Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic, complex and systemic inflammatory disorder that affects up to 1% of the population (1-2). It’s an autoimmune disease of unknown etiology. RA is associated with progressive joint destruction, systemic complications and early morbidity. The disease is characteristic of inflammation of the synovium, autoantibody production, cartilage and bone destruction and other systemic consequences, many of which include cardiovascular events. Although structural changes can be visualized by conventional imaging techniques, joint damage is rarely apparent in early stages of disease, but rather accumulates over time (3). Various immune modulators and signalling pathways are involved in the pathophysiology of RA. The influx
"Rheumatoid joint inflammation is an interminable infection set apart by irritation of the joints, frequently influencing the hand joints and both sides of the body in the meantime" (Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, 2009).
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic, systemic inflammatory autoimmune disease. The disease happens when the immune system mistakenly attacks a healthy tissue as if it was a foreign invader, such as a virus or bacteria. If left untreated it can lead to permanent joint damage, decrease in quality of life, and total disability. It affects over a million people in the U.S. alone. Rheumatoid arthritis symptoms include persistent joint inflammation which causes joint pain, stiffness, and swelling. Fatigue and stiffness are usually early symptoms. Joint pain can be an early symptom in a variety of diseases. Symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis often develop slowly over a period of weeks or longer, but this is not always the case, it can have an acute
With rheumatoid arthritis there are many painful problems as well as symptoms and causes of this genetic disorder. First, the description of the disorder is how painful it can be. The painful swelling can lead to bone erosion, which means that the bone will wear away. Next, the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis can be hard on the body. You could have fatigue (extreme tiredness), a fever, or weight loss. As well, you can have morning stiffness which can last for hours. Lastly, some causes of the disorder are that the immune system attacks the synovium which is the lining of the membrane that surrounds your joints. In other words, what happens is the synovium inflames which destroys the cartilage and bone in the joint. As you can see rheumatoid arthritis has many painful problems, symptoms and causes.
Any chronic illness can be extremely disruptive to family life. But, it can be possible to maintain balance by using coping strategies, as well as seeking help when necessary. Each member of the family wants some kind of support, while others members of the family may tend to provide the kind of support they would want to receive. This paper will educate the reader on rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a chronic condition which affects millions of people each year, in addition to providing three approaches to improve the affected person’s health and the family dealing with the illness. Certain lifestyle changes and activities can help improve a person’s ability to function independently while maintaining a positive outlook.
Rheumatoid Arthritis or (RA) is an autoimmune disease that attacks the joints and connective tissue. The result is inflammation that produces permanent damage in the joints. Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic syndrome that tends to be progressive and destructive as compared to Osteoarthritis or (OA), which is more of an age related disease caused by “wear and tear” of the joints. In contrast to (OA), rheumatoid arthritis is characterized by inflammation mostly of the joints, but is a general body disease.
affected joints and later spreads to the joint capsule, the adjoining tendons, and the joint
For people with rheumatoid conditions, it's even more important to participate in regular exercise during the winter, because it helps improve your condition related symptoms, such as joint stiffness and muscle weakness. However, for most people, exercising during the winter is a bit challenging. So what should you do?
Rheumatoid Arthritis is an autoimmune disease and chronic inflammatory illness that causes the body’s immune system to attack its joints rather than the usual foreign substances such as viruses and bacteria (Arthritis Foundation, 2015; Mayo Foundation, 1998-2015). Unlike wear-and-tear osteoarthritis, Rheumatoid Arthritis attacks the lining of the joints and often other body tissues such as the heart, skin, eyes and lungs (Arthritis Foundation, 2015; May Foundation, 1998-2015). Due to the body’s normal immune response, redness, inflammation, pain, and swelling, arise and can ultimately result in the destruction of bone and joint, causing for deformity (Mayo Foundation, 1998-2015). In the United States, about 1.5 million people have Rheumatoid Arthritis (Arthritis Foundation, 2015). Within this population, women are three times more likely to experience this than men. It has been noted to commonly occur between the ages of 30-60 for women and later in life for men (Arthritis Foundation, 2015). Men may be protected by hormonal factors and require a stronger genetic component to develop disease. Rheumatoid Arthritis is thought to stem from a combination of genetic susceptibility and exposure to an appropriate environmental trigger. (Ollier, W. E., Harrison, B., & Symmons, D. 2001). Within the aspect of genetics it is most likely hereditary. Although infectious triggers of RA have long been suspected, no definitive evidence has been obtained. Previous blood transfusion,
Rheumatoid arthritis the most common type of inflammatory arthritis. More than 1.3 million Americans are affected. About 75% of those affected are women. between 1% and 3% of women are going to develop rheumatoid arthritis in their lifetime. Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease. Autoimmune disease means that the immune system attacks parts of the body. the joints are the main areas affected. chronic inflammation can cause severe joint damage and deformities. people who have rheumatoid arthritis develop lumps on their skin called rheumatoid nodules. they usaully develop over joint areas
Signs and symptoms that occur with rheumatoid arthritis, vary from patient to patient depending on their progression stage and what factors contribute to their inflammation. Some examples of symptoms can include but are not limited to: swelling, stiffness, redness, deformity and pain of the joints, dryness, impaired vision, itchiness, burning and discharge coming from the eyes, damaged nerves, skin numbness, tingling and burning sensations, anemia, or a decreased production of red blood cells, and other physical symptoms can include fatigue, weight loss, a minor fever, loss of appetite and muscle aches.
Drinking can pose a challenge for those who suffer with arthritis. The pain from arthritis in the hands often prevents sufferers from holding a drinking cup comfortably for long periods of time. It may take longer to finish drinking, due to taking breaks while drinking, causing warm drinks to grow cold and vice versa. Those who suffer may worry about losing their grip, causing a drinking glass to spill or possibly break. Finally, feelings of loss of independence and diminished personal dignity by those with arthritis may occur when help is required to drink from a cup.
Both of the psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis are chronic autoimmune disease that can affect Th1 and Th17 cells in vivo. Typical symptoms of psoriasis involve skin redness, scaly skin proliferation and abnormal keratinocytes differentiation; the main characteristics of rheumatoid arthritis include joint deformation, synovitis, cartilage wear, rheumatoid nodules and immune cells infiltrate in vascular. While the exact cause of psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis remains unknown, researchers believe the disorders interaction between immune cells and keratinocyte. Acarbose is α-glucosidase inhibitors that can interfere with α-glucosidases in the brush border of the small intestine, blocking the degradation of starch and sucrose, and thus delay
Arthritis is a form of joint disorder that involves inflammation of one or more joints. There are over 100 different forms of arthritis. The most common form of arthritis is osteoarthritis, a result of trauma to the joint, infection of the joint, or age. Other arthritis forms are rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and related autoimmune diseases. Septic arthritis is caused by joint infection. Usually there are specific fruits and vegetables that you should not eat like sugars,refined Carbs, fried food, processed food, dairy products, alcohol, tobacco, salt, preservatives, and corn oil. Now salt is the biggest one that will affect a person with arthritis because salt makes your bones even weaker so is a person with arthritis should definitely
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disease that induces joint pain. It causes the weakening of bones which leads to osteoporosis which is a major cause of fracture. RA poses an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and at other times premature death as a result of the damage which occurs from its aetiology (6).
Background: Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune and inflammatory disease featuring progressive joint damage leading to functional impairment and disability (1). RA is classified as a progressive systemic disease due to the extra-articular manifestations involving the lungs and eyes but beginning and principally affecting the synovial joints (1). RA patients present with a wide array of joint functional impairment with persistent disease activity (1). RA affects approximately 0.8% of the general population with a peak onset between 40-70 years and affects females 3 times more than males (2). Additionally, due to the disabling nature of RA, it imposes a reduced and disabling quality of life whilst also posing a huge economic burden on the individual, the community and society (3).