Is There A Cure For Rheumatoid Arthritis
There is no cure yet, however, we now know a great deal about what causes RA, and how to control it and prevent joint damage. This is achieved by the early implementation of disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs . These are essential to gain rapid control of the disease, in order to avoid joint erosions and long-term limitation of function.
Measures To Reduce Bone Loss
Inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis can cause bone loss, which can lead to osteoporosis. The use of prednisone further increases the risk of bone loss, especially in postmenopausal women.
You can do the following to help minimize the bone loss associated with steroid therapy:
- Use the lowest possible dose of glucocorticoids for the shortest possible time, when possible, to minimize bone loss.
- Get an adequate amount of calcium and vitamin D, either in the diet or by taking supplements.
- Use medications that can reduce bone loss, including that which is caused by glucocorticoids.
- Control rheumatoid arthritis itself with appropriate medications prescribed by your doctor.
You Might Be Aware Of Joint Pain But Its Important To Be Aware Of The Other Ra Symptoms That Can Help Clinch A Diagnosis
Aches and pains are a common part of life at every age, and can occur for many reasons an especially tough workout, too much snow shoveling, lifting something the wrong way, dancing too enthusiastically, or engaging in repetitive hand motions like typing or knitting.
But pain is also the most common symptom of rheumatoid arthritis , a chronic, inflammatory disorder in which the bodys own immune system attacks the lining of the membranes that surround the joints. According to the American College of Rheumatology, RA is the most common type of autoimmune arthritis, affecting more than 1.3 million Americans 75 percent of whom are women. The disease usually strikes first between the ages of 30 and 60.
The symptoms of RA may be obvious or not, and can sometimes mimic other diseases, especially in the early stages. The most common symptoms of RA such as pain, swelling, and tenderness around the joints tend to come on gradually. People may discount minor pains or morning achiness as just a sign of aging or indication of an overuse injury. It may take a while before someone suspects that RA is the cause of their discomfort. But rheumatoid arthritis has many other symptoms as well, and recognizing what they are can help patients get diagnosed and treated as early as possible, so they can prevent or minimize permanent damage to the joints, and lead active, less-painful lives.
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Rheumatoid Can Attack Your Foot And Ankle
Rheumatoid arthritis affects joints because the immune system sees your own body as an invader. Classically, the inflammation involves the joints, and these can include your foot and ankle. Thats when it can become nearly impossible to walk.
A swollen and painful ankle and foot make it hard to support your body weight while standing or walking. After all, these joints make up the supportive base for the rest of your body. Walking also involves having to move your ankle and foot, which could exacerbate any symptoms involving these joints. The swelling could also make your feet much bigger than they normally are, making it impossible to fit them into your shoes.
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Guide To Arthritis Treatment For Feet And Ankles
Arthritis can be a debilitating disease that affects many body parts, including the feet and ankles. If you are struggling with arthritis in your feet or ankles, you may be looking forinformation on arthritis treatment. This blog post will provide a guide to arthritis treatment for feet and ankles. We will discuss the different types of arthritis treatment available and the benefits and risks of each type. We hope this blog post will help you find relief from your arthritis symptoms.
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How To Report Fatigue To Your Doctor
Patients should tell their providers exactly how chronic fatigue is disrupting their routine. Patients should be as specific as possible. For example:
I have trouble getting going in the morning
I used to cook my dinners but I dont anymore.
In addition to fatigue, patients should also identify excessive sleeping or sleeplessness. They should report if they have been told that they snore at night .
Keeping a diary, filling out a questionnaire , or using a phone app to record symptoms can help patients track fatigue levels and their changes over time. Patients can record fatigue at various times in the day to identify trends.
For example, a patient who has a high level of fatigue in the morning might have sleep issues. The more accurate patients can be in describing their fatigue, the easier it will be for doctors to assess and address it.
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Its Not Surprising That You Can Feel Arthritis In Your Feet: The Disease Predominantly Affects Your Joints And Your Foot Contains More Than 30 Of Them
If you live with arthritis, chances are you feel the painful effects in your feet. Feet are tremendously affected by arthritis, says Vinicius Domingues, MD, a rheumatologist in Daytona Beach, Florida, and medical advisor for CreakyJoints.
Indeed, osteoarthritis , the most common type of arthritis, affects the feet of one in six people over the age of 50. With rheumatoid arthritis , the most common type of inflammatory autoimmune arthritis, more than 90 percent of patients develop symptoms in the foot and ankle over the course of the disease. In about 20 percent of RA cases, foot and ankle symptoms are even among the first signs of the disease.
Its not surprising that you can feel arthritis in your feet: The disease predominantly affects your joints, and your foot contains more than 30 joints.
Is Rheumatoid Arthritis Caused By Stress
The connection between stress and RA has been identified in numerous studies. An analysis of 16 studies, published in Arthritis Research & Therapy , found that: Stress tends to make RA symptoms worse. People with post-traumatic stress disorder have a higher risk of developing RA and other autoimmune diseases.
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Heart And Blood Vessels
People with RA are more prone to atherosclerosis, and risk of myocardial infarction and stroke is markedly increased.Other possible complications that may arise include: pericarditis, endocarditis, left ventricular failure, valvulitis and fibrosis. Many people with RA do not experience the same chest pain that others feel when they have angina or myocardial infarction. To reduce cardiovascular risk, it is crucial to maintain optimal control of the inflammation caused by RA , and to use exercise and medications appropriately to reduce other cardiovascular risk factors such as blood lipids and blood pressure. Doctors who treat people with RA should be sensitive to cardiovascular risk when prescribing anti-inflammatory medications, and may want to consider prescribing routine use of low doses of aspirin if the gastrointestinal effects are tolerable.
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Share Your Experiences With Family And Friends If You Feel Comfortable Doing So
When she really isnt up to meeting friends or family, Elisa prioritizes her health over social engagements and virtual events, instead of trying to push through the fatigue. She finds that people are more understanding when she explains why she needs to cancel plans at the last minute. I used to try to not talk about my rheumatoid arthritis very much and just come up with some reason that I needed to go home or to cut plans short, she explains. But Elisa says constantly coming up with excuses was exhausting too. Now shes just honest. I try to take the approach that I do a disservice to those around me when I dont want to share my journey, she says. Im okay with saying, I know its only 10:30 in the morning, but Ive got to shower and lie down for an hour.
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Make The Most Of Your Energy
RA symptoms such as joint pain and stiffness can make it challenging to carry out daily tasks. The extra energy you spend may leave you exhausted. One approach to beating this kind of fatigue is to learn how to conserve energy. You can take many different steps to become smarter about how you use your energy and more efficient in carrying out tasks:3,4
Lifestyle And Home Remedies
You can take steps to care for your body if you have rheumatoid arthritis. These self-care measures, when used along with your rheumatoid arthritis medications, can help you manage your signs and symptoms:
- Exercise regularly. Gentle exercise can help strengthen the muscles around your joints, and it can help reduce fatigue you might feel. Check with your doctor before you start exercising. If youre just getting started, begin by taking a walk. Avoid exercising tender, injured or severely inflamed joints.
- Apply heat or cold. Heat can help ease your pain and relax tense, painful muscles. Cold may dull the sensation of pain. Cold also has a numbing effect and can reduce swelling.
- Relax. Find ways to cope with pain by reducing stress in your life. Techniques such as guided imagery, deep breathing and muscle relaxation can all be used to control pain.
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Prevalence Course Severity And Predictors Of Fatigue
Due to differences in definition and instruments to measure RA fatigue, prevalence rates between 42% and 80% have been found . Measured with the CIS, 40% of RA patients experience persistent severe fatigue, a level of fatigue that is comparable with fatigue as experienced by patients with CFS .
In studies on correlates and predictors of fatigue contradictory results were found. The first question is, is fatigue related to disease activity? In some studies, the evidence for the relation between disease-related variables and fatigue is found. In other studies, higher levels of fatigue were associated with increased depressive symptoms, pain, disturbed sleep, increased physical effort, gender or psychosocial factors . Although these variables are not directly disease related, the question remains unanswered about the indirect relation between these items, e.g. disturbed sleep may be related to disease activity and as a consequence also related to fatigue. A combination of variables might be the underlying mechanism for RA fatigue. However, no prospective study has included all these variables. In spite of the sometimes inconsistent findings, consensus on the large impact fatigue has on quality of life in RA patients exists .
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Ask Your Doctor About Medications To Treat Fatigue
Certain medications may help chronic fatigue, such as modafinil. However, you need to use these with caution, because once you start taking them, it may be hard to stop, Ali says.
Using pain medications such as acetaminophen at night can help improve sleep thats disrupted by RA pain, Ali adds.
Another option, a low-dose antidepressant, also given at bedtime, has been shown to reduce pain, increase sleep, and reduce fatigue in some people with RA, he says.
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Describes Some Of The Pain She Has Experienced With Her Ra And How Sometimes You Need To Go
Pain also increased fatigue and people described tiredness and lack of energy as significant symptoms of RA. People had to rest more, either in the daytime or by going to bed earlier, or sometimes for much of the weekend if they worked during the week . This reduced their time to do other things particularly their social life. Pacing activity helped but often people felt they hadnt got the will power to do things when they were feeling generally tired and unwell.
Some of those people taking anti-TNF alpha medication said they were now less tired and had more energy .
What Does Rheumatoid Arthritis In The Feet Feel Like
When your feet are affected by rheumatoid arthritis, you may experience swelling, redness, and a feeling of warmth around the affected joints. Pain is very common as well. In one study comparing foot problems in RA patients versus people without arthritis, 98 percent of RA patients had foot pain and 96 percent reported some difficulty in function, compared to 76 percent and 66 percent, respectively, in the healthy group. Compared with osteoarthritis, which typically affects one specific joint, rheumatoid arthritis usually occurs in the same joints on both sides of your body so it commonly affects both feet at once. Symptoms may flare, then go into periods of remission. Heres more information about coping with rheumatoid arthritis flares. Over time, rheumatoid arthritis can cause joints to deform and shift out of place. Specific foot problems caused by RA include:
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Inflammation: A Potential Link Between Fatigue Depression And Pain
Although fatigue, stress or depression, and pain have complex and various mechanisms of action, some inflammatory cytokines are found associated with these three domains, so inflammation may be their potential link. The association between these symptoms has been documented in various medical conditions: classical inflammatory diseases such as rheumatic diseases, cancer or infections but also CFS, metabolic disorders or depression, which exhibit low-grade inflammation .
Some authors found that in RA, fatigue, mood disorders and pain are clinically associated IL-1 level was higher in cerebrospinal fluid of patients than controls and the increased level was correlated with fatigue . Biologic treatments are efficacious and can decrease levels of markers of inflammation such as CRP tocilizumab is especially efficacious because of its action on IL-6 involved in the synthesis of CRP . Thus, decreased systemic inflammation could be one of the mechanisms of action improving fatigue, pain and mood disorders.
Moreover, in a cohort of 1,466 European patients with advanced cancer, increased CRP level was associated with pain and fatigue . In ovarian cancer patients, diurnal and nocturnal cortisol and plasma IL-6 levels decreased during the first year following surgery, and this decrease was associated with decreased fatigue and depression .
Reason : Finances Are Stretched
Feeling pain in your wallet is exhausting, too. Dont be shy about asking for help with medication costs. Many pharmaceutical companies have programs to assist patients who use their medicines, says Dr. Hylland. For instance, the company that makes the treatment Xeljanz offers a co-payment card that helps offset the cost of the medication. Also, explore discount programs like Good Rx. And inform your doctor. He can sometimes tailor a less expensive program for you or direct you to social workers who can help find organizations that assist in costs of medicines, Dr. Hylland says.
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How Do People Cope With Exhaustion
Many people gradually come to learn how to regulate their energy better and to accept the changes associated with the condition. They pay more attention to their body’s signals and then adjust what kinds of activities they do based on their symptoms.
As well as the phases where the arthritis gets much worse, there are also periods where it’s possible to live a quite normal life. It often helps to start seeing the condition as a part of your life and to set new goals that you can still achieve anyway. Some people say that the disease has helped them to live their lives more consciously.
Many mention in interviews that they’ve discovered practical ways of dealing with :
- Learn to say “no” sometimes
- Don’t plan to do too much at once
- Reconsider and adapt your goals
- Plan activities carefully, take your time, spread out demanding tasks across the week.
- Take breaks before you become too exhausted
- Get to bed early, take naps and learn relaxation techniques
- Avoid going out at busy times of the day, for instance when you go shopping or on a trip
- Talk with others about your disease so that they can better understand how it affects you
- Talk to others who have rheumatoid arthritis so that you can learn from their experiences
Invest In Assistive Devices
RA is notorious for making simple household tasks more challenging, which might be causing you to expend extra energy. So take help where you can get it by using specialized devices such as zipper pulls, shoe horns, and electric can openers and reachers to reduce RA fatigue. Assistive devices make everyday life a bit easier and help to maintain independence, which is key for a patient with rheumatoid arthritis, Dr. Singh says. They do help conserve energy and lessen the pain. An occupational therapist can help you find tools and tricks to avoid difficult twisting and turning hand motions.
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Doctors Agree On Fatigue Symptoms
Sluggish, weary, lethargic sometimes, these words arent enough to capture how RA fatigue makes us feel. The source of fatigue is even tougher to pinpoint. Is it tiredness? Maybe I didnt get enough sleep? Did I overdo myself a few days ago? Is it all in my head? But there is a bit of good news your doctors are listening! Although its complicated for patients to describe fatigue, doctors recognize that fatigue is a bothersome symptom of RA.
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