RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS
What is rheumatoid arthritis (RA)?
Rheumatoid Arthritis is a chronic systemic disease that affects the joints, connective tissues, muscle, tendons, and fibrous tissue. It tends to strike during the most productive years of adulthood, between the ages of 20 and 40, and is a chronic disabling condition often causing pain and deformity.
• The prevalence varies between 0.3% and 1% and is more common in women and in developed countries.
• Within 10 years on onset, at least 50% of patients in developed countries are unable to hold down a full-
time job.
CAUSES
The cause of rheumatoid arthritis is unknown. Even though infectious agents such as viruses, bacteria, and fungi have long been suspected, none has been proven as the cause. The cause of rheumatoid arthritis is a very active area of worldwide research. It is believed that the tendency to develop rheumatoid arthritis may be genetically inherited (hereditary). Certain genes have been identified that increase the risk for rheumatoid arthritis. It is also suspected that certain infections or factors in the environment might trigger the activation of the immune system in susceptible individuals. This misdirected immune system then attacks the body’s own tissues. This leads to inflammation in the joints and sometimes in various organs of the body, such as the lungs or eyes.
• It is not known what triggers the onset of rheumatoid arthritis. Regardless of the exact trigger, the result is an immune system that is geared up to promote inflammation in the joints and occasionally other tissues of the body. Immune cells, called lymphocytes, are activated and chemical messengers are expressed in the inflamed areas.
• Gut bacteria, smoking, and gum disease
• Environmental factors also seem to play some role in causing rheumatoid arthritis. For example, scientists have reported that smoking tobacco, exposure to silica mineral, and chronic periodontal disease all increase the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis.
• There are theories about gut bacteria (the microbiome of gut microbes that naturally exist in the lining of the bowels) that may trigger the onset of RA in genetically susceptible people. No specific microbes have been identified as definite causes.
Risk factors
Doctors do not know what triggers the immune system to attack the joints in the bodies of people with RA.
However, there are some factors that researchers know to increase the risk of being affected by the condition:
• Sex: Women are at a greater risk of developing RA than men. A 2011 study found 1 in 12 women, and 1 in 20 men develop RA in their lifetimes.
• Smoking: According to a 2009 study, there is strong evidence that smoking both increases the risk of developing RA and makes it progress more quickly.
• Being overweight: A 2016 study found a link between obesity and a slightly increased risk of developing RA.
There are also some factors that researchers have found to decrease the risk of RA. These include:
• Moderate alcohol consumption: A 2012 study found that moderate alcohol consumption was linked to a reduced risk of RA.
• Breast-feeding: According to this 2014 study, women who breast-feed have a reduced risk of developing RA.
• Signs & Symptoms:
The main symptoms of RA are joint pain and stiffness. Before these symptoms occur, a person may experience some early warning signs.
Some of these early warning signs relate to how a person feels overall, while others are specific to the joints. The symptoms that affect a person’s joints are more likely to indicate RA, particularly if more than one joint or both sides of the body are affected.
Spotting these warning signs can help people seek treatment at the earliest possible opportunity. The early warning signs of RA include:
1. Fatigue
Before experiencing any other symptoms, a person with RA may feel extremely tired and lack energy. They may also feel depressed.
Feelings of fatigue may affect:
• everyday activities
• relationships
• sex drive
• productivity at work
Feeling fatigued may be due to the body’s reaction to inflammation in the joints.
2. Slight fever
Inflammation associated with RA may cause people to feel unwell and feverish. They may have a slightly raised temperature, which is an early sign that sometimes accompanies fatigue. It may precede any noticeable effects on the joints.
3. Weight loss
A third early warning sign of RA is unexplained weight loss, which is possibly an indirect effect of inflammation.
When someone is feeling feverish and fatigued, they may lose their appetite, which can cause them to lose weight.
4. Stiffness
stiffness, tenderness, and pain in joints may be an early sign of rheumatoid arthritis.
Another early sign of RA is joint stiffness. Stiffness may occur in one or two small joints, often in the fingers. It can come on slowly but may last for several days.
In addition to the stiffness that affects specific joints, a general feeling of stiffness in the body may be an early sign of RA.
This type of stiffness usually affects a person after they have been still for a long time. This symptom is the cause of morning stiffness, a characteristic complaint of patients with RA.
5. Joint tenderness
Joint tenderness that affects the hands and feet is a typical early sign of RA.
In the hands, the joint in the middle and at the base of the fingers may feel tender when pressed or during movement.
In the feet, the joints at the base of the toes may be tender. This soreness may cause people to walk on their heels or lift their toes up as they walk.
6. Joint pain
Joint pain in the fingers, wrists, and feet is a sign of RA. Inflammation makes the lining of the joint thicker and also causes the production of extra joint fluid.
Both of these factors put pressure on the capsule that surrounds the joint and irritate the nerve endings that it contains, causing pain.
7. Joint swelling
Joints that look swollen in the hands and feet is a typical sign of RA. Joint swelling tends to be more apparent as RA progresses, but subtle swelling may be an early sign.
8. Joint redness
Inflammation in the joints may give them a red appearance. Discoloration of the skin around the joints in the hands and feet is a sign of RA.
Redness occurs because the inflammation causes the blood vessels in the surrounding skin to widen. Wider vessels allow more blood to flow into this area, giving the skin a red appearance.
9. Joint warmth
Joint warmth is caused by inflammation and may be present before redness or swelling occurs. This can be an early sign of RA.
10. Numbness and tingling
Numbness and tingling affecting the hands and feet may be an early sign of RA. These symptoms are caused by inflammation in the joints that can cause nerve compression, resulting in loss of sensation.
11. Decrease in range of motion
In the early stages of RA, a person may notice they are having trouble bending their wrist back and forth.
As the disease progresses, damage to the joints can affect ligaments and tendons, making it hard to bend and straighten them.
12. Joints affected on both sides
It is common for people affected by RA to experience symptoms in the same joints on both sides of the body. While this symmetry is typical, it is not the case for everyone with the condition
~ Early rheumatoid arthritis tends to affect your smaller joints first — particularly the joints that attach your fingers to your hands and your toes to your feet.
As the disease progresses, symptoms often spread to the wrists, knees, ankles, elbows, hips and shoulders. In most cases, symptoms occur in the same joints on both sides of your body.
About 40 percent of the people who have rheumatoid arthritis also experience signs and symptoms that don’t involve the joints.
Rheumatoid arthritis can affect many nonjoint structures, including:
• Skin
• Eyes
• Lungs
• Heart
• Kidneys
• Salivary glands
• Nerve tissue
• Bone marrow
• Blood vessels
Rheumatoid arthritis signs and symptoms may vary in severity and may even come and go. Periods of increased disease activity, called flares, alternate with periods of relative remission — when the swelling and pain fade or disappear. Over time, rheumatoid arthritis can cause joints to deform and shift out of place.
Complications
It is important to tell a doctor or medical professional when RA symptoms change or get worse, as it may be a sign of complications developing.
If left untreated, RA can damage the joints, the surrounding cartilage, and the nearby bones, leading to joint deformities.
Untreated RA can also lead to firm lumps developing on or near the joints called rheumatoid nodules. These nodules are a visual characteristic that people often associate with the condition.
In addition to joint deformities and rheumatoid nodules, RA can also lead to:
• carpal tunnel syndrome
• inflammation in other areas of the body, including the eyes, heart, and lungs
• greater risk of heart attack and stroke
Lab investigations
There are several types of blood tests that help your healthcare provider or rheumatologist determine whether you have RA. These tests include:
• Rheumatoid factor test. The RF Blood test checks for a protein called rheumatoid factor. High levels of rheumatoid factor are associated with autoimmune diseases, especially RA.
• Anticitrullinated protein antibody test (anti-CCP). This test looks for an antibody that’s associated with RA. People who have this antibody usually have the disease. However, not everyone with RA tests positive for this antibody. The anti-CCP Ab is more specific for RA than the RF test
• Antinuclear antibody test. The antinuclear antibody panel tests your immune system to see if it’s producing antibodies. Your body may make antibodies as a response to many different types of conditions, including RA.
• Erythrocyte sedimentation rate. The ESR test helps determine the degree of inflammation in your body. The result tells your doctor whether inflammation is present. However, it doesn’t indicate the cause of the inflammation.
• C-reactive protein test. A severe infection or significant inflammation anywhere in your body can trigger your liver to make C-reactive protein. High levels of this inflammatory marker are associated with RA.
Rheumatoid arthritis treatment
There’s no cure for RA, but there are treatments that can help you manage it.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) can keep both patients and physicians on their toes as they figure out the best ways to treat the symptoms and slow the progression of the condition.
Recently, advances in treatment strategies have resulted in ever-improving outcomes and quality of life for those with rheumatoid arthritis. Target to treat RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS is a treatment philosophy that rheumatologists use to effectively manage this disease.
The treat-to-target approach has resulted in fewer symptoms and higher remission rates for those with RA. The treatment strategy involves:
• setting a specific testing goal that signals either remission or low disease state
• testing acute phase reactants and performing monthly monitoring to assess progress of treatment and management plan
• switching medication regimen promptly if progress isn’t made.
Treatments for RA help to manage the pain and control the inflammatory response which can in many cases result in remission. Decreasing the inflammation can also help to prevent further joint and organ damage.
Treatments may include:
• medications
• alternative or home remedies
• dietary exchange
• specific types of exercise
Your healthcare provider will work with you to determine the best treatment plan for your medical needs.
For many people, these treatments help them live an active life and reduce the risk of long-term complications.
DIET IN RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS
The most important thing in staying healthy and managing your diet for RA is to do your best at eating more of the good foods (fruits, vegetables, fish), and eliminating most of the bad foods (processed, red meats).
Here are some general tips to keep in mind for a healthy RA diet:
• — Try to eat mostly fruits and vegetables
• — Choose healthy, whole grains, beans, and lentils
• — Balance your diet with regular and moderate exercise.
• — Avoid processed foods like meats or foods with chemical preservatives
• — Reduce consumption of refined sugars
• — Drink alcohol moderately
• — Enjoy a healthy variety of foods
If you’re concerned about your diet or want to know more ways to improve your RA symptoms through healthy eating, consult your physician for support on making the best decisions for your condition.
HOMEOPATHIC MEDICINES FOR RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS
Bryonia: Helpful for stiffness and inflammation with tearing or throbbing pain, made worse by motion. The condition may have developed gradually, and is worse in cold dry weather. Discomfort is aggravated by being touched or bumped, or from any movement. Relief can be had from pressure and from rest. The person may want to stay completely still and not be interfered with.
Causticum: Useful when deformities develop in the joints, in a person with a tendon problems, muscle weakness, and contractures. The hands and fingers may be most affected.. Stiffness and pain are worse from being cold, and relief may come with warmth. The person often feels best in rainy weather and worse when the days are clear and dry.
Calcarea fluorica: Helpful when arthritic pains improve with heat and motion. Joints become enlarged and hard, and nodes or deformities develop. Arthritis after chronic injury to joints also responds to Calcarea fluorica.
Ledum palustre: Arthritis that starts in lower joints and extends to higher ones are candidate for this remedy. Pain and inflammation often begin in the toes and spread upward to the ankles and knees. The joints may also make cracking sounds. Ledum is strongly indicated when swelling is significant and relieved by cold applications.
Pulsatilla: Applicable when rheumatoid arthritis pain is changeable in quality, or when the flare-ups move from place to place. The symptoms (and the person) feel worse from warmth, and better from fresh air and cold applications. Can benefit people who are emotional and affectionate, sometimes having teary moods.
Rhus toxicodendron: Useful for rheumatoid arthritis, with pain and stiffness that is worse in the morning and worse on first motion, but better from continued movement. Hot baths or showers, and warm applications improve the stiffness and relieve the pain. The condition is worse in cold, wet weather. The person may feel extremely restless, unable to find a comfortable position, and need to keep moving constantly. Continued motion also helps to relieve anxiety.
Ruta graveolens: Arthritis with a feeling of great stiffness and lameness, worse from cold and damp and worse from exertion, may be helped by Ruta graveolens. Tendons and capsules of the joints can be deeply affected or damaged. The arthritis may have developed after overuse, from repeated wear and tear.
Better in any case is to consult a Homeopath for customised medicines suitable for you. Get in touch to us, we can help you with online consultations and medicines will sent to you at your doorstep. Also we an help you remotely through online counselling, Yoga and Pranic healing. Do take charge of your health now!