arthritis 

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid Arthritis is a disease whose symptoms include chronic inflammation or swelling of the joints. In the long term, it can lead to joint damage, pain, stiffness and problems with mobility. Rheumatoid Arthritis is a chronic disease. That means that it may never go away. According to the Arthritis Foundation, it is also a systemic disease which means that Rheumatoid Arthritis can affect other systems or organs in your body. It is a very serious disease which needs early diagnosis and treatment in order to help you continue living as normally as possible.

While no one truly knows the cause of rheumatoid arthritis, most health practitioners agree that the main cause of rheumatoid arthritis has to do with an over-active immune system. When the immune system becomes over-active it starts to attack healthy tissue in the joints. Eventually it can erode all the joint tissue and begin to attack bones and tendons, which can result in severe pain and deformity of the joints.

Rheumatoid Arthritis usually starts affecting the smaller joints in the hands and wrists. As the disease progresses, larger joints are affected. It is a symmetrical disease. If a joint in the right hand is affected by Rheumatoid Arthritis, then the same joint on the left hand will be affected. As the disease progresses in the joint, the cartilage, tendons and even bone may be affected. This can cause permanent deformity and instability in the affected joint.

It is fortunate that there isn\'t a large amount of people who suffer from rheumatoid arthritis. The disease seems to strike more women than men, and generally the first symptoms are notice between the ages of 30 to 50 years old. On rare occasions, rheumatoid arthritis can even strike young children, and again affects more girls than boys.

Each case of rheumatoid arthritis is managed in its own way, since the disease can present itself so differently in each person. Depending on the progression of the disease, the amount of inflammation and pain, different drugs are prescribed. Anti-inflammatory drugs, pain killers, anti-rheumatic and immune system drugs are a part of a normal drug cocktail for a person with rheumatoid arthritis. Your doctor may also recommend some other types of therapy to help with your arthritis, such as physiotherapy or acupuncture, which can help naturally relieve symptoms as well as keep your joints more limber and pain free.

No matter who you are, if you feel the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis such as warmth and inflammation in the joints in the hands, you should see your doctor immediately. Diagnosing and treating rheumatoid arthritis early will increase your chances of slowing down the disease and leading a normal, healthy life.

Bill Parker is an accomplished author. To learn more about Mesothelioma visit Lumbar Decompression for current articles and discussions.

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