Rheumatoid Arthritis, Autoimmune Disease

What is Rheumatoid Arthritis (aka RA)?

Rheumatoid Arthritis is an inflammatory arthritic disease that occurs when the joint lining becomes inflamed and thickened producing large volumes of fluid.  It is this fluid that causes the pain, swelling and stiffness.  The joint becomes "hot" due to increased blood flow, a feature of the inflammation.  RA is the most debilitating of all the arthritic diseases and affects women two to three times more than men.  Most commonly it appears in people between the ages of 20 ad 50, however children also suffer from this disease as do adults over 50. 

In chronic cases proteins are released that damage bone and cartilage causing erosion of the bone, resulting in joint damage, instability and deformity.  If left untreated irreversible damage can lead to long-term disability.

What causes Rheumatoid Arthritis?

The cause of RA is still largely unknown, however researchers are making huge progress toward understanding and the treatment of the disease.  It is known that RA is an autoimmune disease, meaning that the body's immune system produces chemicals that attack the synovium.  Antibodies, or proteins, clump together blocking small blood vessels causing damage to tissue.

The Symptoms

The usual symptoms in RA are fatigue, lack of energy, pain, difficulty with movement, irritability and depression.  People with RA often experience good and bad phases, plus it affects different people in different ways, so not everyone will experience the same severity or develop the same symptoms.  For example, the symptoms may affect just a few joints in some people, whereas in others most, if not all, joints are affected.  In addition other parts of the body can become affected, such as eyes and internal organs.

(*Note:  My husband suffers chronically with this disease and it not only affects most of his joints, but also his heart, lungs, eyes and throat.  This is an extreme example of just how insidious the disease can be.)

Is there are cure for RA?

Unfortunately at the stage there is no cure for RA, however modern treatment can help relieve the pain, reduce the inflammation and slow the rate of damage to the joints.  Early diagnosis of the disease is essential as the majority of joint damage occurs during the first two years of developing rheumatoid arthritis.

It is normally not a fatal disease, but if left untreated and internal organs become inflamed this can lead to early death, in addition severe disability and immobility can result in death.

What is the treatment for RA?

Treatment usually includes a combination of medication, exercise, joint protection, rest and education.  In many cases physical and occupational therapy is recommended.  Surgery becomes necessary if joints (such as knees, toes and fingers) become severely deformed or severely damaged.

The treatment is designed to hopefully induce remission of the disease.  This results in the pain, inflammation and swelling settle down.  More modern medicines are having a much greater success in inducing remission.  Most drugs used however, are more efficient at controlling the disease rather than inducing remission. 

Drug therapy includes anti-inflammatory drugs, pain relievers and disease-modifying drugs.  The latter drug type is used to help control the arthritis process.  As with many drugs, there are side effect with most of the RA medication, however usually the benefits outweigh the adverse effects.

An increasing number of Natural Medicines and Alternate Therapies being tested, are showing to be of some benefit.  The use of unprescribed medicines should be discussed with your Rheumatologist to ensure there is no conflict between the medications used.  More and more mainstream medical practitioners are becoming open to the use of alternate medicines and treatments.  Always ensure you advise your doctor of any problems or side effects you experience from taking any type of medication.

As a result of the painful symptoms and joint stiffness, muscle weakness occurs due to decreased physical activity.  Studies have now shown that it is important to maintain an exercise regime to keep the muscles strong to enable them to support and protect the joints.  Again a balanced diet is essential to maintain a healthy weight range and consulting a dietician may be extremely beneficial.