What is Rheumatoid Arthritis?
An ‘Autoimmune Disorder’ which hurts your joints primarily is what we call Rheumatoid Arthritis. It is an inflammatory disease that attacks healthy immune cells in your body to cause inflammation. The manifestation of this medical condition usually occurs in the form of painful swelling in the affected area within the body. Rheumatoid Arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disease which can affect other parts of your body apart from your joints.
These include the eyes, lungs, skin, heart, and blood vessels. Unlike osteoarthritis, which involves wear and tear, Rheumatoid Arthritis usually causes damage to the lining of your joints. Statistically speaking, about 1.3 million people in the United States of America suffer from a disease caused by inflammation. Hence, you need to know about the essentials of Rheumatoid Arthritis. So, here is presenting this article.
How does Rheumatoid Arthritis Occur in The Human Body?
Usually, Rheumatoid Arthritis happens in an individual mainly because of persistent cellular activation that triggers within joints or other parts of the body. It then further develops into immune complexes and autoimmunity. Also, you must understand that three processes within your body work together to produce Rheumatoid Arthritis. They include the following:
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Initiation Phase:
It is the first stage which involves non-specific inflammation.
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Amplification Phase:
It is a second stage during which T-Cell activation leads to the start of an adaptive immune response from the body.
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Chronic inflammatory Phase:
Finally, this is the last stage during which tissue injury arises due to the presence of cell signalling proteins such as cytokines, IL- 1, IL-6, and TNF-Alpha etc.
What are The Signs & Symptoms of Rheumatoid Arthritis?
Like any chronic medical condition Rheumatoid Arthritis to has several signs and symptoms that you need to know so that you can identify it correctly and get it treated as soon as possible. The list is as follows:
- Fever
- Fatigue
- Appetite loss
- Stiffness in the joints
- Swollen joints that are tender and warm
- Extreme weakness
However, you need to note that Rheumatoid Arthritis does tend to affect each individual differently. It is, therefore, widespread to see symptoms of Rheumatoid Arthritis rapidly in some, while it develops slower in many others. There is also a flare-up of this inflammatory disease in many people. On the other hand, you do observe remission or a complete lack of visible symptoms in a few others.
Possible Causative or Risk Factors of Rheumatoid Arthritis:
If you are currently suffering from Rheumatoid Arthritis, it only means there are a few reasons or factors that have triggered it that you may not be aware. Therefore, it is to help you understand better the risk factors that could have caused Rheumatoid Arthritis so that you can deal with your doctor in a better way. Here are a few possible causes.
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Genetic disposition:
Some studies suggest with some evidence that Rheumatoid Arthritis is a medical condition that may have an association with your genes. However, the probability of you getting Rheumatoid Arthritis due to bad genes is improbable, as it only plays a small role in initiating this disorder.
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Smoking:
According to scientific research studies, individuals who smoke are more likely to experience Rheumatoid Arthritis than those who do not smoke.
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Hormonal factor:
One of the main reasons why Rheumatoid Arthritis is seen more in women than in men is because this disorder has a direct effect on estrogen levels in the body of a female. However, you need to understand that no clear evidence shows that Rheumatoid Arthritis hurts the female hormone.
What is The Treatment / Diagnosis Involved for Rheumatoid Arthritis?
Sadly, there is no treatment available that you can use to cure Rheumatoid Arthritis completely. However, you can undoubtedly manage the symptoms using the following medical methods. They are:
- Medications Include NSAID’s Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen or naproxen sodium. You can also use corticosteroid medicines like prednisone.
- Therapy is yet another solution that you can use to manage Rheumatoid Arthritis symptoms. Typically, it will involve various physical or occupational exercises that enable you to keep your joints flexible.
- Finally, surgery is an option you can use when both medication and therapy fail. It will include procedures such as total joint replacement, synovectomy, joint fusion, and tendon repair.
