ARTHRITIS, commonly believed to affect only older people, can actually hit anyone - some as young as six months old, said the Health Promotion Board.
A woman in her 30s, who spends a lot of time exercising during weekends, is suffering from arthritis and is depending on supplements to ease the pain.
Ms Teng Pei Yee, 33, an account executive, found out about a year ago that she had developed the joint disease and the news came as a shock to her.
She said: "I was shocked. It didn't occur to me that I could suffer from it at this age."
Dr Yvonne See, a paediatric rheumatologist who has her own clinic at Sunset Way - Dr Yvonne's Clinic for Children and Babies - told my paper that, in rare cases, some may even be born with the condition.
In the last five years, Dr See has known of three congenital cases.
Two are Singaporeans, who were treated at KK Women's and Children's Hospital, while the third, a foreigner, was treated by Dr See.
She said: "When a person is born with arthritis, it is an extremely severe case where one needs to be on lifelong medication."
Dr See said that anyone below 16 years old who has the disease is suffering from what is known as childhood-onset arthritis.
Those above 16 who have arthritis are suffering from adult arthritis, which could be due to several reasons, including "degenerative or rheumatoid" causes.
Both of these are conditions caused by wear and tear in the joints that causes inflammation - resulting in swelling, pain and stiffness.
Professor Feng Pao Hsii, chairman of the National Arthritis Foundation, said he had not noted a rise in the number of middle-aged arthritic patients.
"There is no definite figure. However, rheumatoid arthritis (in females) and gout (in males) are the most common forms of arthritis that affect middle-aged people," he said.
To ease the pain, some, like Ms Teng, have resorted to over-the-counter supplements available at pharmacies.
Ms Lee Li-Lim, a pharmacist, said: "I have seen a doubledigit increase, from last year, in the number of people who purchase Kordel's supplements relating to joint health."
She declined to give exact figures, but the pharmacist with nine years' experience said the trend could be due to "increased consumer awareness about joint health as people generally become more health-conscious".
However, doctors are concerned about the public turning to self-medication to "treat" or "reduce" the pain in their joints.
Dr Lau Tang Ching, head and senior consultant in the rheumatology division at National University Hospital, said: "Self-medication without obtaining an accurate diagnosis of the form of arthritis is not advisable.
"It will be better to obtain a proper diagnosis of the form of arthritis before considering any supplement or treatment."
