Why is osteo-arthritis more common in elderly that in young people?

Is there certain foods that make osteo & rheumatoid arthritis symptoms better & worse?

Can osteoarthritis be inherited and if so, can it skip generations?

I have a patient 55 years old who is a veteran of the Vietnam war. He had retained shrapnel around knee and hip. He had experienced hip pain for years and around 4 years ago the pain became so bad that he presented to my office. He was managed with NSAIDS until 2 years ago when he had an MRI and was found to have avascular necrosis of hip and had hip replacement. MRI of the knee showed OA. In your opinion do you feel that the injuries sustained and retained shrapnel could have or highly likely contributed to his development of the OA? I would appreciate your opinion regarding this issue and if you could cite any specific study that may have looked at this.

Can Smoking Cause Arthritis?

I have been diagnosed with hip arthritis for the past 4 years and during this time I’ve seen an increase in the amount of allergies that I have developed. I can’t even go outside without my eyes watering, sneezing etc. Is there any link between arthritis and allergic reactions. Could the cartillage degradation be related to the immune reactions in the body related to allergies?