Rheumatoid Arthritis

Posted by admin in Monday, May 12th 2008

Rheumatoid arthritis varies from person to person, making it difficult to predict its final course. Early treatment and proper, generally averted their progress and improve their quality of life.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic inflammatory disease that causes pain, stiffness, swelling and loss of movement of joints, typically the hands and wrists, feet and ankles, and cervical spine. It is an autoimmune disease where antibodies attack the body’s own cells with predilection for sinovio cells, the lining the joints. Eventually, the accumulation of inflammatory cells can cause erosion of the bones.

Symptoms of RA vary in each person, and sometimes resemble those of other inflammatory conditions, hindering their diagnosis. They include: pain, swelling and stiffness usually symmetrical (for example: both ankles and both wrists); numbness in the morning, lasting approximately half an hour for six consecutive months or more, malaise, fatigue, fever, weight loss and sometimes could come and go rheumatoid nodules. The diagnosis and treatment plan should establish a rheumatologist.

It is still unknown the cause of RA. Se cree que is due to a combination of factors such as autoimmune response, genetic susceptibility and some element of the environment (such as viral infection) or hormonal changes that cause the disease becomes apparent.

The best way to control the AR is to establish the diagnosis as soon as possible to treat it aggressively, so that the symptoms do not deteriorate, and thus prevent progression of the disease and, ultimately, disability. The use of low doses of steroids is common for a limited period to control inflammation.

We recommend the combination therapy of disease-modifying or DMARD, for its acronym in English (such as methotrexate), therapy with biological agents (inhibitors of tumor necrosis factor) and others. These drugs could control the disease to the point of provoking a prolonged remission.

To control symptoms associated with this requirement, it is recommended the sporadic use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory. Sometimes surgery is needed to repair affected joints and improve mobility.

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