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Rheumatoid Arthritis - Symptoms, Diagnosis, Diet, Medication and Treatment Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis, or RA, is a chronic inflammatory disease of the joints that gradually reduces and disables joint movements. It is also known to affect an individual symmetrically. For instance, pain and inflammation of knee joints will appear together in the left and right leg.

A human body is a very complicated system. It is made up of very small functional units called as cells. Theses cells organize into various body parts to perform various activities, whether it is the joints in the hands or the blood circulation. They are also involved in the human immune system. The blood maintains the immune system of the body through its white blood cells, which are anti-bodies. They function towards fighting the foreign bodies or invaders that cause infection in the human body. Sometimes the antibodies, known for its immune services, mistakenly attack the good tissues in the body. The body reacts to the condition and as a defense mechanism causes the attacked area to inflame. One such chronic, autoimmune disease is the rheumatoid arthritis. It is a severe form of ailment caused by the inflammation of the joints or where two bones meet.

While in a normal case of arthritis the patient complains of just inflammation of joints, rheumatoid arthritis damages and deforms the joint, disabling its functions, especially its ability to move. RA leaves the inflamed joints swollen, stiff, and painful. In severe cases of RA, the soft tissues holding the muscle to bone, the tendons, ligaments, and fascia become affected. RA, in fact, damages the cartilages or the soft, flexible tissues causing movement of the bones, too. Rheumatoid arthritis can even extend to organs such as the spleen and liver in the body if deprived of proper health treatment. At such a stage, a person will face other problems such as low blood count, weight loss, fever, and dryness in the eyes and mouth.

RA begins with inflammation of joints, mainly the inner lining known as the synovial tissue. Synovial tissues are the case that holds the bones in the joint. The case contains synovial fluid, which greases the cartilages in between to help smooth movement. When the anti-bodies attack the synovial tissues, the area inflames and the joints develop pain, swell, and become rigid. Gradually, the synovial lining thickens. As the condition deteriorates, it releases fluids or enzymes that destroy cartilages and bones, reducing flexibility and leaving the joints deformed. Over a period of time, it becomes difficult to move that joint.

Rheumatoid arthritis can affect anyone, at any age, although, it is found more commonly in women than men. Another point to be noted is that the cause of RA need not always be genetic factors. This disease, to date, is not known to have a permanent cure. In some cases of RA, the disease remains dormant for a long period and attacks again. This is also known as a flare-up. Medical treatment, along with proper diet and exercise regime, would definitely help one to cope with rheumatoid arthritis.

Rheumatoid Arthritis Symptoms

Arthritis is known as the painful inflammation and stiffness of joints in the body. Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic, painful, autoimmune disease of the joint that destroys, deforms, and disables movement of joints altogether. It is caused by the infection in the immune system. That is, the anti-bodies attack their own tissues, mistaking them for foreign bodies. It may gradually affect other organs of the body, too. Hence, it is known as autoimmune disease.

Rheumatoid arthritis can make a healthy individual a life-long patient at any age. It may be a genetic or non-genetic disease. It appears in several stages. That is, initially a patient may feel only pain caused by the inflamed joints. Gradually, the affected lining of the joints, called synovial lining, starts thickening. When the condition becomes severe, the inflamed joint and surrounding area release a fluid or enzyme that destroys the flexible soft tissues, the cartilages, and bones. This changes the original shape of the joints. The patient finds this stage very painful. He or she is left with stiff and deformed joints and is literally unable to move. The small things that a person once did with ease are no longer possible for them. For instance, lifting a pen is virtually a painful act.

Rheumatoid arthritis can affect any joint. But studies report that it begins from smaller joints such as the joints in the fingers. It has also been found that it affects the joints simultaneously. For instance, an individual complaining of pain in the wrist experiences it in both left and right wrists.

The pain is a very common feature. But if the pain is a prolonged one and is followed by stiffness, it is a matter of concern. Some of the symptoms identified with rheumatoid arthritis include pain and stiffness upon waking and pain after prolonged rest. Additionally, individuals may also face difficulty in standing up after being seated or lying down in bed for a long time. They might have symptoms of flu and weakness or fatigue. The individuals may lose weight because of low appetite, turn anemic, and often may be depressed and stressed. They are found to have sweaty palms and feet, and lesser flexibility in moving. In some persons, skin ulcers and visible lumps or rheumatoid nodules are also reported. As such, the health of the individual declines and it is necessary to take support from others for daily activities.

Since rheumatoid arthritis also affects organs in acute stages, the patients can become anemic (low in red blood cells), develop dry mouth and eyes, and have inflamed spleen and lining in the lungs. In some persons, the disease flares up after a prolonged time.

Rheumatoid Arthritis Diagnosis

Rheumatoid arthritis, or RA, is known to cause the inflammation of joints, and its damage gradually reduces body movement. The symptoms can be observed as stiff joints in the morning hours; as one ages, RA can affect other organs of the body such as the spleen, blood vessels, and lungs. There is no one particular cause for rheumatoid arthritis. It may be caused by an infection in the immune system. It may be a genetic disease running in the family. Or, the cause of rheumatoid arthritis can be non-genetic, affecting the person at some point of life. Studies are ongoing to identify if any bacteria or viruses may cause rheumatoid arthritis. Just as identifying the cause of the disease is difficult, diagnosing RA is also not an easy task. There are many methods and techniques of diagnosing rheumatoid arthritis. Of course initially, the person goes through a complete physical examination offered by the doctor. The diagnosis of the doctor is verified and concluded through the laboratory tests before administering treatment.

A latex test is one of the most recommended diagnoses. The test is used to detect the presence of rheumatoid factor in blood. In most cases of rheumatoid arthritis, the anti-bodies or white blood cells attack the body s own tissues instead of foreign bodies because of the increased rheumatoid factors. But not all rheumatoid arthritis patients test positive in latex test. Another diagnosis, called Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate, involves collecting and checking the blood for the rate of sedimentation. If the rate of sedimentation of red blood cells is high, the patient is said to have an active inflammation in the body, a severe case of rheumatoid arthritis. Similarly, tests are also conducted to test for an increase in C-reactive protein in blood, which may result in an increased inflammation in body. These tests are often conducted again after a certain time period to diagnose for the rate of inflammation as high or low. Bone densitometry is yet another suggested diagnosis, using imaging to measure bone density and osteoporosis, a common characteristic of extreme rheumatoid arthritis. Magnetic resonance imaging and ultra sound although rarely are used to diagnose inflammation in joints when rheumatoid arthritis is at an early stage. But an X-ray may only help in identifying the deformity of the bones in the joint at a later stage. Based on the diagnosis, the consulting doctor suggests treatments.

Rheumatoid Arthritis Diet

There are various theories about the cause of rheumatoid arthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic disease that inflames the joints in the body, causing pain and stiffness. It is not completely curable. In its advanced stages, rheumatoid arthritis makes the joints deformed and immobile, simultaneously affecting other organs, too. Rheumatoid arthritis is a disease that can affect anyone, any time, at any age. Since prevention is better than cure, a diet rich in nutrition, such as carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals, is best recommended. In the case of arthritis, a good diet will help in keeping the disease under control, even though cure is a one percent chance.

As per the body requirements, a diet should be combination of every food in large, moderate, and small amounts followed by a regular exercise plan or a physically active lifestyle. The typical diet should contain vegetables and fruit, cereals, grains, bread, legumes and beans, skimmed milk, and oils that are low in saturated fats. Researchers have identified a diet rich in fish oil and a vegetarian diet as a good sources to combat rheumatoid arthritis. Moderate amounts of sugar and red meat trimmed of excess fat can also be included the diet. Though in some cases of rheumatoid arthritis more consumption of red meat has been identified as aggravating inflammation in the joints, small quantities are harmless.

The diet should also include minerals like calcium and iron, and vitamins like B and C. Also, the body weight should be always under control. This is because a person having rheumatoid arthritis may turn anemic, lose bone density, develop a fever, and develop other symptoms that body cannot withstand with the pain and stiffness. At such a time, weight gain will only increase inflammation and pain in the swollen joints.

Diet supplements such as calcium and folic acid are recommended, especially when taking medication. Drugs taken for rheumatoid arthritis may have side effects and can affect the normal status of the vitamins and minerals in the body. For instance, folic acid is administered with methotrxate a drug used to fight arthritis. Similarly, alcohol and other beverages such as coffee should be avoided when taking certain other drugs.

Rheumatoid Arthritis Medication

Rheumatoid arthritis is a disease that has no cure. This inflammatory disease leads to swollen, stiff, and painful joints. It will also reduce movements affecting the person mentally and physically. As such, the only way to cope with the situation is by educating people with rheumatoid arthritis about the disease. This education will help them to think positively and to cope with the chronic disease. Exercise, proper rest, and a balanced diet will ensure flexibility of joints and keep inflammation under control.

Rheumatoid arthritis has a symmetrical pattern. That is, two joints for instance, the elbow of both the hands develop pain, swell, and stiffen together. There is no specific cause for its occurrence or a specific cure. But once diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, a person is treated with medicines.

Medication is administered for relieving pain and also to reduce the inflammation of the joints. It is recommended based on the severity of the disease. There are other types of drugs that also try to reduce the intensity of the disease. While analgesics such as paracetamol are taken as painkillers, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) help to reduce inflammation and relieve pain in the joints. The analgesics always come in combination with some of the recommended drugs, as do the non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs. There are also disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) that reduce or control the intensity of the disease, reducing pain and stiffness of the joints. These are found to be very effective in combating the illness. For instance, injecting gold intramuscularly is one such disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug. All of these medications, whether controlling pain or intensity, have side effects. These may include constipation, skin irritation, bleeding in the stomach, kidney problems, and so on. As such, one must take the medicines as instructed by a medical practitioner.

The most recent set of medications, however, are biological therapies or biologic-response modifiers. These are considered more body-friendly drugs. Biologic-response modifiers stop or block the components, especially the proteins, which trigger inflammation normally as a defense mechanism. For instance the protein called interlukin 1 (IL-1) is blocked by anakinra drug. As a result, the deformity caused by damaged and destroyed bones and cartilages is reduced along with the inflammation. Often, the doctors recommend a combination of drugs. But the present sets of drugs are definitely more effective in controlling rheumatoid arthritis.

Rheumatoid Arthritis Treatment

Arthritis is a condition characterized by joint inflammation. Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic disease that leads to inflamed and stiff joints. It is the joint that holds together two bones. The joints contain soft tissues and cartilages that help to hold the bones together and materialize smooth movement. Rheumatoid arthritis results when the white blood cells in the immune system destroy the good cells in the body instead of foreign body. Gradually, the affected cells release fluids that damage the tissues and cells in the joints. In acute stages, some organs like the spleen and liver also gets affected. The rheumatoid-infected person can suffer from fever, low blood count, weight loss, dry eyes and mouth, and of course inflammation at joints and other parts of the body. As time passes, the movement of the joints becomes simply painful. Though the exact cause of the disease has not yet been traced, the common symptoms are inflammation, stiffness, and swollen joints. Rheumatoid arthritis is a disease that cannot be completely cured; it can only be kept under control by reducing pain and inflammation and slowing the bone damage. Hence, treatment for rheumatoid arthritis concentrates on helping a patient to cope and to live with the disease.

Normally, the recommended treatment involves encouraging physical activities. The person suffering from rheumatoid arthritis has to exercise his or her joints to avoid complete stiffening and disability. Also, one needs to take proper rest to reduce the inflammation of joints. In some cases, the individual uses devices called splints to reduce pain and to carry out daily activities independently. For instance, with the use of splint, one can rise from bed or get up from a chair without taking help from another person.

The doctors can administer various drugs or medicines such as analgesics or anti-rheumatic drugs. These help to reduce pain and control inflammation of joints. In very severe or extreme cases, surgery is recommended, provided the patient can pay the cost. This helps to replace the damaged part with an artificial body-friendly metal or plastic. For instance, in surface hip-replacement surgery, the whole socket of the hip is replaced with a metal hip. Similarly, there is tendon-replacement surgery to replace a damaged tendon or a tissue connecting muscle to bone. One of the surgeries practiced less frequently is the removal of synovial tissues that cases the bones in the joint.

Rheumatoid arthritis cannot be prevented nor cured. The only solution is to live with the disease and undergo routine check-ups, exercise, and follow a nutritious diet.

Authur: Peter Emerson