1. Emotional Stress Might Lead to Rheumatoid Arthritis?
Some people claim their onset of rheumatoid arthritis was triggered by a stressful event---an accident, a death in the family job loss. However, the only research on stress causing rheumatoid arthritis was done on mice. Because people's reactions to emotional stress vary, researchers find it hard to find an exact correlation between rheumatoid arthritis and stress.
2. Rheumatoid Arthritis May Lead to Emotional Stress
Living with rheumatoid arthritis can be quite challenging. You have to deal with the physical symptoms of painful, sometimes swollen joints. You may have to beg off activities to avoid fatigue, often putting a dent in your social life. You might suddenly find yourself unable to work, a situation that can spiral into depression and lowered self-esteem.
3. Stress Sets Up a Vicious Cycle
The stresses of this chronic illness could affect sleep and blood pressure; increase the risk of heart disease and depression, or increase muscle tension and pain. Once you go down that road, your other arthritis symptoms, such as inflammation and swelling, may worsen.
4. Stress May Call for an Increased Dose of Corticosteroids
Prednisone or other corticosteriods are important in limiting the joint damage of rheumatoid arthritis, But they also limit your own natural production of cortisol, a hormone that protects your body during stressful situations. When stress occurs, you won't produce enough cortisol to combat it, so your doctor may need to increase your dosage of prednisone to make up the difference. People react to life events in different ways, so a stressful event for you might be a funeral, an illness, or even a wedding.
5. It's Worth the Effort To Keep Those Daily Stressors At Bay
How you handle stress can make a difference in how much your rheumatoid arthritis interferes with your daily life. The University of Washington Department of Orthopedics recommends three things you can do to keep daily stressors at bay:
1) Learn how to reduce stress: Maintain a healthy balance between activity and rest. Keep fit by eating plenty of fruits and vegetables, and establish an exercise regimen that is within the tolerance of your current level of joint involvement. Your sense of humor may be challenged some days, but try to have a little fun. Depression, alcohol and drugs and isolation are the foot soldiers of stress, so combat them any way you can.
2) Learn how to accept what you cannot change: Take a daily inventory to find out what is contributing the most stress to your life. If it's something you really can't do anything about, find a way to let it go.
3) Learn how to overcome the harmful effects of stress: Music, reading, a quiet atmosphere, and relaxation techniques are a great way to overcome the increased pain, fatigue and depression associated with stress. Most relaxations programs include deep breathing; some feature guided imagery or repeating affirmations. There are many relaxation techniques and just about everyone can find one that appeals. If nothing else works, try hypnosis.
