Are you in middle age? Worried about bone health? Take a look at rheumatoid arthritis treatment, causes and symptoms!
Rheumatoid arthritis is one of the most prevalent conditions of today’s time, more than 350 million people suffer globally! It is a chronic multisystem autoimmune disease of unknown cause. Additional to this rheumatoid arthritis treatment and causes are not defined. This makes it difficult to treat.
According to recent stats by WHO in 2021, up to 14 million people suffer from Rheumatoid Arthritis(RA).
The immune system of our body fights and prevents infections but in clinical conditions like Rheumatoid Arthritis, the immune system attacks body cells as a foreign body.
Rheumatoid Arthritis is an autoimmune disorder that attacks the synovial membrane of the body and causes inflammation.
It thickens the synovium which further destroys the cartilage and bone. The common sites of inflammation are the joints of fingers, toes, elbows, knees and wrist.
The inflammation is uniform which means it will affect both the joints. It is more common in women than men. Most importantly it occurs in middle age and continues till lifetime. Rheumatoid arthritis treatment and causes are still a mystery to medical science!
Causes of Rheumatoid Arthritis
The cause of rheumatoid arthritis is still not known. Medical science does not have a definitive explanation for why people get RA. The researchers have found the following reasons to explain the disorder:
-Genetic predisposition
Genes can make you more susceptible to rheumatoid arthritis. It’s simple if it runs in your family, you are more likely to get it.
Infections
Researchers have found that microbial factors like viruses and bacteria are likely to initiate rheumatoid arthritis. Microbes like mycoplasma, EBV, proteus etc are reasons for the perpetuation of rheumatoid arthritis. Rheumatoid Arthritis treatment is still an area of research for infectious causes.
Stress
Stress is a big problem, especially in today’s century. In this fast-moving world that leaves us with a lot of mental and emotional stress. This stress can have a bad impact on your health. Rheumatoid Arthritis is one such problem that can be initiated by stress. Till now 16 articles have been written explaining stress. Moving on, it is found that people suffering from post-traumatic stress can develop rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune diseases. Stress can worsen the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis and reduces the impact of rheumatoid arthritis treatment.
Oestrogen
70% of females suffer from rheumatoid arthritis, risk of this is more in females of age 55 or even younger women. The accurate reason for this is still not known.
Environmental factors
According to a survey, people living near urban areas are more susceptible to rheumatoid arthritis. Asbestos, dust particles and other pollutants are responsible for producing autoantibodies.
Another scientific gig to explain the same is increased levels of C-reactive protein which causes inflammation. Rheumatoid arthritis treatment can significantly help these patients.
Lifestyle
There is an old saying about a healthy lifestyle. In any case, if you have defied all the above, a bad lifestyle can hamper your dream of living healthy and rheumatoid arthritis treatment.
Obesity is a root cause of many problems. It is found that high BMI can increase the risk of rheumatoid arthritis. Smoking is another cause of inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis. This produces cytokines which elevates
inflammation.
Once the causes are identified, rheumatoid arthritis treatment becomes easier. This also helps the clinician choose an appropriate rheumatoid arthritis treatment. Because every patient is different!
Symptoms of Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rheumatoid Arthritis affects smaller joints initially and later on shows signs in both joints. There are a variety of systemic manifestations, the main character is persistent inflammation of peripheral smaller joints. The course of the disease is prolonged with exacerbation and remission. Pain and swelling of the joints are mainly due to PGs, whereas other chemicals in the body lead to progressive damage to the joints leading to deformity.
This majorly include:
-Low-grade fever
-Tender joints
-Swollen and warm joints
-Fatigue and loss of appetite
-Morning stiffness that lasts for
30 mins
As the disease spreads it affects the elbow, knee joint and this occurs to both the joints of the same side.
Nearly 40% of people show other symptoms that involve other parts of the body. The other organs affected are:
-Bone marrow
-Blood vessels
-Lungs
-Salivary glands
-Skin
-Kidneys
-Heart
Now the next question arises in our mind is when to see your orthopaedic?
When the above signs and symptoms are persistent. We must visit an Orthopaedic for proper rheumatoid arthritis treatment.
Diagnosis of Rheumatoid Arthritis
There is not a single test to diagnose rheumatoid arthritis. Your Orthopaedic will perform various tests to detect this condition. Moreover, initially, it resembles diseases like lupus, Lyme arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and osteoarthritis. That’s why orthopaedics has to rely on many tests to pinpoint the cause of pain and other symptoms.
Lab and Blood test for Rheumatoid Arthritis
-The doctor will ask about your family history and personal habits. This involves genetic information and family history. If someone in your family has the same, you might have it too.
-Physical exam includes joints and bone examination. To check the signs like tenderness and swelling, this physical examination is a must.
-An antibody blood test which includes certain proteins that your doctor will look for.
-C-reactive protein and rheumatoid factors are also important.
This will help in rheumatoid arthritis treatment. The drug of choice and other treatment factors are based on this.
Treatment of rheumatoid arthritis
There is no permanent cure for rheumatoid arthritis but treatment can help you cope with rheumatoid arthritis in a much better way. These include drugs, self -care, better lifestyle, medications, therapies and surgery.
The general principles of treatment include
-Stopping inflammation
-Relieving any symptoms
-Prevent joint and organ damage
-Improve physical and overall well being
-Reduce long-term complication
All the above are symptomatic treatments.
Drugs
Consult your Orthopaedic for the same. The most common drugs used are disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and glucocorticoids. The drugs should not be taken without the prescription of your orthopaedic.
Self-care
This includes heating pads, oil massage and rest. It is important to relax and calm your body just not physically but mentally and emotionally. As earlier mentioned, stress can worsen the symptoms of this condition and rheumatoid arthritis treatment can be ineffective.
Therapies
This includes stretching, physical therapy and other exercises such as yoga.
– Yoga
It is an old age practice to improve overall strength of body and mind.
For yogic management, even an online consultation would also work.
– Stretching
This improves flexibility and physical condition of the bone.
– Physical therapy
It helps to restore muscle strength and flexibility.
– Surgery
- This includes arthroplasty and joint replacement.
- Arthroplasty is the procedure to restore the functions of the joints.
- Knee surgery and joint replacement are other surgical procedures.
- These are rheumatoid arthritis treatments that can improve the condition. Online consultation with your Orthopaedic can help you to start the treatment early.
Eat right
There is no such diet that can be “rheumatoid arthritis treatment” but some food items can help you reduce the signs and symptoms of RA.
Include vitamin C which helps in collagen formation and helps reduce inflammation. Moreover, selenium is proven to be good for joints when taken with vitamin E. Regular intake of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, olive oils and fish can make you feel better.
There is a long list that one must not include in their diet if you are suffering from rheumatoid arthritis. This includes grilled, broiled or fried meats, and fatty foods full of omega-6 fatty acids. Sugars are devil, they will worsen this condition and will delay rheumatoid arthritis treatment. Alcohol can be an aggravating factor for inflammation and can reverse rheumatoid arthritis treatment. Gluten and preservatives can lead to worsening of the condition.
Take away
Rheumatoid Arthritis is an autoimmune disease with no significant cause and cure. Chronic disease as it is said by medical practitioners, rheumatoid arthritis treatment is must. There is no harm in taking a knee surgery under proper guidance. The treatment mainly includes treating inflammation and reducing the symptoms. Diet and lifestyle accompanied with rheumatoid arthritis treatment can improve the condition.
