First, what exactly is arthritis?

Arthritis is a disease that causes joint inflammation – especially where one joint meets another. It can affect one joint or several joints simultaneously. There are more than one hundred different types of arthritis with the two most common types being osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The cause of most types of arthritis is unknown.

Osteoarthritis is the most common form of the disease and affects bone, muscle, ligaments and cartilage. Once thought to be due to “wear and tear”, it is now thought to occur as a result of a joint working hard to repair itself.

Rheumatoid arthritis, however, is an autoimmune condition that causes pain, swelling, and sometimes deformation of joints. Autoimmune diseases cause the body to attack its own healthy tissue. In the case of rheumatoid arthritis, the immune system attacks the lining of the joints, which causes the pain and swelling.

Anyone can get arthritis, from children through to aged adults. Australian statistics show that one in six people suffer from arthritis.

Symptoms of arthritis include:

• Pain
• Stiffness and reduced movement in a joint
• Redness
• Warmth in the joint tissue
• General symptoms such as feeling tired or unwell

Many types of arthritis can be managed with appropriate treatment that is tailored to the individual as every sufferer’s symptoms are different. Early diagnosis and treatment can prevent further joint damage in certain types of arthritis.

Arthritis and Travel Insurance

Having arthritis should not stop Australians from having a great holiday, particularly as insure4less specialises in providing affordable travel insurance for travellers with pre-existing medical conditions.

For your own peace of mind, you can relax in the knowledge that you have the protection of one of the World’s largest insurers and medical emergency teams to support you whilst overseas if you suddenly suffer from an arthritis related illness. We ask you to declare your arthritis when completing your online travel insurance (normally there is no extra to pay) and then when you receive your policy via email it will confirm in writing exactly what your cover is. You can then simply travel and relax.

Here’s just a few arthritis travel tips:

• When flying, put your arthritis medicines in your take on bag – making sure you pack a little extra to allow for delays. Make sure you take medication bottles labelled with your name and the prescription information.
• Select healthy options when eating out wherever possible and drink plenty of water.
• Pack some fibre supplements containing psyllium and oat fibre to add to a beverage once a day.
• Don’t forget to exercise on the plane (select an aisle seat if you can) and do plenty of walking after you have arrived.
• Ensure that you have specified the type of arthritis you suffer with on the insurance policy documents.

Get a quote for medical travel insurance on our policies page.