Rheumatoid arthritis is one of the most common inflammatory diseases. It is more characteristic of women and the elderly. The causes of its occurrence are not exactly known.
Persons suffering from this type of atritis have a failure of immunity. In particular, for some unknown reason, she perceives healthy tissues as foreign agents and fights them. Joints (most often knees, feet, elbows, hands, fingers) and the surrounding tissues are affected.
How to recognize that you have rheumatoid arthritis?
Your doctor should prescribe treatment after the symptoms have been confirmed, and it will be established that you really have this disease.
Symptoms of incipient rheumatoid arthritis:
- weakness;
- fatigue;
- temperature rise;
- loss of appetite;
- inflammation of the salivary glands;
- pain and inflammation in the joints.
Over time, the joints become deformed, and stiffness in movement appears. The pains are most severe from the second half of the night until noon, and then they become less pronounced, especially in the evening. In a person with such a disease, rheumatoid nodules often appear under the skin , which are fairly dense to the touch. Most often, they arise slightly below the bend of the elbows, less often - on the feet and hands. There is no harm from them, but they still spoil the appearance. The cause of damage to the heart, lungs, kidneys, liver, intestines, blood vessels - may be rheumatoid arthritis. Diagnosis of the disease is carried out in various ways. This is a radiography of the joints, their ultrasound, MRI, a general blood test, etc. Diagnosis is preferably carried out in the early stages of the disease in order to begin treatment as soon as possible.
How to cure rheumatoid arthritis?
Most likely, he will have to be treated throughout his life. For this, you will need medicines, trips to treated physical education and physiotherapy, and in some cases even surgical intervention. If the disease is detected at an early stage, then active treatment can delay the destruction of joints for a long time.
What medicines should I take if you have rheumatoid arthritis?
Treatment may include taking:
- immunosuppressive drugs, which include - azothioprine, mercaptopurine, methotrexate, infliximab, leflunomide and levamisole. They have a lot of side effects and therefore it is necessary to take a urine and blood test periodically so as not to harm your health.
- non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. These are meloxicam, ibuprofen, diclofenac sodium , etc. They are quite effective, but complications can occur with the stomach and cardiovascular system.
- antimalarial drugs - sulfasalazine, hydroxychloroquine. They are taken with methotrexate in the complex. A positive effect occurs only after weeks or even months.
- corticosteroids. They have many side effects, but quickly relieve inflammation and reduce swelling of the joints.
- biological preparations. They can provoke a number of serious diseases, for example, leukemia, but at the same time they significantly help those with rheumatoid arthritis.
Surgical treatment is necessary to reduce severe pain, correction of deformed joints. Often initially applied synovectomy - removal of the joint capsule. Joint prosthetics may be required. Surgery is advisable only in the most serious cases.
Rheumatoid arthritis: physical therapy and physiotherapy
By choosing the exercises correctly and increasing the range of motion for the affected joint, you can significantly delay the loss of its functions. Physiotherapy procedures such as electrophoresis and ultrafonopharesis will not be superfluous.
In some cases, to fix in the correct position of the joint, it is worth using a special orthopedic device - an orthosis.
Methods of preventing this disease are not yet known. It is necessary to start treatment as soon as possible - and this will help, at least, to suspend its development.