Rheumatoid arthritis – symptoms and treatment

The most common types of arthritis are rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. There are also other types of arthritis: psoriatic arthritis, juvenile arthritis, gout, fibromyalgia, lupus, and others.

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that causes inflammation or swelling of the joints. It is assumed that this disease develops in genetically predisposed individuals under the influence of unknown external factors. About 1.5% of the population suffers from rheumatoid arthritis, and it is considered the most common inflammatory rheumatic disease.

Symptoms

Symptoms most commonly include joint pain and stiffness. Arthritis can occur at any age, but it most commonly appears between the ages of 20 and 40. This disease occurs three times more often in women.

In most patients, rheumatoid arthritis begins gradually, with general symptoms such as fatigue, weakness, weight loss, and fever.

After a few weeks, characteristic joint-related symptoms appear: pain, swelling, and stiffness. Pain in the joints appears first and becomes increasingly intense. A characteristic symptom of rheumatoid arthritis is morning stiffness lasting at least half an hour.

Inflamed joints are often swollen and very warm to the touch. Typical sites for the development of arthritis are the wrist joints and the small joints of the hands and feet, but it also often affects the knees, ankles, and elbows.

Treatment

The goal of rheumatoid arthritis treatment is clinical remission or lower disease activity. Establishing the diagnosis early enough and early use of medication are extremely important. Medication controls the inflammatory process and thus calms the disease. If the disease is not treated, progressive destruction of the bones occurs, along with complete loss of joint function.

How can you ease arthritis?

There are many things you can do to ease arthritis. We bring you five strategies for relieving arthritis and its symptoms:

Learn new arthritis management skills

Join an educational workshop that can help you learn skills for managing arthritis and making good decisions about your health. Learn how to reduce stress and improve your mood, which is of great importance for relieving symptoms.

Stay active

Physical activity is a simple and effective remedy for relieving pain caused by arthritis. Physical activity reduces pain and improves mood and quality of life. Regular physical activity can also reduce the risk of developing other chronic diseases, such as heart disease and diabetes.

Listen to your doctor’s advice

Talk to your doctor if you have joint pain and other arthritis symptoms. It is important to establish an accurate diagnosis as soon as possible so that you can begin treatment and work on minimizing symptoms and preventing the disease from worsening.

Maintain a healthy body weight 

Losing excess weight and maintaining a healthy weight are important for people with arthritis. For people who are overweight, weight loss significantly reduces stress on the joints.

Protect your joints

Joint injuries can worsen arthritis. Choose activities such as walking, cycling, or swimming. These activities carry a very low risk of injury and do not put strain on the joints.

Rheumatoid arthritis is difficult to predict. Right from the very beginning, the most important thing is educating the patient and family members about the nature of the disease and the lifestyle regimen. It is important to recognize and diagnose the disease early and to begin therapy.