In rheumatoid arthritis, “arthr-“ refers to joints, “-itis” means inflammation, and “rheumatoid” comes from rheumatism, which more broadly refers to a musculoskeletal illness.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune and inflammatory disease in which your immune system mistakenly damage healthy cells in your body, resulting in inflammation (painful swelling) in the affected areas. RA primarily affects the joints, which are frequently attacked at the same time.
So, rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic, inflammatory disorder that mostly affects the joints, but can also involve other organ systems like the skin and lungs as well.
What are the signs and symptoms of RA?
Signs and symptoms of RA include:
Pain or aching in more than one joint
Stiffness in more than one joint
Tenderness and swelling in more than one joint
The same symptoms on both sides of the body (such as in both hands or both knees)
Weight loss
Fever
Fatigue or tiredness
Weakness
What are the causes of RA?
RA is caused by the body's immune system attacking its own healthy cells as part of an immunological response. Although the exact etiology of RA is unknown, many variables can raise the likelihood of having the condition.
What are the risk factors for RA?
Characteristics that increase risk:
Age: RA can strike at any age, although it becomes more likely as you become older. Adults in their sixties are most likely to get RA.
Sex: RA are typically two-to-three times higher in women than men.
Genetics/inherited traits: People who are born with certain genes have a higher risk of developing RA. These genes, commonly known as HLA (human leukocyte antigen) class II genotypes, can aggravate arthritis. When people with these genes are exposed to environmental variables like smoking or obesity, the risk of RA increases.
Smoking: Cigarette smoking increases a person’s risk of developing RA and can make the disease worse.
Obesity: Obesity can raise your chances of acquiring RA. Obesity plays a role in RA development, according to studies. The more overweight a person is, the higher his or her risk of developing the disease.
What are Complications of RA?
Rheumatoid arthritis increases your risk of developing:
Osteoporosis: Rheumatoid arthritis, as well as some rheumatoid arthritis drugs, might raise your risk of osteoporosis, a condition that weakens your bones and makes them more susceptible to fracture.
Dry eyes and mouth: Rheumatoid arthritis patients are more likely to develop Sjogren's syndrome, a condition in which the amount of moisture in the eyes and mouth reduces.
Infections: Rheumatoid arthritis and many of the drugs used to treat RA might weaken the immune system, making it more susceptible to infection. Vaccinations can help you avoid diseases such as influenza, pneumonia, and COVID-19.
Abnormal body composition: The composition of fat to lean mass is often higher in people who have rheumatoid arthritis.
Carpal tunnel syndrome: If rheumatoid arthritis affects your wrists, the inflammation can compress the nerve that affects most of your hand and fingers.
Heart problems: Rheumatoid arthritis can increase your risk of blocked arteries, as well as inflammation of the sac that encloses your heart.
Lung disease: People with rheumatoid arthritis have an increased risk of inflammation of the lung tissues, which may lead to progressive shortness of breath (SOB).
What are Stages of RA?
Stage 1
The first stage of RA is called the early stage. Joint pain, stiffness, and swelling affect a large number of people. The inside of the joint is inflamed during the first stage. Swelling occurs in the joint tissue. The bones are unaffected, but the synovium, the joint lining, is inflamed.
Stage 2
The second stage of RA is known as moderate RA. The inflammation of the synovium causes damage to the joint cartilage at this stage. Cartilage is a connective tissue that covers the ends of bones at joints. People may endure pain and loss of motion if their cartilage is injured. The joint's range of motion may be limited.
Stage 3
When RA reaches stage 3, it is classified as severe. Damage to the cartilage and the bones themselves has occurred at this point. Because the cushion between the bones has worn away, they will rub against one other. There could be increased discomfort and swelling. Muscle weakness and mobility loss may occur in some people. Erosion can cause damage to the bone, which can lead to deformity.
Stage 4
There is no longer any inflammation in the joint at stage 4. When joints stop working, it's called end-stage RA.
People with end-stage RA may still feel pain, edema, stiffness, and loss of mobility. Muscle strength may be affected. The bones may get fused together and the joints may be ruined (ankylosis).
Progressing through all four stages can take a long time, and some people never complete all four stages in their lives.
How to Diagnosis RA?
A diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis is based on your symptoms, a physical examination and the results of x-rays, scans and blood tests.
Blood tests
There's no single blood test that can confirm you have rheumatoid arthritis. However, a few tests that can show possible signs of the condition. Some of the main tests are mentioned below.
Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR)
A sample of your red blood cells is placed in a liquid test tube. The cells are timed to observe how long it takes them to reach the tube's bottom. You may have higher-than-normal levels of inflammation if the cells sink faster than usual. One possible reason is rheumatoid arthritis.
C-reactive protein (CRP)
This test might reveal whether your body is inflamed. It accomplishes so by measuring the amount of CRP in your blood. You may have inflammation in your body if your CRP level is higher than usual.
Rheumatoid factor and anti-CCP antibodies
There is another antibody test called anti-CCP that you can take. People who test positive for anti-CCP are very likely to get rheumatoid arthritis.
What are Treatments of RA?
There are a variety of treatments available for rheumatoid arthritis.
There are three main ways to treat rheumatoid arthritis:
drugs
physical therapies
surgery
Drugs
There are four main groups of drugs that are used to treat rheumatoid arthritis.
These are:
painkillers
non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs)
steroids (also known as corticosteroids).
Many people with rheumatoid arthritis need to take more than one drug. This is because different drugs work in different ways.
Physical Therapy
A physical therapist can advise people about using assistive devices, such as a cane, and help individuals develop a suitable exercise plan.
Surgery
In some cases, a doctor may recommend surgery to:
repair damaged joints
correct deformities
reduce pain
Related Questions about Rheumatoid Arthritis.
Which Characteristics that can decrease risk?
Women who have breastfed their infants have a decreased risk of developing RA.
Where does RA usually start?
The most commonly affected areas during the onset of RA are the small joints in your hands and feet. This is where you may first feel stiffness and an ache. It's also possible for RA inflammation to affect your knees and hips.
Does rheumatoid arthritis hurt all the time?
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) most commonly affects the joints in a person's hands, wrists, and knees. It can cause intense pain, swelling, and stiffness. However, RA can affect the whole body. Without effective treatment, it can be progressive, meaning that it may get worse over time.
Do you get tingling with rheumatoid arthritis?
RA can progress to a point where it causes nerve damage. Nerve damage, which is also known as neuropathy, causes numbness and tingling. People with RA can have varying degrees of numbness and tingling, depending on the disease's progression.
Why does RA pain get worse at night?
Lying down can cause inflammatory chemicals to pool in the fluid that cushions your joints, which makes them stiffen up. And your perception of pain may be heightened during the nighttime because you're not distracted by anything else.
Is sun good for rheumatoid arthritis?
Sun helps the body synthesize vitamin D, which is essential for bone health and a well-functioning immune system; vitamin D deficiency has been linked to autoimmune diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Plus, sunshine boosts mood by raising levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin in the brain.
Is rheumatoid arthritis curable?
There is no cure for rheumatoid arthritis. But clinical studies indicate that remission of symptoms is more likely when treatment begins early with medications known as disease-modifying anti rheumatic drugs (DMARDs).
Why rheumatoid arthritis is not curable?
Ultimately, because of the avascular nature of cartilage, once damage has occurred, it cannot be repaired, thus making a cure essentially impossible. It appears that once the inflammatory rheumatoid synovial organ has formed in a specific joint, it is unlikely that this tissue can be brought back to 'normal'.
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