A staggering 54.5 million Americans suffer from some type of arthritis which, as it progresses, can make everyday tasks challenging.

"When you have arthritis, interacting with objects in your home, garden, and office can be frustrating and painful," Lene Andersen MSW, who suffers from rheumatoid arthritis, tells Newsmax.

The Toronto-based patient expert offers these tips on how to handle daily tasks with a little help from handy, helpful products.

1. Jar openers. "When you can't open that jar of jam, baby food, or pickles for lunch, it's enough to make you cry," says Andersen. A low-tech piece solution is to use a piece of rubber to grip the lid, or you can buy an adaptable jar opener.
2. Replace doorknobs with lever handles.
3. Reachers. These handy devices use tongs to help you with everything from maneuvering stubborn buttons to picking up items from the floor or overhead. Often called "reacher grabbers," they are indispensable for those with arthritis or other disabilities. They are available at Amazon and other retail outlets, including medical supply and drugstores.
4. Voice recognition software. "If you have trouble typing, voice recognition software can help you at home and at the office," says the expert. Using this software and a microphone, all you have to do is say your commands and the computer obeys. An example is Dragon Speech Recognition.
5. Pen grips. Writing can be painful when you aggravate the small joints of your hand. Placing your pen or pencil inside a cushion or pen grip reduces the strain on your hand. These products can be found online or in office supply stores.
6. E-books and audiobooks. While books can be a wonderful escape, if your hands, shoulders, and neck hurt when you hold them, what you love can cause pain says Andersen. E-book readers and tablets can make life much easier.
7. Occupation therapy. The American Occupational Therapy Association website has a number of resources and tip sheets to download about how occupational therapy can help you identify which tools may improve function.
8. Talk to others. "One of your best resources for tips on how to make life easier is to talk with other people in the same situation," says Andersen. "For example, one of my friends suggested washing the bathtub with a mop, saving me from having to kneel, bend over and reach."

For more helpful tips and products to make your life with arthritis easier, visit ArthritisSupplies.com.