The Disease

Rheumatoid Arthritis is an autoimmune disease in which the body’s defense mechanism mistakes the body’s tissues as foreign bodies. This attack leads to the inflammation of the tissues around the joints, leading to Rheumatoid Arthritis.

The Cause

As explained earlier, Rheumatoid Arthritis results from the body’s immune system attacking normal body cells mistakenly. The body’s immune system which generally protects us from foreign substances like bacteria and viruses mistakenly attack the joints. This leads to the inflammation of the tissues near the joints. This results in swelling and pain in and around the joints.

Symptoms

If you’re wondering how to know for sure whether you’re at risk or suffering from Rheumatoid Arthritis, you can check for the following symptoms:

• Joint pains, swelling, stiffness of joints, tenderness which last for 6 weeks or longer
• Constant morning stiffness lasting for more than 30 minutes
• Pain in more than one joint in the body
• Pain in the same joints on both sides of the body
• Small joints like wrists, hands and feet become painful
• Loss of appetite, fatigue and a low-grade fever

Testing

It might take a number of visits and tests before a specialist doctor can ascertain whether you’re suffering from Rheumatoid Arthritis or not. If you are facing any of the listed symptoms, SDC advises you to start consulting a specialist soon. A clinical presentation and tests of various joints at different periods of time can lead to proper diagnosis.

Blood Test: A simple blood test can also help the specialists in finding out abnormal antibodies in people suffering from this disease. In around 80 percent of the patients, an antibody called rheumatoid factor (RF) is found, providing a conclusive evidence of the disease.

Other tests like a blood test called the sedimentation rate (sed rate), C-reactive protein test and joint x-rays are also useful.

Remedies

While there’s no known cure for Rheumatoid Arthritis, you need not worry much about it. Its treatment is mainly centered round the objectives:

• Reduce joint inflammation and pain
• Maximize joint function
• Prevent joint destruction and deformity

The treatment involves a proper balance of the following:

• A combination of medications
• Selected joint strengthening exercises
• Joint protection regime
• Lots of rest
• Patient and family education/ counseling