Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)

A lot of people suffer from joint pain due to several reasons. Rheumatoid arthritis is considered a common condition that impacts the joints and leads to numerous symptoms.

Rheumatoid arthritis

It’s a chronic, autoimmune (the immune system attacks the body itself) disease that could affect any joint in the body in addition to other parts.

Rheumatoid arthritis affects women more than men, and it usually manifests in middle age.

Risk factors for rheumatoid arthritis

There isn’t a specific cause for rheumatoid arthritis, but there are several risk factors that could trigger the immune system and increase the risk of having it, and they include:

• Genetics.
• Smoking.
• Overweight and obesity.

Symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis

• Pain, swelling, and stiffness in the joint.
• Warmth in the joint.
• Joint stiffness in the morning after waking up, and it could last for an hour.
• Extreme tiredness and weakness.
• Limited movement range.
• A mild fever.
• Loss of appetite.
• Symptoms usually occur on both body sides, such as both hands or both knees, yet they can occur on one side.
• In most cases, the symptoms start in small joints, such as hands, wrists, and feet, and as the disease progresses, symptoms transfer to bigger joints, such as knees, ankles, elbows, hips, and shoulders.
• A flare of symptoms might occur, which means that the symptoms manifest for a period of time and then go away.

Complications of rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis could affect other parts of the body, such as:

• Eyes: Dry eye, pain, inflammation, and light sensitivity.
• Moth: dryness, gum inflammation, and irritation.
• Skin: Rheumatoid nodules, which are small lumps under the skin.
• Blood vessels: An inflammation might occur, leading to damage to the nerves, skin, and other organs.
• Blood: The number of red blood cells might decrease.
• Lungs: Inflammation and scarring that might lead to shortness of breath and lung diseases.
• Heart: Inflammation and damage in the heart muscle and surrounded parts.
• Osteoporosis.
• Kidney damage.

Diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis

• Medical history of the patient.
• Physical exam.
• Blood tests.
• Imaging tests.

Management of rheumatoid arthritis

There isn’t a treatment for rheumatoid arthritis, but it can be managed by:

• Painkillers and anti-inflammatories.
• Specific medications for rheumatoid arthritis slow the disease’s progress.
• Physical therapy.
• In some cases, surgery is needed to repair or replace a damaged joint.
• Exercise regularly.
• Follow a healthy lifestyle.