Arthritis campaign warns ‘disease can start at early age’

THE arthritic hands of women of varying ages are the focus of a new television advertising campaign aimed at reinforcing the message that the joint disease can strike at any age.

It is Arthritis Ireland’s first television awareness campaign and is titled “Don’t Wait Any Longer” to highlight the dangers of ignoring the symptoms of the early stages of the disease.

The advertisement, screened for the first time yesterday on World Arthritis Day, shows the hands of four women. All but one of the women developed rheumatoid arthritis during their early 20s.

One of the women featured in the advertisement, Mairéad Leonard, 42, from Moycullen, Co Galway, has suffered from rheumatoid arthritis since she was 21.

“It is fantastic to be involved in such a worthwhile campaign,” she said yesterday. “I really hope it encourages people to seek medical help rather than ignoring their symptoms, especially considering the unacceptable waiting times to see a consultant.”

Ireland continues to have the lowest number of rheumatologists per head of population in the EU, with the result that new patients may have to wait years before being seen.

There is an average wait for new patients of up to four years in the west of Ireland and, in some cases, even stretching to seven.

Revolutionary new treatments and improvements in technology allow medical professionals to diagnose problems much earlier, dramatically altering the outcome of joint disease and the likelihood of serious disabilities.

But Arthritis Ireland points out that patients cannot make the best use of the advances if they cannot gain access to rheumatology services in a timely manner.

Chief executive of Arthritis Ireland, John Church, warned that by continuing to ignore the serious under-resourcing of rheumatology services in Ireland, the country was facing an even bigger bill in the long-term.

“It is more cost effective to treat patients now rather than have their symptoms progress while on waiting lists,” he said.

There are more than 100 types of arthritis affecting people of all ages. It is estimated that up to 5,000 children in Ireland are affected.

The most common form is osteoarthritis, the “wear and tear” form that results in joint and cartilage damage, while 40,000 have the severe inflammatory form called rheumatoid arthritis.

Arthritis Ireland’s helpline number is 1850 818999.