What Is Rheumatoid Arthritis?
Is this topic for you?
There are many types of arthritis (disease of the joints). This topic is about rheumatoid arthritis. If you are looking for information about how juvenile rheumatoid arthritis affects young children, see the topic Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis. If you are looking for information on the most common form of arthritis in older adults, see the topic Osteoarthritis.
What is rheumatoid arthritis?
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) causes tissues lining the joints to become swollen, stiff, and painful (inflamed).
Over time, this inflammation may destroy the joint tissues. This can limit your daily activities and make it hard for you to walk and use your hands.
Rheumatoid arthritis is 2 to 3 times more common in women than in men. It often begins between the ages of 40 and 60.
What causes rheumatoid arthritis?
The exact cause of rheumatoid arthritis is not known. But rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease. This means that the body’s natural defense system attacks the joints. The disease also runs in some families.
What are the symptoms?
The main symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis are pain, stiffness, and swelling in the joints of the hands, wrists, elbows, feet, ankles, knees, or neck. The disease usually affects both sides of the body at the same time. In rare but severe cases, it may affect the eyes, lungs, heart, nerves, or blood vessels.
See a picture of the most commonly affected joints .
Sometimes rheumatoid arthritis can cause bumps called nodules to form over the elbows, knuckles, spine, and lower leg bones.
How is rheumatoid arthritis diagnosed?
There is no single test for rheumatoid arthritis. Your doctor will look at your joints for signs of swelling or tenderness. He or she will also ask about your symptoms and past health.
You may have blood tests, X-rays, and other tests to find out if another problem is causing your joint pain.
How is it treated?
There is no cure for rheumatoid arthritis, but treatment may help relieve symptoms and control the disease. Treatment continues throughout your life.
Treatment includes medicine, exercise, and lifestyle changes.
Experts recommend early treatment with medicines that may control rheumatoid arthritis or keep it from getting worse. Early treatment also may lower the chances that inflammation will destroy your joints and limit your daily activities.
Many of the medicines used to treat rheumatoid arthritis have side effects. So it is important to have regular checkups and talk with your doctor about any problems. This will help your doctor find a treatment that works for you.
At home, you can relieve your symptoms and help control your disease if you:
- Rest when you are tired.
- Protect your joints from injury by using special kitchen tools or doorknobs.
- Use splints, canes, or walkers to ease pain and take stress off your joints, if your symptoms are severe.
- Eat a balanced diet.
- Exercise regularly.
- Stay at a healthy weight.
If medicine, exercise, and lifestyle changes do not help enough, surgery may be an option. Total joint replacement can be done for many joints in the body.
It can be hard to live with a long-term illness that can limit your ability to do things. It is common for people with rheumatoid arthritis to have some depression. Be sure to seek the help and support you need from friends and family members. Professional counseling also can help you cope with long-term pain and depression.
- Hip Bursitis - Things that You never Interest Can Kill Your Life Everyday
- 10 Tips for a Secure Trip for Diabetics
- Problems Around Your Sleep Can Affect Your Life That You Never Take Care
- Benefits of Hot Water Bath That Nobody Knows
- The Truth About Hemorrhoids, Symptoms and Causes
If you enjoyed this website, make sure you Subscribe to our RSS feed for latest posts via email or on your homepage!
I’d be inclined to be of the same mind with you one this subject. Which is not something I usually do! I love reading a post that will make people think. Also, thanks for allowing me to comment!
What youre saying is totally true. I know that everybody should say the identical factor, but I simply think that you put it in a approach that everybody can understand. I also love the photographs you put in here. They match so effectively with what youre trying to say. Im positive youll attain so many people with what youve obtained to say.
I am developing a blog and I was thinking of changing the template.Yours looks pretty decent! You could visit my website and tell me your opinion!
Hello.This post was really remarkable, particularly since I was investigating for thoughts on this subject last Sunday.
This website is awesome. I constantly come across something new & different right here. Thank you for that data.
Incredible information provided, thank you!
This is often a very smart browse on behalf of me, Should admit that you are one in every of the best bloggers I ever saw.Thanks for posting this informative article. Granted, we weren’t heading towards being wealthy, but we didn’t feel so overwhelmed anymore.
P90X is a better option to become fit and stay healthy, i tried it myself and am very happy with its results
Excellent brief and this article helped me alot. Say thank you I looking for your information….
This web site is really a walk-through for all of the info you wanted about this and didn’t know who to ask. Glimpse here, and you’ll definitely discover it.
An awesome blog post, I just given this onto a workfellow who was doing a little analysis on this. And he in fact bought me breakfast because I found it for him…. .. So let me reword that: Thank you for the treat! But yeah Thankx for spending the time to discuss this, I feel strongly about it and love learning more on this topic. If possible, as you become expertise, would you mind updating your blog with more info? It is very helpful for me. Big thumb up for this article!
I am normally ideas information. This article gets me thinking. more like this.
Hi! Your article rocks and is really a very good understand!…
This is really a extremely beneficial read for me, Have to admit you might be 1 in the most effective bloggers I ever saw.Thanks for posting this informative article.
This is really a extremely beneficial read for me, Have to admit you might be 1 in the most effective bloggers I ever saw.Thanks for posting this informative article.
WONDERFUL Post.thanks for share..more wait .. …
I have been reading out a few of your stories and i can state pretty good stuff. I will surely bookmark your site.
WONDERFUL Post.thanks for share..more wait .. …
This website is awesome. I constantly come across something new & different right here. Thank you for that data.
Excellent brief and this article helped me alot. Say thank you I looking for your information….
I discovered your blog site on google and check a few of your early posts. Continue to keep up the very good operate. I just additional up your RSS feed to my MSN News Reader. Seeking forward to reading more from you later on!…