1. Talk to Your Doctor About Available Treatments
Research shows that one of the complications that results from rheumatoid arthritis is disfigurement. When this happens in the hands it could make daily activities extremely difficult to do. If you are in a field of work that requires you to use your hands a lot, it could very well interfere with it. There are some newer treatments available that you can talk to your doctor about. Keep an open line of communication with your doctor to see what can be done for you.
2. Ask for Eye Relief
Dry eyes or general pain in the eyes is usually a complication that is complained about by people that suffer from rheumatoid arthritis. To help combat this you can use some form of eye drops. Speaking to your eye doctor or rheumatologist will give you a better understanding of the things you can do to help alleviate this problem.
3. Keep Your Muscles Strong
Many people like to say "if you don't use it, you lose it." This holds true for many things, especially muscles. If you hardly use a muscle it gets weaker and weaker. In individuals who have rheumatoid arthritis, the muscles around the joints that are affected usually get weaker. As disfigurement and debilitation occurs, use of muscles and joints of affected areas severely drops resulting in muscle weakness. Do your best to keep your muscles strong by consulting your doctor about exercises you can do.
4. Try to Breath Easy
In some cases, a rare complication occurs in the lungs of a rheumatoid arthritis sufferer. An inflammation in the lungs takes place in the lining of the lungs causing painful or difficult breathing. Fluid in the lungs may sometimes also be built up because of the inflammation. This also adds to other difficulties when breathing. If you are experiencing these symptoms consult your doctor immediately.
5. Women - Keep Your Heart Healthy
Women with rheumatoid arthritis have twice the risk of getting heart attacks, research indicates that there is believed to be a link between the inflammations that results from rheumatoid arthritis to the hardening of arteries from the inflammation that leads to heart attacks. Speaking to your doctor and rheumatologist about ways you can keep your heart healthy is a topic that should be discussed. Any way that you can decrease your risk of heart disease is always a good thing. Take care of your heart and it will take care of you.
