Everything you need to know about arthritis

Arthritis is a disease that involves swelling of the joints, causing pain in the sufferer. In cases where the inflammation is very high, other symptoms such as fever, loss of appetite or tiredness may appear.

The most common manifestation of chronic arthritis is rheumatoid arthritis, being more frequent in women than in men. In addition, as age increases, the number of affected persons increases, being more frequent between forty and sixty years of age, as well as in urban areas, as opposed to rural areas.

Causes of rheumatoid arthritis

The origin of rheumatoid arthritis is not currently known, although it is included in the group of arthritis caused by autoimmune causes: the patient’s immune system attacks the joints, especially the synovial membrane (tissue surrounding the joint).

There are many factors that can influence the onset of arthritis: genetic, hormonal, environmental, etc.

  • Genetic factors: if the factor is genetic, it may favor the transmission of the disease among family members, although inheritance is not assured.
  • Hormonal factors may favor that the disease is more frequent in women.
  • Environmental factors. Smoking is one of the most important causes, since it has been shown that smokers have a higher risk of contracting arthritis than non-smokers. Infectious factors may also play a role, but there is as yet no evidence that they are a direct cause.

Symptoms caused by rheumatoid arthritis

The main symptoms are:

  • Joint pain and swelling.
  • Joint stiffness or numbness after prolonged rest, such as getting out of bed in the morning. This damage can decrease the mobility and function of the joint, making it difficult for the patient to move around and perform daily activities.

Rheumatoid arthritis can also produce symptoms outside the joints:

  • Tiredness.
  • Lack of appetite.
  • Weight loss.
  • Fever.
  • rheumatoid nodules: lumps under the skin in areas near the joints. In addition, chronic inflammation can affect other organs such as the heart, lung or kidney.

Diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis

First of all, the patient should go for consultation and a meticulous clinical history describing the symptoms will be taken, as well as a physical examination. The patient will also undergo a complete blood test and X-rays of the affected joints. In this way, the specialist in Rheumatology will correctly diagnose the disease and other possible pathologies will be ruled out.

Treatment of rheumatoid arthritis

This pathology is not irreversible, but at present there are very good treatments against it. There are five groups of drugs with different characteristics and functions that can be very effective in the treatment of arthritis:

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  • Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs: they relieve joint swelling and pain.
  • Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs: decrease symptoms and slow the growth of the disease.
  • Glucocorticoids: usually used at the start of treatment, although many patients require a light dose in order to control symptoms.
  • Biological drugs: block the action of joint-destroying substances. The disadvantage is that they require a high outlay.
  • Miscellaneous group: improve symptoms accompanying joint symptoms.

Tips for a Rheumatoid Arthritis Patient

Patients with rheumatoid arthritis should try to have the best health conditions they can.

They should rest a lot and better in order to reduce the fatigue of the disease, and rest the inflamed joints.

They should also do sports to improve the limitation of movements caused by arthritis. Aquatic exercises are a good option because the stress on the joints is less than the exercise practiced on land, especially when the joints that support the weight of the body are damaged.

As for food, they should follow a varied and balanced diet. It is important to consume milk and dairy products for their calcium content.

Tobacco consumption in people with rheumatoid arthritis, in addition to increasing the risk of damaging the body’s arteries, makes the disease more severe and difficult to treat.

Work activity must be adapted to the limitations imposed by the disease, so good advice on the rights and options for adapting the job to the particular needs of each patient is very important.

Pregnancy and rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis frequently affects women of reproductive age, so pregnancy becomes common in this type of patient. With proper medical and obstetric care, most of these people can have a successful pregnancy, which does not mean that it is free of possible complications, so the possible risks for the mother and the fetus should be discussed beforehand between the physician and the patient.

The best time for a woman with arthritis to become pregnant is when the disease is in a period of lower activity. Medication should be adapted according to the pregnancy as there are some that are contraindicated, and have constant medical monitoring for what might occur.