Unknown Dangers Of Rheumatoid Arthritis

Health

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For many years, most people thought that arthritis was just arthritis and resulted in the swelling, stiffness and pain in the joints, especially the knees, feet, hands and fingers.

However, there are two separate distinct types of arthritis and one is really not just a joint problem.

Osteoarthritis is described as joint disease that is noninflammatory. It usually involves the thinning of the cartilage in certain joints, often just one knee or one hand.

Rheumatoid arthritis is chronic inflammation of the joints but it is not caused by wear and tear and thinning of the cartilage, rather it is an autoimmune disease. The body’s own immune system attacks various parts of the body, often targeting the joints. This causes the joints to swell, redden, stiffen a and is often quite painful. It often results in limping, tender joints, loss of joint function, loss of range of motion, joint deformity, anemia and fever.

Some years ago, there was a young lady in our church who was engaged to be married. Not long before the wedding, she was suddenly struck with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The marriage never happened. Doctors tried to aggressively treat her but the treatments they gave her back then literally ate away some of her joints and weakened her bones. She ended up crippled and deformed for life. Since she never married, she was cared for by her parents until they eventually died and then she was placed in a nursing home. By then, she was in excruciating pain and it was difficult for any of the staff to help her do anything without causing more pain. Many believe that it was a blessing for her when she died as she had suffered for so many years.

About 80% of the people with RA, contain an antibody in their blood known as the ‘rheumatoid factor’. Experts believe that RA can be genetic, or caused by silica inhalation, smoking, periodontal disease, and even microbes in the bowels (referred to as part of one’s ‘gut bacteria’). Truthfully, no one is really sure what causes RA.

Currently, there is no known cure for RA, but it is often treated with a variety of drugs that may help relieve some of the painful symptoms and slow the progression of the disease. The earlier RA is detected and treated, the better the prognosis.

Since RA is actually an autoimmune disease and not just a joint problem, there are other complications that can impact other parts of the body.

A dear friend of ours (our un-officially adopted son) has RA and it appears to run in his family as his sister also has it. At 40, his knees often swell and are so painful it brings him to tears and makes it extremely difficult to walk.

However, his RA has also caused a large patch of psoriasis or some form of dermatitis on his one shin. Additionally, he feels ‘juiced’ or anxious all the time. He recently found out that his sister has the same problem and both of them have high levels of adrenalin in their blood streams. Doctors have told them that this is due to the RA. The high level of adrenalin makes it hard for him to sleep and gives him anxiety attacks.

Recently, a check up with his doctor said that due to the high adrenaline level in his blood, it had caused his blood pressure to go sky high, causing the doctor to say he was amazed our ‘son’ hadn’t had a heart attack already.

He is also learning that since RA is autoimmune system, that at any time, his own immune system can suddenly begin to attack some of his organs and if not controlled, it could be fatal.

Everyone’s RA is different and affects people with different levels of severity and effects different body parts – joints, organs, skin and more.

The more we learn about RA, the more problematic of a disease it is and the more seriously it needs to be taken. If you have RA or someone you know has RA, see a doctor. Our ‘son’ is like me in that he doesn’t like going to the doctor and he hates having to take a lot of medications, but he is beginning realize that he may have no choice and you may not either.

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