How to Tell if you have Rheumatoid Arthritis

Published: 22nd December 2010
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There can be two major kinds of arthritis the osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis both have pain such as Knee Pain, inflammation and rigidity in the joints. How could you tell if you have osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis? What differentiates rheumatoid arthritis is the swelling of the smooth, moist synovial membrane which lines the inside of the joint. The membrane gets painful, tender and swollen. The hands and feet are the most damaged joints.

Another difference is that rheumatoid arthritis rarely develops in the hips or spine which is most common on osteoarthritis. Nonetheless, the neck or cervical spine can be involved. This can lead to severe outcomes. Rheumatoid arthritis can be activated by a viral infection or stress. It's an autoimmune disease which means that the body's defense mechanisms apparently and mistakenly attacks its very own tissue. This is what causes the inflammation or arthritis knee pain.

Attacks typically come on abruptly. You wake up one morning with pain and stiffness in the small joints of the hands and feet. You will experience pins and needles sensations, tiredness and also have a general feeling of being not well. There can even be a low grade fever. The initial signs and symptoms are typically quite mild though. The early morning stiffness lowers throughout the day. On the other hand, within a couple of days severe symptoms can flare up.


There are numerous self-help measures which can be use to treat arthritis. However , there is no known prevention or treatment. However, the signal to pay your physician a visit is when the pain and stiffness in the joints become so severe which will limit movement and interfere with normal activities. For the reason that disease declines, it makes severe pain that you cannot ignore. Additionally, the joints become swollen and deformed; the muscles may begin wasting away and red painless lumps referred to as rheumatoid modules can take place beneath the skin. You may also experience chest pain and difficulty in breathing.

Your self-help measures includes regular, moderate exercise, getting enough rest on a firm mattress and always keeping your weight at a healthy level. Given that arthritis tends to limit mobility, swimming can be beneficial especially if you can do this in a heated pool. Putting on heat to the joints can give a soothing relief. Diabetics and persons with poor circulation ought to refrain from using heat.


If you eventually need the help of your doctor, he will most likely highly recommend particular blood-tests, x-rays and examination of joint fluid for diagnosis. The outcomes of these tests give the doctor a measure through which to evaluate the severeness of the disease. Once you've been diagnosed with the disease, you'll likely need continuous proper care by your physician, however individual cases do vary. Surgical treatment is an option for a minimal number of patients. Although there's no cure; control is essential and obtainable for the majority of patients.




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