Ra Symptoms In Your Joints
RA almost always affects your joints. It may take a few weeks or months for the first signs to show. The inflammation it causes often leads to these three hallmark symptoms:
- Pain.Inflammation inside a joint makes it hurt whether youâre moving it or not. Over time, it causes damage and pain.
- Swelling. Fluid in the joint makes it puffy and tender.
- Tenderness. It hurts when you move or push on a joint.
Other RA symptoms include:
- Stiffness. The joint is harder to use and doesn’t move as well as it should. Itâs especially common in the morning. Although many people with other forms of arthritis have stiff joints in the morning, it takes people with rheumatoid arthritis more than an hour before their joints feel loose.
- Redness and warmth. The joints may be warmer and have color changes related to the inflammation.
What Are The Risk Factors For Ra
Researchers have studied a number of genetic and environmental factors to determine if they change persons risk of developing RA.
Characteristics that increase risk
- Age. RA can begin at any age, but the likelihood increases with age. The onset of RA is highest among adults in their sixties.
- Sex. New cases of RA are typically two-to-three times higher in women than men.
- Genetics/inherited traits. People born with specific genes are more likely to develop RA. These genes, called HLA class II genotypes, can also make your arthritis worse. The risk of RA may be highest when people with these genes are exposed to environmental factors like smoking or when a person is obese.
- Smoking. Multiple studies show that cigarette smoking increases a persons risk of developing RA and can make the disease worse.
- History of live births. Women who have never given birth may be at greater risk of developing RA.
- Early Life Exposures. Some early life exposures may increase risk of developing RA in adulthood. For example, one study found that children whose mothers smoked had double the risk of developing RA as adults. Children of lower income parents are at increased risk of developing RA as adults.
- Obesity. Being obese can increase the risk of developing RA. Studies examining the role of obesity also found that the more overweight a person was, the higher his or her risk of developing RA became.
Characteristics that can decrease risk
When To Get Medical Advice
See a GP if you think you have symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, so they can try to identify the underlying cause.
Diagnosing rheumatoid arthritis quickly is important, because early treatment can prevent it getting worse and reduce the risk of joint damage.
Find out more about diagnosing rheumatoid arthritis.
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Fatigue In Chronic Rheumatologic Diseases
Unusual and chronic fatigue with various etiologies was described for 27 % of patients in a primary care clinic . Fatigue is common in RA, SpA, Sjögren syndrome, systemic lupus erythematosus and vasculitis, although most publications concerned fatigue in RA or SpA . In RA and SpA, the frequency of fatigue ranged from 42 % to 80 % depending on the definition and methods of assessment . For 75 % of patients with ankylosing arthritis and 50 % of those with RA, fatigue was considered severe .
Several methods of evaluation have been used to investigate fatigue in rheumatologic diseases . The simplest and quickest scale is the visual analog scale , but this is a unidirectional scale. Multidirectional scales developed to include the different aspects of fatigue are the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form 36 vitality subscale , the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy Fatigue Scale , the Profile of Mood States, the RA-specific Multidimensional Assessment of Fatigue scale, the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory, the Brief Fatigue Inventory, and the Fatigue Severity Scale . With the VAS scale, the mean fatigue level in patients with RA was 42.1 .
Can Physical Activity Help To Lessen Fatigue
Some people who have try to get fitter by doing gentle physical exercise, with the aim of fighting the exhaustion that way. A number of different activities are well-suited for this, including stretching and strengthening exercises, yoga, tai chi, brisk walking, cycling, water aerobics and swimming. These activities may also be done in specialized exercise therapy.
An analysis summarizing the research on different types of exercise shows that physical activity can help reduce . About 15 out of 100 people felt less exhausted after exercising. It’s still not clear what form of exercise would be most suitable, though.
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Timing Of Maximal Improvement In Fatigue When In Sustained Remission In Era
An ERA cohort which included 1864 patients studied how fatigue varied over time. A quarter had low fatigue, nearly 20% moderate and approximately 60% high fatigue at baseline. The baseline fatigue and pain scores were similar, around 5 out of 10. DAS28 seemed to be moderately related to fatigue at baseline where the DAS28 score was highest in the highest fatigue level, next highest in the middle level and smallest in the lowest fatigue group.
The baseline SF-36 mental component summary scores also were different differed significantly between the fatigue groups. The mean baseline fatigue score measured by a VAS was highest at baseline than follow-up visits. Fatigue decreased by the 3-months visit where the largest between visit change occurred .
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How To Ease Gi Symptoms
Most important: Work with your doctor to keep your arthritis under good control, and report any signs of GI problems to your doctor right away.
With the multitude of potential GI issues associated with RA and other rheumatologic conditions, as well as the interplay between the gut and joints, says Dr. Lukin, its important to consult your rheumatologist, and if necessary, a gastroenterologist, to get any new or unusual GI symptoms under control. More tips to ease GI issues:
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Talk To Your Doctor About Controlling Ra Inflammation
You dont need to battle fatigue on your own working with your doctor to get any underlying RA-related inflammation under control can help significantly.
Cytokines proteins produced by cells can amplify inflammation, which may have a direct influence on brain receptors to cause fatigue. So the first step is to work with your rheumatologist to get inflammation under control, Ali says. Medications that decrease inflammation often decrease fatigue.
Limitations Of The Available Data
It is first worth highlighting that a range of measures exist to study fatigue within RA populations . These measures, which have been validated to a greater or lesser extent within the population, may measure various things such as the magnitude or qualities of fatigue, including severity, impact or coping , or Numerical Rating Scales ). Measures may also distinguish between mental and physical fatigue or include assessment of both the quality and type of fatigue, such as measuring physical fatigue, emotional fatigue and the social consequences of fatigue ). Finally, measures may position people on a continuum from energy to fatigue ). It is clear that the measures used may have substantial impacts on the associations observed if a predictor is differentially associated with distinct dimensions of fatigue . It is notable that few studies have used scales that capture the multidimensionality of fatigue, instead relying on single-item visual analogue scales, or numerical rating scales . Equally, there is no consistency in the definitions and measures used to capture exposures of interest and no single study has investigated all predictors of interest, making it likely that residual confounding exists and precluding the development of an evidence-based causal model/diagram of fatigue.
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What Kind Of Treatment Could Help Against Fatigue
Sometimes is still a major problem despite adjusting your daily schedule, doing physical exercise and getting support from other people. Then professional help may be an option, for instance in the form of psychological treatment or occupational therapy. Some specialized programs have been developed specifically for people who have fatigue as a result of autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis. They’re designed to do things like help you plan activities and make sure you don’t use up all of your energy at once.
Cognitive behavioral therapy strategies can also be learned to help cope with . Some involve recognizing and then changing certain thoughts, beliefs and behaviors that make it more difficult to live with the disease.
Studies on non-drug treatments show that approaches used in occupational therapy and psychotherapy can relieve exhaustion.
Sickness Symptoms Of Rheumatoid Arthritis
In summarizing the source and symptoms of sickness behavior, researchers Dantzer and Kelly stated:
“It was subsequently shown that physiological concentrations of pro-inflammatory cytokines that occur after infection act in the brain to induce common symptoms of sickness, such as loss of appetite, sleepiness, withdrawal from normal social activities, fever, aching joints and fatigue.”1
Such responses by the body are thought to be part of the recovery processes to illnesses. The body is likely preserving resources and energy in order to fight off the sickness.
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Talking To Your Doctor About Fatigue
There are several things that can reduce the impact of fatigue. Firstly, it helps if you can work out what could be causing it.
There arent any specific tests for fatigue. However, you can help your doctors diagnosis by writing down how you feel, what could be causing it and how its affecting your life. They may also be able to provide you with a self-assessment questionnaire to fill out.
Depending on your symptoms your doctor may recommend you have blood tests to check your fatigue hasnt been caused by another condition. If it has been, treating this condition may improve your fatigue.
There arent any specific drug treatments for fatigue. However, your doctor, physiotherapist, occupational therapist or rheumatology team, should be able to help you recognise the signs and learn to manage them.
Balance Rest With Activity
Everyone needs to allow time for rest, and when you have RA, getting adequate rest is particularly important. However, its still important to be active.
Doing too little can also lead to fatigue, according to the Arthritis Foundation. Do some light exercise every day to help keep your joints in shape and to avoid muscle deconditioning.
This showed that physical activity can help people with RA manage fatigue. Regular exercise also can make it easier to get a good nights sleep.
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When To Seek Medical Advice
You should see your GP if you think you have symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, so your GP can try to identify the underlying cause.
Diagnosing rheumatoid arthritis quickly is important because early treatment can help stop the condition getting worse and reduce the risk of further problems such as joint damage.
Read more about diagnosing rheumatoid arthritis.
Expending All Our Energy
A common meme on the internet proclaims that people with multiple sclerosis expend 5 times as much energy as a normal person. While I havent seen a reference to any science behind that, its still a great way of explaining what fatigue feels like to us. It takes so much for us to do something that others might take for granted. If you have or know someone with MS, then youve no doubt heard about the Spoon Theory, another great description of what its like to live with MS that speaks specifically about fatigue.
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Ra Fatigue: How Do I Control Chronic Fatigue From Ra
Rheumatoid arthritis is a debilitating condition that causes a wide range of symptoms. One of the most prevalent symptoms experienced in suffering from rheumatoid arthritis is chronic fatigue. Fighting fatigue for rheumatoid arthritis patients seems like an ongoing uphill battle.
For those who suffer from rheumatoid arthritis, feelings of fatigue and constant tiredness can make it difficult to get through each day. But there are some ways to help beat fatigue, stay alert, and feel more rested and happy.
Can Multiple Sclerosis Go Away On Its Own
Multiple Sclerosis or MS is disorder of Central nervous system which affects the brain, spinal cord and the optic nerve. Most of the people who are diagnosed with MS are initially diagnosed with remitting and relapsing MS which means the symptoms are not much severe and fade away with time. But in some cases the symptoms are serious and need to be treated carefully. When the old symptoms reappear, they are not very severe and do not require treatment.
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Does Ra Medication Treat Fatigue
Your medications for treating RA can reduce both inflammation and fatigue. To address both, be sure to follow your treatment plan as prescribed by your healthcare provider.
If you find treatments aren’t working and you are experiencing fatigue that affects your ability to enjoy and participate in your life, reach out to your healthcare provider.
You might also consider asking your healthcare provider about medications that treat chronic fatigue, such as Provigil . Medications like Provigil need to be taken with caution because they can be difficult to stop once you start taking them
Your doctor might be able to prescribe pain medications, like Ultram , which can relieve pain and improve sleep. Low doses of anti-depressants, taken at bedtime, might also manage pain, improve sleep, and reduce fatigue.
Articles On Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis symptoms are different for each person who has this long-term disease.
Some people have long periods with few or no symptoms. Others feel it for months at a time in an uptick of disease activity called a flare.
Most people have lasting problems with episodes of more severe disease. New and earlier treatment is changing the overall picture, though. More people are having low disease activity or even remission.
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Sleep Disturbances And Fatigue
Both of these conditions can cause sleep disturbances and fatigue. However, sleep problems in people with fibromyalgia tend to be more draining.
A preliminary 2013 study found that women with fibromyalgia reported greater daytime sleepiness and fatigue than women with RA. However, based on the results of a multiple sleep latency test, women with fibromyalgia actually had less objective daytime sleepiness compared with women with RA.
A 2015 study found that reduced sleep affected women with fibromyalgia more than it affected women with RA. Women with fibromyalgia reported feeling more daytime sleepiness and needed a longer recovery time.
With RA, fatigue can also be a result of inflammation and anemia. Anemia, or the lack of red blood cells, affects of people with RA.
The Immune Response And Inflammatory Process
The immune system determines the body’s responses to foreign or dangerous substances such as viruses, toxins, or abnormal proteins. The immune response helps the body to fight infection and heal wounds and injuries. The inflammatory process is a byproduct of the immune response.
Two important components of the immune system that play a role in the inflammation associated with RA are B cells and T cells, both of which belong to a family of immune cells called lymphocytes. Lymphocytes are a type of white blood cell.
A key feature of a healthy immune system is the ability to tell what is normal or “self” and what is foreign and possibly harmful or “non-self.” If the T cell “sees” an antigen as “non-self” or dangerous, it will produce chemicals that cause B cells to multiply and release many immune proteins . These antibodies circulate widely in the bloodstream, recognizing the target particles and triggering inflammation in order to rid the body of the invasion.
For reasons that are still not completely understood, both T cells and B cells become overactive in patients with RA and attack normal tissue as if it were foreign. This is why conditions like RA are referred to as “autoimmune” diseases: the body’s immune system produces antibodies that attack it.
An antigen is a substance that can trigger an immune response. Normally, antigens are substances that are not present in the healthy body.
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What Is Chronic Fatigue
Chronic Fatigue is the constant feeling of weariness or overwhelming tiredness that doesnt seem to improve or change regardless of the amount of rest or sleep received. Patients may receive an adequate amount of sleep each night and still feel fatigued during the day.
Fatigue affects people physically, mentally and emotionally. When people experience fatigue they feel as though their energy has been depleted and they dont have the strength to perform daily activities.
Fatigue may come and go or worsen during certain times. The onset of the fatigue may be unpredictable and occur without warning signs or symptoms. Fatigue may not be preceded by physical activity or exertion, and it may occur in between or during flare-up episodes of RA.
How Rheumatoid Arthritis Is Treated
There is no cure for rheumatoid arthritis, but early diagnosis and appropriate treatment enables many people with rheumatoid arthritis to have periods of months or even years between flares and to be able to lead full lives and continue regular employment.
The main treatment options include:
- medication that is taken in the long-term to relieve symptoms and slow the progress of the condition
- supportive treatments, such as physiotherapy and occupational therapy, to help keep you mobile and find ways around any problems you have with daily activities
- surgery to correct any joint problems that develop
Read more about treating rheumatoid arthritis.
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What Questions Should I Ask My Healthcare Provider About Autoimmune Diseases
Its helpful to have some questions ready to ask before you see your provider. Examples to consider include:
- Do I have an autoimmune disease?
- What tests should I go through?
- What type of autoimmune disease do I have?
- Do I need to see a specialist?
- What specialist should I see?
- Whats the best treatment for me?
- Should I let my family members know that I have an autoimmune disease?
