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Autoimmune Disorder: Rheumatoid Arthritis

by Team SehatCloud
Autoimmune Disorder: Rheumatoid Arthritis

What Is Rheumatoid Arthritis?

When the immune system begins to attack the joints, the synovial fluid becomes thicker, and there is inflammation in and around the joints. This then results in a disease called Rheumatoid Arthritis. This form of Arthritis is chronic, with symptoms ranging from mild to severe.

It not only affects the joints, but this disease can also affect other parts of the body, including the eyes, heart, lungs, and so on. Compared to Osteoarthritis caused by wear and tear of the joints, Rheumatoid Arthritis is caused by your immune system fighting the joints. This disease begins mostly at middle age and is two times more prevalent in women than men.

10 Early Signs And Symptoms Of Rheumatoid Arthritis

These early signs and symptoms of Rheumatoid Arthritis help you to seek medical intervention when noticed. They include;

  1. Extreme tiredness or fatigue.
  2. Slight fever.
  3. Unexplained weight loss.
  4. Tenderness in the joints.
  5. Stiffness in the joint.
  6. Pain and swelling in the joint.
  7. Inflammation and warmness of the common joint area.
  8. Inability to bend or flex the affected joint.
  9. Tingling sensation and numbness of the affected feet or hands.
  10. It affects the joints on both sides in some cases.

Risk Factors Of Rheumatoid Arthritis

Medics cannot seem to say exactly what makes your immune system to attack your joints instead of protecting it and so a specific cause of this autoimmune disease is not fully understood. However, certain factors predispose a person more to this disease, and some of these factors include:

  • Obesity: Studies have found a link between obesity and Rheumatoid Arthritis.
  • Sex: Women have been observed to develop this disease more than men.
  • Smoking: Smoking has been found to increase your risk of developing this autoimmune disease.

How Is Rheumatoid Arthritis Diagnosed?

To diagnose Rheumatoid Arthritis, observation of symptoms as well as a series of tests have to be done, such as:

  1. Persistent stiffness of the joints, especially in the mornings.
  2. Observation of nodules or bumps under your skin.
  3. Blood Test: This is done to check the level of your Red Blood Cells, Antinuclear Antibody, and Anti-CCP antibodies. In addition to this, a Rheumatoid factor test to see if there are any rheumatoid arthritis antibodies in your bloodstream as well as an Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR) to see how slow or fast your blood sediments or clumps.
  4. X-Rays can also be done so that the doctor can have a more unobstructed view of your joints.

When you notice any symptom of Rheumatoid Arthritis, you can book an appointment with a radiologist and doctor by registering on the Sehat Cloud website, which is our cloud-based EMR.  This way, you can even see and speak with the doctor with regards to your medical image, and this can be done online and in real-time.

How Is Rheumatoid Arthritis Treated?

Treatment procedures for this disease include:

  1. Medication: The doctor will prescribe some Non-Steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) for you, such as Aspirin and Ibuprofen. You could also be given pain relief creams to apply in the affected area.
  2. Surgery: In a situation where arthritis has become too severe, you might be the best option for treatment.

Five Home Remedies

Here are some natural home remedies for Rheumatoid Arthritis.
  1. Exercise.
  2. Rest.
  3. Heat and cold compress.
  4. Eating a lot of omega-3 rich food like cold-water fish such as Salmon and Mackerel.
  5. Meditation, Yoga, and Taichi.

In Conclusion

As of now, there is no known and absolute cure for Rheumatoid Arthritis. However, observation of the early signs and early diagnosis goes a long way in reducing its effects.

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