RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS
WHAT IS IT?
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory illness that affects up to one percent of the world’s population. The inflammation primarily attacks the linings of the joints, but the membranes lining the blood vessels, heart, and lungs may also become inflamed. The hands and feet are most often affected, but any joint lined by a membrane may be involved. If the inflammation is not controlled by medication, the joints may become deformed.
Progression and severity of rheumatoid arthritis can vary greatly from one individual to another. Cycles of waxing and waning symptoms are common. A small number of patients will go into remission, usually within the first two years.
Over the last 10 or 15 years, alternative strategies for treating and controlling rheumatoid arthritis have greatly expanded, thanks to the discovery of new natural treatments. With good alternative medical care, many people newly diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis can reasonably hope to prevent or delay the more disabling and feared complications of the disease.
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS?
Symptoms include joint swelling — particularly in the small joints of the hands and feet — joint tenderness, stiffness, and pain. While stiffness is usually most noticeable in the arthritic joints, generalized morning stiffness — a feeling that muscles have gelled or thickened — is characteristic of rheumatoid arthritis.
Rheumatoid arthritis may develop slowly and subtly over years or appear dramatically almost overnight. For most, the disease manifests itself over a period of a few months. Surprisingly, a rapid onset does not mean the individual is at greater risk of disease progression.
Many rheumatoid patients develop hard lumps, called rheumatoid nodules, in may places on their body They form on the heels, and back of the head, under the skin of a finger or fingers, toe/s.
The downside is if inflammation persists for long periods, cartilage and bone destruction can occur, resulting in deformity and immobility of the joint. Inflammation and deformity are most often seen in the hands and feet. In addition people who are severely affected may also experience weight loss, low-grade fever, and a general systemic lack of well being.
WHO GETS IT?
Rheumatoid arthritis is a acquired around the world, affecting nearly every ethnic group. Women suffer from Rheumatoid about 2- 3 times more then men. Hormones are thought to play a key role in women’s greater rick, because the risk decreases after age 50 or menopause. This form of arthritis is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks normal tissue components, treating them as invading pathogens. Bacteria and/or virus are suspected of triggering the destructive inflammatory process. However, clinical proof is lacking. Most likely, rheumatoid arthritis results from the interplay of genetic risk factors, lifestyle factors influencing toxin levels (toxic load) in the body.
Genes do play a role in rheumatoid arthritis. Siblings of severely affected rheumatoid arthritis patients are at a high risk. A specific gene relating to immune system proteins, can influence the progression or worsening of the disease. rheumatoid arthritis patients who have this HLA-DRB1 gene are more likely to go on to a more severe case of the disease.
HOW IS IT DIAGNOSED?
Anyone presenting swollen, painful joints particularly in the hands and feet are suspected of having inflammatory arthritis. Unlike other forms of arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis is usually symmetrical, involving the same joints on both sides of the body.
Joint stiffness ias generally a major symptom in any type of arthritis, but people with rheumatoid arthritis often experience more severe and disabling stiffness early in the day. They may be unable to fully extend or flex their fingers in the early morning but then improve over the course of day.
Rheumatoid factors are antibodies present in about three quarters of people with rheumatoid arthritis. Presence of rheumatoid factor is used by doctors to help confirm a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis. Although, rheumatoid factor is also found in cases of chronic infection and in some other types of autoimmune disease. Some people lack rheumatoid factor early in the course of their disease but are found to have it on later testing. Very high levels of rheumatoid factor are often seen with more severe cases of rheumatoid arthritis.
The American College of Rheumatology states that four out of seven of the following signs and symptoms must be present to confirm a diagnosis rheumatoid arthritis. Symptoms such as morning stiffness and swelling should be present for at least six weeks before the diagnosis is considered certain. The symptoms are:
Morning stiffness of at least one hour duration in and around the joints
Soft-tissue swelling in three or more joint groups
Involvement of the hands
Symmetric involvement (same joint on right as on left side of body)
Rheumatoid nodules
Serum rheumatoid factor
X-ray (radiographic) evidence of bone erosion
HOW IS IT TREATED?
Non-drug treatments have an important place in long-term management of rheumatoid arthritis, including rest, splinting of affected joints, appropriate exercise programs, and orthopedic appliances (orthotics) to improve function or prevent deformity.
Good nutrition is essential since people with more advanced disease often experience anemia and weight loss. While still a controversial area in arthritis, several recent studies suggest that specific nutritional therapies may have a useful place in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Some fatty acids — including borage seed oil, evening primrose oil, and fish oil — are reported to have anti-inflammatory effects and to reduce symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. Be sure to discuss any supplemental treatment options with your physician.
