Rheumatoid Arthritis: Symptoms and Treatment

Common arthritis symptoms of pain and stiffness are usually caused by degenerative arthritis (osteoarthritis). There are more than a hundred types of arthritis and they include rheumatoid arthritis and gout. Osteoarthritis is the "wear and tear" which happens when your joints are overused. It usually happens with age, but it can also come from joint injuries or obesity, which puts extra stress on your joints. You lose your body’s shock absorber. Cartilage, the slippery material which covers the ends of bones, gradually breaks down.

Rheumatoid Arthritis is an autoimmune disease. This means the immune system attacks parts of the body, especially the joints. That leads to inflammation, which can cause severe joint damage if you don’t treat it. "The symptoms of arthritis vary according to the type of arthritis which you have. The most conclusive way to find out what type of arthritis you have is to consult your doctor. Your doctor can run a wide variety of tests to determine exactly what and where your arthritis is.

Symptoms depend on which joint or joints are affected. You may have deep, aching pain, trouble dressing, combing hair, gripping things, bending over, squatting or climbing stairs. Generally arthritis will make it more difficult or uncomfortable to do everyday things which you used to previously do with ease. Symptoms can come on gradually or start suddenly. They’re often more severe than with osteoarthritis. You may feel pain and stiffness and have swelling in your hands, wrists, elbows, shoulders, knees, ankles, feet, jaw or neck. Rheumatoid arthritis usually affects multiple joints. There tends to be a symmetrical pattern, too. When the knuckles on your left hand are inflamed, the knuckles on your right hand probably will be also. After some time, you may notice more of your joints feel warm or become painful or swollen."

"Diagnosing your arthritis is the first step towards treating and managing it. There are different blood tests which your doctor will describe to you in order to find a specific diagnosis. Monitoring yourself is also a very important part of diagnosis. Keeping track of when your joints ache and the level of pain which occurs will enable your doctor to make an accurate diagnosis.

Rheumatoid arthritis, unlike osteoarthritis usually develops from age or from injury to a joint, is a problem with your immune system. If you don’t diagnose and treat it in time, it could harm your joints. Sometimes, rheumatoid arthritis can be tough to figure out. Symptoms may come and go, and they are not the same in all people who have it. The doctor will check your joints for swelling, tenderness and range of motion. Rheumatoid arthritis tends to strike several joints. Antibody blood tests are where doctors look for certain proteins which show up in your blood when you have rheumatoid arthritis."

"Treating arthritis will depend on which type of arthritis you have. If you have osteoporosis and you are overweight, the latter may be the main factor to deal with in order to sort out the arthritis. One example is what can happen to your knees when you’re overweight. The extra pounds put more pressure on the cartilage as it gets squeezed between the bones. It gets damaged and wears away, so there isn’t as much left to cushion the joint. Therefore the easiest way to relieve the pain would be to adopt a healthier lifestyle, including changing your diet and starting to exercise more. With rheumatoid arthritis, the joint swelling doesn’t go away. The main treatment goals with rheumatoid arthritis are to control inflammation, relieve pain and reduce disability associated with rheumatoid arthritis. Treatment usually includes medications, occupational or physical therapy and regular exercise. Some people need surgery to correct joint damage. Early, aggressive treatment is crucial to ensuring good results. With modern day treatment, joint damage can be slowed or stopped in many cases.

It is crucial to consult your doctor regularly and to work out, together, a functional personal plan which applies to your lifestyle and not to wait until the condition is advanced, in order to avoid more damage being done."

"Managing arthritis has to be done with a combination of different elements. First of all maintaining a healthy lifestyle and body weight is vital, as one does not want to add more stress to your inflicted joints. Being healthier also means your body will be more capable of dealing with inflammation and the other painful symptoms of arthritis. If your doctor has prescribed certain medications, exercises and a diet plan it is extremely important that you stick to these. It is easy to fall out of a routine which you are not used to or which is a major change from your current lifestyle, especially combining these changes with the pain and inflammation. Try not to miss checkups with your doctor as you need those regular checkups to keep feeling good and to keep your treatment on track. It is easy to skip medications or exercise when you start feeling better but it is important to remember that with arthritis you want to try and avoid any of the joint damage getting any worse.