Rheumatoid Arthritis - Rheumatoid Arthritis Symptoms - Rheumatoid Arthritis Treatment

Welcome to @PhysioMedics. In this animation video tutorial, we are going to discuss rheumatoid arthritis.

What is rheumatoid arthritis (RA)?
Rheumatoid arthritis, or RA, is an autoimmune and inflammatory disease, which means that your immune system attacks healthy cells in your body by mistake, causing inflammation (painful swelling) in the affected parts of the body.

RA disease mainly attacks the joints, usually many joints at once. RA commonly affects joints in the hands, wrists, and knees. In a joint with RA, the lining of the joint becomes inflamed, causing damage to joint tissue. This tissue damage can cause long-lasting or chronic pain, unsteadiness (lack of balance), and deformity (misshapenness).
RA flare up can also affect other tissues throughout the body and cause problems in organs such as the lungs, heart, and eyes.

Rheumatoid Arthritis Symptoms:
Signs and symptoms of RA include:

Pain or aching in more than one joint
Stiffness in more than one joint
Tenderness and swelling in more than one joint
The same symptoms on both sides of the body (such as in both hands or both knees)
Weight loss
Fever
Fatigue or tiredness
Weakness

Rheumatoid Arthritis Causes:
RA is the result of an immune response in which the body’s immune system attacks its own healthy cells. The specific causes of RA are unknown, but some factors can increase the risk of developing the disease.

Rheumatoid Arthritis Diagnosis:
RA is diagnosed by reviewing symptoms, conducting a physical examination, and doing X-rays and lab tests. It’s best to diagnose RA early—within 6 months of the onset of symptoms—so that people with the disease can begin treatment to slow or stop disease progression (for example, damage to joints). RA Diagnosis and effective RA treatment, particularly treatment to suppress or control inflammation, can help reduce the damaging effects of RA. Rheumatoid factor (RA Factor) is a blood test that measures the amount of the RF antibody in the blood

Rheumatoid Arthritis Treatment:
RA can be effectively treated and managed with medication(s) and self-management strategies. Treatment for RA usually includes the use of medications that slow disease and prevent joint deformity, called disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs); biological response modifiers (biologicals) are medications that are an effective second-line treatment. In addition to medications, people can manage their RA with self-management strategies proven to reduce pain and disability, allowing them to pursue the activities important to them.