Rheumatoid arthritis, or RA, is an autoimmune and inflammatory disease, which means that immune system attacks own healthy cells in the body by mistake. Causing inflammation, pain and swelling of affecting body parts.
Rheumatoid arthritis or ra is an autoimmune and inflammatory disease which means that immune system attacks own healthy cells in the body by mistake causing inflammation pain and swelling of affecting body parts rheumatoid arthritis mainly attacks the joints usually many joints at once common joints affected are joints in the hands wrists and knees joint with
Rheumatoid arthritis becomes inflamed inflammation further damages joint tissue which can cause long-lasting or chronic pain unsteadiness lack of balance and deformity misshapenness rheumatoid arthritis can also affect other parts of the body and cause problems in organs such as the lungs heart and eyes signs and symptoms the most common and predominant symptoms
Include joint pain and stiffness especially morning stiffness and swelling usually the onset of symptoms is slow and insidious there are times when symptoms get worse known as flares and times when symptoms get better known as remission main signs and symptoms include pain or aching in more than one joint stiffness in more than one joint swelling in more than one
Joint the same symptoms on both sides of the body such as in both hands or both knees on physical examination the affected joint will be painful if pressure is applied to the joint or on movement with or without joint swelling synovial thickening with a boggy feel on palpation will be noted rheumatoid nodules are the most common cutaneous manifestations of rheumatoid
Arthritis vasculitis involving both medium and small sized blood vessels can also be seen as a presenting symptom of rheumatoid arthritis however the prevalence of vasculitis among patients with eye is low sometimes weight loss fever fatigue or tiredness and weakness there are some risk factors identified for developing rheumatoid arthritis h the likelihood
Of rheumatoid arthritis increases with age most common age is six decade of life rheumatoid arthritis is much more common among women than men genetics play some role smoking and obesity are additional risk factors women who have never given birth may be at greater risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis characteristics that can decrease risk breastfeeding
Women who have breastfed their infants have a decreased risk of developing ra among modifiable risk factors cigarette smoking has the strongest association with eye diet and nutrition have been shown to play a significant role as environmental triggers for i the typical western diet that is rich high in caloric content and low in fiber increases the risk of ira
Consumption of long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids is associated with a reduced risk of eye diagnosis rheumatoid arthritis is diagnosed by symptoms physical examination and doing x-rays early diagnosis of best prognosis early diagnosis is considered within six months of the onset of symptoms laboratory testing usually reveals anemia of chronic disease
And thrombocytosis neutropenia may be present if felty syndrome is present about 75 to 85 of patients with eye will test positive for rheumatoid factor rf acpa or both however the presence of rheumatoid factor is not diagnostic of rheumatoid arthritis it may be present in other connective tissue diseases chronic infections and healthy individuals acute phase
Reactants such as erythrocyte sedimentation rate esr and levels of c reactive protein crp are usually elevated in patients with active disease and should be obtained with advanced disease joint involvement on plane radiographs will reveal periarticular osteopenia joint space narrowing and bony erosions erosions of cartilage and bone are considered pathognomonic
Findings for eye however these findings are consistent with advanced disease 35 magnetic resonance imaging mi and ultrasonography are useful in early disease before radiographic evidence of bone erosion occurs traditionally the presence of at least four of the following criteria for at least six weeks would classify the patient as having eye these criteria were
Morning stiffness arthritis of three or more joints arthritis of the hands symmetric arthritis elevated acute phase reactants elevated rheumatoid factor and radiologic evidence of eye treatment the overall goal of first line treatment is to relieve pain and decrease inflammation medications considered to be fast-acting are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
Nsaids including acetyl-salicylate aspirin naproxen naproxen ibuprofen advil and martyrin and etidolac lodine nsaids have gastrointestinal side effects these symptoms can be reduced if taken with food antacids proton pump inhibitors or misoprostol cytotic and even nuanced called celexib celebrex is a selective cox-2 inhibitor that has less risk of gi side effects
Corticosteroids are more potent anti-inflammatory medication than nsaids but they come with greater side effects for this reason they are only indicated for a short period of time at low doses during exacerbations or flares of eye intra-articular injections of corticosteroids can be used for the local symptoms of inflammation second line management disease-modifying
Anti-rheumatic drugs the overall goal of second-line treatment is to promote remission by slowing or stopping the progression of joint destruction and deformity medications are considered to be slow acting because they take from weeks to months to be effective disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs dmards can also reduce the risk of developing lymphoma that can be
Associated with ra methotrexate mtx is the initial second line drug also considered an anchor drug it is an analog to folic acid that competitively inhibits the binding of dihydrofolic acid fh2 hydroxychloroquine clarknell is an anti-malarial drug and can be used for long-term treatment of eye this drug decreases the secretion of monocyte-derived pro-inflammatory
Cytokines common side effects include problems in the gi tract skin and central nervous system laflunamide is an oral medication that is converted to melanonitrilamide which inhibits the synthesis of ribonucleotide uradine monophosphate pyrimidine it relieves symptoms and retards the progression of ra it is recommended to be used in combination with mtx but can
Constitute a monotherapy if patients do not respond to mtx
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Rheumatoid Arthritis – Symptoms, Causes, Risk factors and Treatment By Kote’s Medical Animations
