Rheumatoid Arthritis-An Autoimmune Disease

Rheumatoid Arthritis-An Autoimmune Disease with Joint Pain

     Do you experience joint pain, joint swelling, joint stiffness and loss of joint movement? If yes, then it is an alarming health issue which may cause more complications. These are an autoimmune disease symptoms in which the body’s defence system attacks your own body cells. This is the most common type of autoimmune arthritis that affects the lining of the joints and tissues around the joints, as well as tissues at other places in your body.

     The joint damaged by this disease usually happens on both sides of your body. For example-if a joint is affected in one of your arms or legs, the same joint in the other arm or leg will probably be affected. This symptom may help distinguihing the problem with other kinds of arthritis, such as osteoarthritis etc. Actually, the cells of the immune system present in the blood move towards your joints and their linings causing inflammation within the joints resulting pain, swelling and stiffness. If these symptoms are ignored then it can affact almost all the organ-system in the body that may result in premature heart attack, lung disorders, osteoporosis causing bone fractures, anaemia, eye disease, and other complications.

     Please be careful as the treatments may be easy when symptoms are diagnosed early, therefore try to learn everything you want to know about this disease from types and symptoms, to home remedies, diets, and other treatments. Since it is a long-term or chronic disease indicating by symptoms of inflammation and pain in the joints which may occur throughout the body and can vary from mild to severe. Kindly note that the symptoms come and go so be careful as diagnosing this disease may take time and may require multiple lab tests to confirm the problem. There are several types of blood tests that help to determine the issue. The blood test checks for a protein called rheumatoid factor. High levels of rheumatoid factor are associated with autoimmune diseases. Anticitrullinated protein antibody test looks for an antibody that’s associated with this disease.  Another type of test is Antinuclear antibody test which tests immune system to see if it’s producing antibodies or not. There are other tests also that helps Doctors to determine this disease. 

       Different types of Arthritis :  The word 'Arthritis' derives from "arth" a Latin word for "joint" and "itis" a Latin word for "disease" or "inflammation". There are several different kinds of  Arthritis including RA, osteoarthritis, gout and lupus. We can see that like in rheumatoid arthritis, the people suffering from osteoarthritis can experience painful and stiff joints that can make moving around difficult. They may also have joint swelling after extended activity, but osteoarthritis doesn’t cause any significant inflammatory reaction that typically results in redness of the affected joints. osteoarthritis isn’t an autoimmune disease and it is related to the natural wear and tear of the joints as age increases or it can develop as a result of trauma. Osteoarthritis is most often seen in older adults. Similarly, Gout is an intensely painful type of arthritis that occurs mainly in the joints of the big toe. It can also attack the top of the foot and ankle. Occasionally, it’s been known to attack other joints in the body. Gout can result due to an overabundance of rich food and drink. Symptoms of Gout is seen as redness, swelling, and intense pain which is caused by rich food and drink but the real cause is purine rich foods that include meats (especially organ meats), fish and shellfish, and even some vegetables. Wholegrain breads and cereals contain purines too. The body converts purines into uric acid and Gout can occur whenever there is too much uric acid in the blood. 

    Types of rheumatoid arthritis : There are several different types of rheumatoid arthritis - Seropositive RA (some people with seropositive RA can experience inflammation in the eyes, salivary glands, nerves, kidneys, lungs, heart, skin, and blood vessels), Seronegative RA and Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (in people younger than 17 years of age). Arthritis in the hands may start as a low-level burning sensation that can be felt at the end of the day. This pain can get quite severe if not treated. Patient may also feel swelling, redness, warmth, and stiffness and if the cartilage in joints wears away, patients may notice some deformities in hands. Also a grinding feeling in the joints of  hands, fingers, and large joints can be felt if the cartilage deteriorates completely. Gradually, fluid-filled sacs or synovial cysts may develop in the wrists and around the joints of the hands and there may knobby growths, called bone spurs, in the affected joints. There may be severe deformities in  hands and feet and the hands and fingers may cause a curved and claw-like appearance may occur. Toes can also take on a claw-like appearance. somtimes bending upward, and sometimes curling under the ball of the foot and ulcers, bunions, and calluses on feet may also appear. Lumps, called rheumatoid nodules, can also appear anywhere on body where joints are inflamed. Excess weight stresses the joints of the hips, knees, ankles, and feet, and can make this disease worse. It’s always recommended to keep body weight under control by eating a balanced, healthy diet and limiting  alcohol consumption. 

      Women are more likely than men to develop rheumatoid arthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis can occur at any age, but in many cases it begins between the ages of 40 and 60. There is chance that if a member of your family has rheumatoid arthritis, you may have an increased risk of the disease. Smoking increases the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis. People who are overweight or obese have risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis. People who have rheumatoid arthritis are much more likely to experience Sjogren's syndrome, a disorder that decreases the amount of moisture in your eyes and mouth.

       Rheumatoid arthritis treatment : There’s no treatment for rheumatoid arthritis, but there are some treatments that can help you to manage it i.e. to manage the pain and control the inflammation. Such treatments may include medications, alternative or home remedies, dietary changes, specific types of exercise etc. that may help the patients live an active life and reduce the risk of long-term complications. Foods high in omega-3 fatty acids may help reduce the problem. Such food include fatty fishes, including salmon, tuna, herring, and mackerel, chia seeds, flax seeds, walnuts etc. Also, antioxidants, such as vitamins A, C, and E, and selenium, may also help reduce inflammation. Foods high in antioxidants including berries, such as blueberries, cranberries, goji berries, and strawberries

dark chocolate, spinach, kidney beans, pecans, artichokes may also be consumed to reduce the risk. Eating lots of fiber is also important, because according to some researchers, fiber may help reduce inflammatory responses which can be seen as a decrease in C-reactive protein levels. It is also advisable to take whole grain foods, fresh vegetables, and fresh fruit. 

     So, be attentive and take care of your valuable health. Live long with happiness.