Rheumatoid Arthritis – Causes, Symptoms and Treatments
Rheumatoid Arthritis – Causes, Symptoms and Treatments. In addition, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease that usually affects the small joints of the hands and feet. It interferes with the lining of these joints , causing painful swelling that can eventually result in bone erosion and joint deformity. Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease, meaning it causes the body’s immune system to mistakenly attack healthy tissue. So, check out Rheumatoid Arthritis – Causes, Symptoms and Treatments.
Causes of Rheumatoid Arthritis: Different factors can cause rheumatoid arthritis . The main thing is to have a degree of kinship with people who have the disease. The genetic load passed from parent to child may contain genes that are associated with arthritis . In addition to genetic factors, rheumatoid arthritis can also be associated with viral and bacterial infections.
“Viruses and bacteria can enter the bloodstream and trigger an imbalance in the immune system , thus resulting in rheumatoid arthritis ”, warns Tatiana. She says that urinary infections , toothaches and sore throats are some of the factors that can lead to the problem.
Cigarettes can also be seen as a facilitator for the development of rheumatoid arthritis , including people who do not smoke, but have contact with smokers, are also at risk. Experts say that even environmental factors can be a trigger for developing rheumatoid arthritis. Pollutants such as silica, the main element that makes up sand, are some of those that can predispose to the disease.
Symptoms of Rheumatoid Arthritis: The signs and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis are:
- Pain in the joints of the fingers and toes
- Pain in the joints of the knees and ankles
- Pain in the joints of the elbows and shoulders
- Pain in the hip area
- Pain, swelling , and increased temperature in the joints
- Morning stiffness, which can last for hours
- Firm lumps of tissue under the skin of the arms (rheumatoid nodules)
- Stiffness and difficulty moving certain joints in the morning
- Fatigue
- Fever
- Unintentional weight loss .
The signs and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis can vary in severity and can also be intermittent, meaning they appear and then disappear. Periods of increased disease activity, called flare-ups, alternate with periods of relative remission – when swelling and pain in the joints ( joints ) disappears or becomes less frequent. In addition, the inactivity of rheumatoid arthritis can also be seen in laboratory tests.
Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis: Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic disease, so there is no cure yet, but it can be controlled. Currently, there are treatments and medications that allow the disease to remain inactive and the patient to have quality of life. Treatment for rheumatoid arthritis varies depending on the patient’s characteristics and immune response . “When deciding what the patient’s treatment will be, the rheumatologist takes into account the joints affected by inflammation, the degree of swelling and the intensity of pain between zero and 10.
How to Prevent Rheumatoid Arthritis: Regular exercise and physical therapy are great for preventing rheumatoid arthritis , atrophy and muscle weakness. Getting enough sleep is also a great way to prevent and not affect the immune system . Avoiding sitting in the same position for a long time is essential, so it’s good to get up and stretch from time to time.