All You Wanted to Know About Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)
What is Rheumatoid Arthritis RA?
Rheumatoid Arthritis RA is an inflammatory disorder affecting the lining of small joints resulting in swelling, pain, joint deformation and bone erosion. It occurs when the immune system attacks and destroys the body tissues by mistake. The person also suffers from fever and fatigue.
Women aged around 40 to 60 years are more likely to be affected from the disorder.
Signs and Symptoms
Signs and symptoms of the disorder include swollen joints, stiffness, fatigue, fever, weight loss and bumps of tissues under the skin of arms. During the earlier stages, the disorder affects only the small joints including the finger to hand and toes to feet joints. However, with the passage of time, the disease spreads to bigger joints as well including those of knees, hips, ankles, shoulders and elbows to name a few. The severity of pain and swelling may vary from one person to another. They may also disappear for a short period in a few cases.
Causes
The basic cause that triggers the disorder is still unknown. However, Rheumatoid Arthritis RA is caused when the synovium is attacked by the body’s immune system. Synovium refers to the lining of membranes surrounding the joints. The inflammation results in thickening of the synovium, which in turn destroys bone and cartilage in the joint. This results in stretching and weakening of tenders and ligaments
Factors Related to the Disorder
While the actual cause that triggers the disorder is not known, a few factors affect the same in one way or the other. These include
Sex: Women and more likely to be affected with RA as compared to men
Age: Those from 40 to 60 years of age are more likely to be infected
Smoking: Smoking also increases the chances of your suffering from the disorder
Family History: In case somebody in your family was affected by the disorder, chances of your getting influenced from the same increase a lot.
The important point to understand here is that RA is likely to cause other issues including Osteoporosis, Heart Problems, Lung Diseases and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome to name a few.
Getting Professional Help
In case of any similar signs and symptoms, you must consult your doctor immediately. The problem is difficult to identify during the initial stages, as the symptoms are similar to those caused by other diseases. However, a blood test might help you out in the situation. In case you are suffering from Rheumatoid Arthritis, the test would show an elevated ESR rate. X-rays are a common way to keep track of the progression of the problem. The medical professional would check the joints for warmth, swelling and redness. He would also check the muscle strength and reflexes.
Treatment
No treatment can cure the disorder. There are; however, a few medicines that can reduce the pain and slow down the rate of damage. You can also opt for physical and occupational therapy to protect the joints. In case there is severe damage to joints, surgery might be the only alternate. Regular gentle exercise, less stress and application of heat or cold can help you in managing the pain and swelling.
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