Rheumatoid arthritis is a very common form of arthritis and entails inflammation of the lining of your joints. Generally the
inflammation is constant although there can be times where it is worse than usual. The inflammations caused by this form of
arthritis may effect your entire body and can cause anything from pain and stiffness to redness.
Although rheumatoid arthritis (RA) may cause pain where it is effecting you it may also lead to fevers, loss of appetite,
anemia, weight loss and may start to effect other parts of your body. You may be wondering then, how do you stop RA?
Unfortunately, the cause of rheumatoid arthritis is still unknown. What is known is that RA is an autoimmune disease and
effects your body’s own immune system and causes it to attack healthy joints.
Rheumatoid arthritis generally presents itself by attacking your hands and feet first, causing pain and inflammation as well
as general fatigue. RA also usually effects both sides of your body equally, such that you will get it on the same place on
both sides of your body. In areas where there is commonly pressure such as your elbows and back lumps known as rheumatoid
nodules may form.
If you catch RA in the early stages of its development there are many treatments that can greatly increase your chances of
preventing further damage. If you suspect you might have rheumatoid arthritis it is important to see a doctor immediately so
you can begin treatments. They may confirm that you have RA by taking x-rays, examining your family medical history and may
also take some lab tests. If you catch it early enough, drugs are available to deter the progression of the disease.
However, if RA has already started to cause severe pain there are surgical procedures available to replace joints and
cartilage.
The key to proper rheumatoid arthritis treatment is to catch it early. Like osteoarthritis, RA effects women a lot more
than it does men. However, all adults should be on the lookout for this condition so you can stop it early and prevent
further progression. With the treatments available today RA doesn’t have to be a disease that plagues you the rest of
your life.
|
