Rhumatoid Arthritis

One of the most common types of arthritis is rhumatoid arthritis.

Rhumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease, one that causes redness, swelling, pain, discomfort, and which tends to worsen if left untreated. The inflammation caused by this disease can even affect internal organs of the body, such as the eyes, lungs and heart. Although rhumatoid arthritis is a chronic illness, sufferers may go long periods without any symptoms, while at other times arthritis pain relief treatment is necessary.

It is a progressive disease however, and this means that if left unnoticed or otherwise untreated, it is able and in fact very likely to cause joint destruction and functional disability.

There is no one single cause or factor that is considered as being responsible for rhumatoid arthritis, but there are a few factors that are recognized as being potentially responsible. Infectious agents such as bacteria and fungi have long been connected to this disease, and it is also suspected that certain environmental factors play a role in its development.

The symptoms that distinguish rhumatoid arthritis from other forms of arthritis are the inflammation and soft-tissue swelling of many joints at the same time. This is known as polyarthritis. The joints are usually affected asymmetrically and then progress in a symmetrical fashion as the disease progresses. Unlike other forms of arthritis, such as osteoarthritis, the pain generally improves with the use of the affected joints.

As the disease progresses, the inflammatory activity leads to erosion and destruction of the joint surface, impairing their range of movement and therefore leading to deformity. In the fingers, the bones typically deviate outwards, towards the pinky finger and assume unnatural shapes. Deformities in those suffering from rhumatoid arthritis include the Boutonniere deformity, the swan neck deformity, and the “Z-Thumb” deformity.

Since rhumatoid arthritis is a multisystem disease, other diseases and conditions may form as a result of it. Many patients with rhumatoid arthritis also have anemia. Anemia is a deficiency of red blood cells and/or hemoglobin and results in the reduced ability of oxygen to be carried to the tissues. It is a chronic disease. Sufferers may also experience splenomegaly (the enlargement of the spleen), Felty’s syndrome, and Sjögren’s syndrome (an autoimmune disorder in which immune cells attack and destroy exocrine glands that produce saliva and tears). Dermatological affects include nodules on exterior surfaces. Fibrosis may occur in the lungs either spontaneously or as a result of treatments.

There are several criteria for diagnosing rhumatoid arthritis. Stiffness in the morning that persists for longer than one hour is an example, as is arthritis and soft-tissue swelling of more than three out of 14 joints or joint groups. Arthritis of hand joints, symmetric arthritis, subcutaneous nodules in specific places, a rhumatoid factor at a level above the 95th percentile and radiological changes suggested of joint erosion are also a part of the criteria. At least four of these criteria have to be met in order to establish a diagnosis.

Treatments for rhumatoid arthritis are divided into disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs), anti-inflammatory agents and analgesics. DMARDs are known to produce durable remissions and delay or halt disease progression, preventing bone and joint damage in particular. Anti-inflammatory agents and analgesics improve pain and stiffness but do not prevent joint damage or slow down the disease progression.

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