Rheumatiod Arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis causes severe crippling joint damage and a number of other complications. Women are affected more often than men are. It usually begins in early adulthood but in the case of women there is more susceptibility at the time of manopause. If a number of persons in your family have it, you have more chances to g,et this disease.
What causes rheumatoid arthritis is not properly understood. Rheumatoid arthritis is an auto-immune phenomenon. it means that the immune system, which normally defends us against infections, attacks the joints. It is the abnormal Immune reaction that keeps’ this disease going.
Symptoms
The synovium gets inflamed, swollen, red and hot. Excess fluid and cells leak out of synovium and the whole joint becomes swollen and painful. The inflammation can occur in tendons as well as bursae which causes pain during movement Some people develop nodules, which are patches of inflammation. Sometimes lining of the heart, eyes,nerves, blood vessel in skin and even kidneys are affected. In rheumatoid arthritis, Inflammation in the joint continues for a long time and damages it i.e. synovium erodes bones and damages cartilages.
Rheumatoid arthritis starts suddenly. The joints that are affected initially are in hands and feet. Other joints are affected later. Joints become stiff and patient feels pain during movement. There is also swelling in surrounding muscles. Joint stiffness is first thing in the morning which takes long time to loosen up. Inflammation makes one feel tired and unwell. There may be mild sweat at night and there is likelihood of losing weight.
The active phase of the disease lasts for first few years after that the disease quietens down. During active phase inflamed synovium does lot of damage to joints causing deformity, weakness, loss of joint stability and stiffness of joints. After this phase, the disease settles in chronic phase when joints are less painful.
Different type of tests likes ESR, Rheumatic Factor and x-rays etc. help in detecting the amount of inflammation, presence of rheumatoid arthritis and characteristic erosion of bones.
