Rheumatoid Arthritis And Joint

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease where the patient suffers from pain, swelling and stiffness of the joints. As the disease progresses, he loses functions of the joints. To tackle the pain and swelling, people suffering from rheumatoid arthritis are put on medication to help them go about their day to day lives.

The seriousness of rheumatoid arthritis is not understood by many people. It is a disease that not only affects the joints and the associated connective tissues, it can also cause anemia and inflammation in the lungs, pericardium, sclera and pleura. Anemia is very common in patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis. In addition, most people who suffer from rheumatoid arthritis also end up with nodular lesions of the skin. However, the biggest test that patients suffer is the loss of mobility.

Although the disease is treated by drugs, there are other alternative treatments that do not involve the usage of drugs. These include physical therapy and occupational therapy as a way to handle the pain, swelling and reduced mobility. The most common drugs given to handle the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis are painkillers and steroids. In addition, many patients are given disease modifying antirheumatic drugs as a way to stop the progress of the disease and prevent any damage. Many patients avoid drugs because of the side effects associated with them. Some patients are known to lung fibrosis or osteoporosis because of the medications.

The cause of rheumatoid arthritis is not known and the only possible treatment is checking the progress of the disease while ensuring that the patients are equipped to handle the pain and discomfort caused by it.

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Rheumatoid Arthritis And Joint