1. Bone up on Your Family History
Because genetics plays such a large role in the incidence of rheumatoid arthritis, or RA, knowing where in your lineage and who has had this disease in the past can help shed light on the level of risk a person may have of developing RA. If a person is having symptoms of pain and swelling in the upper extremities, and there is a suspicion of rheumatoid arthritis, knowledge of family members' past health concerns can be very helpful.
From a family history perspective, more than 70 percent of those afflicted with rheumatoid arthritis are women. Most are between the ages of 25 and the early to mid-50s. More than 60 percent of patients with rheumatoid arthritis have had some type of genetic situation that has triggered the onset of symptoms.
2. The Body Literally Attacks Itself
Rheumatoid Arthritis is and autoimmune disease. It means that the body's immune system is somehow triggered to attack various tissues within the body. The most frequently attacked tissues are the linings of the joints, primarily in the hands, wrists and shoulders. It can, however, affect various other body parts, such as the lungs, skin, eyes and heart. Rheumatoid arthritis usually attacks the lining of the joints, rather than the joint itself. This results in the inflamed tissue invading the joint surfaces and destroying them.
3. Proper Diagnosis is Critical
Even though rheumatoid arthritis can display many of the same symptoms associated with ordinary osteoarthritis, the disease is entirely different; and equally so is the treatment. There are several ways to diagnose RA. These include the serum Rheumatoid Factor, Anti Nuclear Antibody, and the C-Reactive Protein tests, all of which are specific to the diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis.
4. Proper Medication and Treatment are Key to Fighting Rheumatoid Arthritis
Once a person has been diagnosed with RA, it is imperative that the proper medication and treatment begin as soon as possible. Because certain genes are affected in the genetic distribution of the disease, it can display itself in several grades of severity, and treatments will vary somewhat.
Unlike its osteoarthritis counterpart, rheumatoid arthritis requires specific medication to fight its symptoms and destructive nature. Drugs called Immuno-suppressants are used to reduce the body's inflammatory response to the disease. One example of these drugs is Methotrexate, which is also used in a variety of situations such as in certain cancers. Oral steroid use is commonplace to reduce inflammation.
5. Keep Moving and Living Life
Rheumatoid arthritis can be a very debilitating disease, which can cause great difficulty in just moving about. Protecting your joints and keeping the moving within comfortable parameters is very beneficial.
Many people are concerned that having or developing rheumatoid arthritis can and will doom their offspring to the same fate. While it is known that a certain genetic marker, HLA-DR4, has been identified in more than 60 percent of white men and women with rheumatoid arthritis, conversely, 20 percent who have the marker do not have the disease. Therefore, having children does not automatically doom them to the disease, even if later on in life they show the genetic marker. So, protect the joints, keep moving, be diligent in treatment, and above all, live life.
