Do you live with pain and stiffness in your joints? Is your discomfort more severe in the am? In order to recognize what is occurring in your body we need to answer the question, what is rheumatoid arthritis?
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune condition. Its cause is unknown and it has no cure.
Rheumatoid arthritis is a condition in which the immune system which typically protects the body by attacking foreign cells, viruses and bacteria instead attacks its own tissue targeting the synovium membrane which lines the joints. As a result fluid builds up in the joints causing pain and inflammation.
Rheumatoid arthritis creates pain stiffness and loss of function in joints. It usually affects the hands, feet, wrists, knees, elbows and ankle joints. Joint impact is generally symmetrical, meaning if one joint is affected the same joint on the opposite side of the body will also be affected. This symmetry helps to distinguish rheumatoid arthritis from other forms of arthritis.
How rheumatoid arthritis progresses varies for each person. In some it may develop gradually and just involves one joint. Where as in others the disease can progress quicker and involve multiple joints.
Symptoms may come and go. Most individuals experience mild flare ups followed by more extreme buy Lithium Carbonate online target=’_blank’>rheumatoid arthritis symptoms. In most cases the condition may well become inactive and could go away entirely. Whereas others with a acute form of the disease may experience symptoms which last for years or even a lifetime.
Rheumatoid arthritis is not isolated in the joints it could spread to the organs and additional tissues of the body. It has been known to generate diffuse inflammation in the lungs, pericardium, pleura and also nodular lesions regularly found in subcutaneous tissue beneath the skin.
Rheumatoid arthritis is the most devastating form of arthritis because it frequently causes deformity and severe joint damage. It affects 1% of the world’s population and occurs in all races and ethnic groups. On – set usually occurs between the ages of 40 and 50 yet, people of any age can be affected. Kids are no exception as juvenile arthritis is frequent within youths. About two thirds of individuals with rheumatoid arthritis are women.
Rheumatoid arthritis results in joint stiffness which is usually worst in the morning and frequently last a few hours or the whole day. Morning stiffness is a widespread indicator of rheumatoid arthritis as several other varieties of arthritis do not exhibit these signs.
Other indicators of rheumatoid arthritis include: loss of appetite, loss of energy as well as dry eyes and month. About twenty-five percent of rheumatoid arthritis suffers develop hardened lumps under the skin. These lumps are known as rheumatoid nodules. They generally appear in the later stages of the diseases and develop on bony sites such as the elbows, hips, heels, hands and knees.
Even though there is no cure for arthritis a rheumatoid arthritis diet can help eliminate pain and improve quality of life.
Posted under Rheumatoid Arthritis Diagnosis
This post was written by assistant on April 15, 2011

