Subscribe Feed (RSS)Rheumatoid Arthritis Information
August 15th, 2006 by admin | Filed under Uncategorized.Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a form of arthritis that causes pain, swelling, stiffness and loss of function in your joints. Rheumatoid arthritis is two to three times more common in women than in men and generally strikes between the ages of 20 and 50. Rheumatoid arthritis is different from osteoarthritis, the common arthritis that often comes with older age.
What are the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis? In some patients with rheumatoid arthritis, chronic inflammation leads to the destruction of the cartilage, bone and ligaments causing deformity of the joints. Unlike osteoarthritis, which results from wear and tear on your joints, rheumatoid arthritis is an inflammatory condition. Because it can affect multiple other organs of the body, rheumatoid arthritis is referred to as a systemic illness and is sometimes called rheumatoid disease. The symptoms that distinguish rheumatoid arthritis from other forms of arthritis are inflammation and soft-tissue swelling of many joints at the same time. Thus, the pain of rheumatoid arthritis is usually worse in the morning compared to the classic pain of osteoarthritis where the pain worsens over the day as the joints are used. It is 4 times more common in smokers than non-smokers. More than two million people in the United States are affected by rheumatoid arthritis. This disease is three times more common in women than in men.
The main physical difference between osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis is that with osteoarthritis when the cartilage between the bone ends has worn thin the pain results from the bone ends rubbing together. And with rheumatoid arthritis the cartilage is not thinned but the fluid filled membrane surrounding the joint becomes inflamed and the bones can actually start eroding.
It is suspected that susceptibility to rheumatoid arthritis is an inherited trait. The exact cause of rheumatoid arthritis is unknown, but it’s believed to be the body’s immune system attacking the tissue that lines your joints. But rheumatoid arthritis can also affect young children and adults older than age 50.
Some of the criteria used to diagnosis rheumatoid arthritis is morning stiffness of more than one hour of most mornings for at least six weeks, arthritis and soft-tissue swelling of at least three out of fourteen joints and arthritis of the hand joints.
There is no known cure for rheumatoid arthritis. Many types of treatments have been used to ease the symptoms. Some of the more common ones are acupuncture, apple diet, nutmeg, nettles, prayer, bee venom and pollen, copper bracelets, rhubarb diet, rest, honey, fasting, magnets, vitamins and cortisone therapy.
It is highly recommended to see a doctor as soon as symptoms flare, to minimize joint deterioration and pain. A rheumatologist is a doctor who helps people with problems in the joints, bones, and muscles. Drugs can be used for pain relief, to reduce swelling, and to stop the disease from getting worse.
Please check my blog on rheumatoid arthritis at
rheumatoid-arthritis-info.blogspot.com Rheumatoid Arthritis Information for further information on rheumatoid arthritis.
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