body’s own proteins can become damaged. When this occurs, the immune system tags the altered proteins as foreign substances and attacks them. In the case of RA, the first cells that come under attack are those of the capsules that surround and protect the joints.

The Vitamin D Connection

Also, air pollutants that settle on the skin, such as ozone, nitrates, and sulphates, are capable of absorbing ultraviolet rays, making them unavailable for your skin to convert into vitamin D.

One of the functions of vitamin D is to modulate the immune system in ways that counteract autoimmune processes and prevent autoimmune diseases. Fortunately, you can remedy vitamin D deficiency easily and cheaply and decrease your risk of developing RA by taking a high-quality vitamin D supplement.

Moving to the countryside may, however, not be enough to cure your arthritis. But thousands of readers have successfully done so using this step-by-step strategy…