Rheumatoid Arthritis! Isn’t it a common scenario in every household where the poor older men and women always go about crouching and walking in baby steps with a wooden stick, complaining about their knee joint coming off? How often have your grandparents complained about their knee pain? How often have you seen your grandmother walk downstairs in an odd disco fashion, complaining she cannot put additional pressure on her kneecaps if she wants to walk further in her life? These all are common scenarios in old age referred to as arthritis. Before we move on to the article, let’s look briefly at what arthritis is.
The inflammation of a joint so bad that it makes mobility a not plausible thought is what, according to the old aged, is termed arthritis. Indeed, arthritis involves inflammation of the joints, that is, the meeting point for the two bones. Due to constant friction and use, at an age over the 60s, people usually suffer inflammation due to rough wear and tear all these years.
However, recent cases have also seen young children suffering the same fate. On further investigation, it was found that in both cases, cartilage was missing. Cartilage is a connective tissue holding the joints together, which slowly wears away, causing the present condition. But in this article, we talk about rheumatoid arthritis, a common type of arthritis.
Rheumatoid arthritis, commonly known as RA, is also essentially an inflammation disease, but this has a twist. Our body’s immune system is the soldier to our territory, which fights with the body’s foreign bodies and antibodies that can or will harm the body. This way, the shield to our protection, the immune system, helps us keep fit and up on our toes. But in the case of rheumatoid arthritis, the immune system in our body, for some unknown reason, attacks the joints, causing it to be an autoimmune condition.
The synovium, the thin membrane and the outer lining of the joints get affected first and then slowly. As the attacks continue, fluid is retained inside the joint, causing swelling and inflammation, resulting in pain. This is a chronic disease; it takes time to build up, but once it does, it is a never-ending process that can hardly be cured. With time, the joint wears away, losing its perfect shape. This wearing away of joint bones, the bones become immovable and not fit for mobility anymore. Unlike simple arthritis, which only mostly affects the limbs, rheumatoid arthritis is evenly spread across the body with sudden pains.
Main Symptoms And Causes of Rheumatoid Arthritis:
In this article, we will explain the major reasons and signs of Rheumatoid Arthritis.
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Causes Of Rheumatoid Arthritis:
Some of the reasons or causes for rheumatoid arthritis arrival can be:
1. Genetic Connection:
Genetics has always played a greater role in passing on genes, good or bad, to the next generation, and they do the same. Sometimes, there is the lucky sentence that says genes skip a generation, and at other times, you might see a long family line of the same diseases that keep occurring. If you are a rheumatoid suspect, look back at your family history and see who has been suffering before you.
2. HLA:
The complete form of it is the human leukocyte antigen, a form of genetic transmission that includes this gene to produce certain proteins. However, this is passed on by heredity, and not everyone has it in them. The ones who do are at a greater risk of rheumatoid arthritis. The HLA system creates these HLA proteins inside the joint membranes. These then excite the T cells of the WBCs, or white blood cells, causing them to attack. White blood cells are known for their ritual to fight against harmful bodies and work with the immune system to eradicate foreign bodies. Here, they mistake those proteins for foreign bodies and attack the joints.
3. Gender:
Rheumatoid arthritis is a gender-biased disease, as the doctors reveal that most of the cases pulled in include women. There are often few exceptions when the male sides get affected, but that is rare.
4. Age:
It has also been noticed that age and pregnancy are the two trigger words that cause the arthritis form to expand. Old age and the pregnancy period are strong times to attract this condition.
5. Infections:
When the genes are not playing their part, then one of the prime causes of rheumatoid arthritis can be some bacteria which enter your body and cause the infection. This is one of the possible reasons people might be experiencing the signs and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. According to doctors, people infected with such viruses and bacteria can see the signs and symptoms of this medical condition at a very young age. This type of arthritis doesn’t need to occur in older adults generally. It can also happen to women and men aged between 25-35.
6. Weak Physical State:
We all are aware of this, which can be said to be one of the most potential rheumatoid arthritis causes. A person who doesn’t eat or sleep properly might be exposed to the different symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis pretty easily. We all should try to stay healthy at all times and be cautious of the different diseases and germs in the air. This factor is one of the most important causes of rheumatoid arthritis next to genetic transfer.
7. Early Symptoms:
There are cases when people start experiencing the pain caused by rheumatoid arthritis even before they are suffering. This can be claimed as an early symptom. It happens to both men and women (age is not a variable factor). Generally, people are not eager about it and tend to ignore it. The sole intention of this paragraph is to remind those people that such symptoms and signs should never be ignored. They can harm you and lead to the hospital if it is too late. These can be signs by which your body is trying to tell you that something bad is coming, and you should take proper measures for it and prepare yourself for it.
8. Fungi:
It has been a long suspect of rheumatoid arthritis, and experts and doctors generally suspect the fungi regarding rheumatoid arthritis. Most people blame this particular cause for the suffering that they go through due to rheumatoid arthritis. Some experts and doctors consider it one of the most relevant rheumatoid arthritis causes.
9. Weak Organs:
A person will face severe rheumatoid arthritis issues if they have organs. During rheumatoid arthritis, the organs get affected heavily, which is one of the causes behind the rapid spread of this medical condition. At the same time, if a person is already suffering from other body aches and limb problems, then that person has a high chance of facing the worst symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis.
10. Pre-Existent Joint Pains:
If a person suffers from joint problems, then that person has a greater chance of getting infected with the different symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. The joint issues are becoming severe these days, and people have rheumatoid arthritis, especially because of joint pains.
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Symptoms Of Rheumatoid Arthritis:
The common signs and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis are:
1. Joint Swelling:
The first symptom of rheumatoid arthritis is the joint swelling visible from the outside. One can differentiate between the inflamed and non-inflamed ones. The joint becomes puffy and rises with redness and swelling.
2. Joint Pain:
It is inevitable that the swelling’s next step will be a lot of pain. With repeated attacks oncoming, the pain gets worse, and so does the swelling. The area becomes red hot with a warm temperature persisting around the area.
3. Joint Stiffness:
When there is too much swelling and pain, moving about becomes difficult. The joint then starts to get stiff, which makes folding or amending it all the more difficult. This, accompanied by strong pain and swelling, worsens the case.
4. Fatigue:
Whenever our body goes through a tough time, fatigue or tiredness sets in, making us exhausted very easily. This results in us sleeping away the day and feeling more tired. The medication’s pain relief suggested by the doctors also has a side effect that enhances sleep; thus, tiredness prevails. This, during pregnancy, is why women sleep a lot. The same goes for the aged people who get tired easily.
5. Joint Redness:
Joint redness is one of the most seen rheumatoid arthritis symptoms. A person will face serious joint redness problems if he has rheumatoid arthritis. It is common in men and women, and people often suffer from it. All the joint-related symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis are somehow related, and this will assist a person in figuring out whether they are suffering from it or not.
6. Loss Of Joint Range Of Motion:
The pain in the joints will increase during rheumatoid arthritis, and this will also be a huge issue for people who are aged and have some existing joint problems. This symptom is pretty common, and people suffer from it quite often. There is no way one can avoid it, as it happens mostly. The joints will feel senseless, and there will be some serious hindrance to the motion in those joints. One should not ignore this problem; it can take a harmful turn and make one’s condition even worse. These days, joint-related motion issues are most seen, which are common in men and women (irrespective of their age).
7. Limping:
Have you ever experienced this symptom for any reason? Well, it can be said to be one of the prime problems regarding rheumatoid arthritis. Limping means the bad or poor functioning of the nerves that are associated with the affected joints. This particular symptom can be followed by joint deformities as well. There will also be a decline in the range of motion, and the victim will be facing and suffering from this symptom for quite some time.
8. Symmetric Attack:
This means not a single side of the body will be left out of the invasion of the attack of the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. Generally, both body parts are affected and damaged due to the bad side of arthritis. This is one of the worst symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis and can easily ruin one’s physical state.
9. Joint Deformity:
This is one of the most popular symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis (chronic rheumatoid arthritis). There will be some serious inflammation problems, and a person will face serious physical problems due to this particular symptom. One cannot just avoid this symptom as it is one of the most common and happens to both men and women (irrespective of their age). It will result in ligament loosening. According to doctors, it will be good only if a person with the symptoms of chronic rheumatoid arthritis is diagnosed and cured at the primary stage. As this is allowed to spread, it can have some harmful outcomes.
10. Joint Warmth:
A person will experience rising temperature in the joint, which is one of the prime symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. It can make one extremely sick from the core of the joints, and the pain that occurs due to this is generally intolerable.
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