Rhuematoid Arthritis Articles

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Rhuematoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic (long-term) disease. The symptoms can come and go, and each person with RA is affected differently. Some people have long periods of remission. Their rheumatoid arthritis is inactive, and they have few or no symptoms during this time. Other people might have near-constant symptoms for months at a stretch. Although rheumatoid arthritis can involve different parts the body, joints are always affected. When the disease acts up, joints become inflamed. Inflammation is the body's natural response to infection or other threats, but in rheumatoid arthritis inflammation occurs inappropriately and for unknown reasons. read more...

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic, systemic autoimmune disorder that causes the immune system to attack the joints, leading to arthritis (inflammation of the joints), as well as other organs of the body such as the lungs and skin. It can be a disabling and painful condition, which can lead to substantial loss of functioning mobility due to pain and joint destruction. It is diagnosed with blood tests (especially a test called rheumatoid factor) and X-rays. Diagnosis and long-term management are typically performed by a rheumatologist, an expert in the diseases of joints and connective tissues. read more...

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) occurs when your body's immune system attacks and destroys the tissues that make up your joints. The joints become swollen, stiff, and painful. In later stages, the joints can become deformed. Other areas of your body can also be affected, including your lungs, heart, blood vessels, and eyes. About 1 percent of the U.S. population suffers from RA. Typically, it strikes between the ages of 30 and 60, but it can occur at any age. Stiffness, swelling, and pain in and around certain joints, especially after not moving for a while (for example, when waking) Affected joints typically include hands, fingers, wrists, ankles, feet, elbows, and knees. Generally, if a joint on the right side of your body is affected, the same joint on the left side is also affected. Feeling tired and run-down with swollen lymph glands, a low fever, little or no appetite, and weight loss Appearance of small bumps under the skin near the affected joints read more...

The underlying event that promotes RA in a person is unknown. Given the known genetic factors involved in RA, some researchers have suggested that an outside event occurs that triggers the disease cycle in a person with a particular genetic makeup. Many researchers are examining the possibility that exposure to an organism (like a bacteria or virus) may be the first event in the development of RA. The body's normal response to such an organism is to produce cells that can attack and kill the organism, protecting the body from the foreign invader. In an autoimmune disease like RA, this immune cycle spins out of control. The body produces misdirected immune cells, which accidentally identify parts of the person's body as foreign. These immune cells then produce a variety of chemicals that injure and destroy parts of the body. read more...

Living With Rheumatoid Arthritis Mrs. K. D. is a 43 year old wife and mother of two children and suffers from severe rheumatoid arthritis. This is her story... This article is not about my disease itself or its treatment, but about the way it affects what I do throughout my day. My disease has caused deformity of my hands and feet. My fingers are recognizably gnarled and have bumps, called nodules. My wrists have nearly fused so that I can move them very little. My toes have cocked up and I have calluses under the pads at the bottoms of my feet. My knees are chronically slightly swollen as are many of the small joints of my knuckles. Things that most people take for granted for example sleeping, bathing, brushing your teeth, getting dressed, making meals, and even driving a car; for me, are extremely challenging. read more...

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease that causes inflammation and deformity of the joints. Other problems throughout the body (systemic problems) may also develop, including inflammation of blood vessels (vasculitis), the development of bumps (called rheumatoid nodules) in various parts of the body, lung disease, blood disorders, and weakening of the bones (osteoporosis). The skeletal system of the body is made up of different types of strong, fibrous tissue called connective tissue. Bone, cartilage, ligaments, and tendons are all forms of connective tissue that have different compositions and different characteristics. read more...

Rheumatoid arthritis (often called RA) is a chronic (long-standing) disease that damages the joints of the body. The damage is caused by inflammation, a normal response by the body’s immune system to “assaults” such as infections, wounds, and foreign objects. The inflammation in the joints causes pain, stiffness, and swelling as well as many other symptoms. The inflammation often affects other organs and systems of the body. If the inflammation is not slowed or stopped, it can damage the affected joints and other tissues. read more...

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic disorder for which there is no known cure. Fortunately in the last few years, a shift in strategy toward the earlier institution of disease modifying drugs and the availability of new classes of medications have greatly improved the outcomes that can be expected by most patients. The goal of treatment now aims toward achieving the lowest possible level of arthritis disease activity and remission if possible, the minimization of joint damage, and enhancing physical function and quality of life. The optimal treatment of RA requires a comprehensive program that combines medical, social, and emotional support for the patient. It is essential that the patient and the patient’s family be educated about the nature and course of the disease. Strategies are all aimed at reducing pain and discomfort, preventing deformities and loss of joint function, and maintaining a productive and active life. Inflammation must be suppressed and mechanical and structural abnormalities corrected or compensated by assistive devices. Treatment options include medications, reduction of joint stress, physical and occupational therapy, and surgical intervention. read more...

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory condition that can affect many body tissues especially the joints. The usual rheumatoid arthritis new treatment options are based on drug therapy and other conventional therapies. However, some rheumatoid arthritis new treatments have become very popular because they show promise for expending the physical therapy. The new arthritis treatment is also called the alternative treatment for rheumatoid arthritis. Before considering an alternative/complementary treatment, you should take into consideration the likely benefits and risks of such new therapies. Most importantly, you should determine the type of treatment that is appropriate for you. It is a common truth that the safety and effectiveness of alternative treatments are still being defined. read more...

I received this letter from a dairy farmer. Should any of your friends or relatives have this painful condition, please feel free to print this for them. Please also feel free to post this on your internet site. I require no credit or link to my website. Helping people is my reward. Making a positive difference in this world is one's highest pursuit. Dear Mr. Cohen, You and I have stood on different sides of the fence for a number of years, but I've got a story to tell you, and an apology to offer. Catherine (my wife of 21 years) and I both grew up on dairy farms. We've been raising Holsteins as long as we can remember. Cath is just 42 years old, but she is crippled with rheumatoid arthritis. There is no record of this disease in her family, but she has been in pain for the past two years, much of it bedridden. We've tried traditional and alternative therapies and medicines, but she only got a little short-term relief. We even tried acupuncture. Try finding an acupuncturist in the rural Midwest! It was expensive, and didn't really work. Catherine's pain has been unbearable at times. Despite there being no information on the internet, linking dairy consumption to rheumatoid arthritis, and nothing in medical journals (I've searched online Medline), we made a resolution together to discontinue drinking our own milk, and not eat cheese or any other dairy product for six months, just to see if there would be some improvement. Damn. I have to tell you this. Catherine feels like she's been to Lourdes. She's cured. There is some pain, but most is gone. I've had changes too which I'll discuss some other time. I thank you, and curse you at the same time. Milking cows is my livelihood. I've always believed that what I was doing was the right thing. I'm not going to sell my cows and sell my farm. I love the business. I just don't feel that good about it anymore. You were right about the arthritis. I don't know about the cancer and heart attacks, but you have given us a miracle that doctors were not able to provide. It did not take us three to six months to learn the truth. It took just three weeks. I've ridiculed your work in the past. Please accept my apology. read more...

Science still has no definitive answer to what causes rheumatoid arthritis. Some scientists have theories but that is it. I do have a friend who has it and now his 9th grade daughter is fighting it. Rheumatoid arthritis is an auto immune disease that basically has an army inside of you that is fighting for the wrong side. If you read about our army illustration on the home page (arthritis treatments) then you know we have a built in army that is supposed to go to war on your behalf. It attacks or reinforces different areas of our body so white blood cells can come in and do their trick. Rheumatoid arthritis is basically a mix up between our army and our immune system. Our immune system is really good at fighting of illnesses, infections and such, but for whatever reason the communication lines were destroyed and now we are left with a painful disease that sometimes goes into remission for several months. read more...

Rheumatiod arthritis diagnose Rheumatioid arthritus is normally diagnosed according to internationally agreed standards. Through the international standardization, comparisons between regions, countries and populations has been simplified and statistics are now more reliable across the world. The global rate of rheumatory arthritis seems to be in the region of slightly below 1% of the general poulation (latest surveys shows around 0.8%). RA, or rhrumotoid arthritis can be found anywhere in the world, in anyt climate zone and among different ethnical groups to varying levels. It seems that the condition is more frequent around 50 years of average age, contrary to previous belief. Differences between young and old are not big when looking at the progression and intensity of rheumetoid arthiritis, at least if evaluating the early stages of the condition. RA seems to be more common in women. read more...

The factors that can lead to Rhuematoid Arthritis Determining the exact cause of Rhuematoid Arthritis can be difficult. But there are various factors which contribute to the progress of the disease. Onset of the disease could be from one or more of the following factors: · Genetics: The role of genes in the disease is not very clear at present but most researchers do believe on the existence of such a link. · Age: Cartilage becomes brittle with age and the body also loses its repairing capacities. Chances of arthritis increase with age. read more...

Interstitial lung disease -- a large group of disorders that involve inflammation of the lower respiratory tract and breakdown of the structures that transfer oxygen to the bloodstream -- is prevalent and progressive in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), according to a study utilizing high-resolution computed tomography lung scans. The prevalence of symptomless interstitial lung disease in rheumatoid arthritis is unknown, Dr. Bernadette R. Gochuico and colleagues note in the Archives of Internal Medicine. Nonetheless, given the availability of new therapeutic options, early identification and treatment may improve outcomes.The investigators studied 64 patients with RA without lung symptoms like shortness of breath or cough and 10 patients with RA and scarring of the lungs (also called pulmonary fibrosis). High-resolution computed tomography identified "preclinical" interstitial lung disease in 21 of the 64 RA patients without lung symptoms (33 percent), Gochuico and colleagues report. Air flow and lung volumes were normal in the interstitial lung disease patients at baseline, but gas exchange was impaired compared with subjects with no interstitial lung disease. During an average follow-up of 2 years, repeat scanning showed disease progression in 12 individuals with preclinical interstitial lung disease and in 6 with pulmonary fibrosis. read more...

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