Around 1.5 million Americans have rheumatoid arthritis (RA), according to Arthritis Foundation. It can cause you to experience joint pain and stiffness, fatigue, and inflammation. If not treated with medications immediately, this disease can make it difficult for you to move freely and comfortably and hinder you from accomplishing some of your simple everyday tasks. Over time, it can affect your quality of life.
What Is Rheumatoid Arthritis?
Rheumatoid arthritis is a progressive and disabling autoimmune disease that causes your joints and other body organs to swell and hurt. This condition is common among individuals between the ages of 30 and 60, and this also affects women more than men.
To delay the progression and alleviate the symptoms of RA, doctors prescribe disease-modifying medications. They can also suggest supplementing these medicines with an improved lifestyle, such as eating healthily, getting enough rest, and staying in shape.
What Are the Effects of Rheumatoid Arthritis?
Immune system
Your immune system protects your body against germs, bacteria, viruses, and toxins that cause diseases. It produces antibodies to attack foreign invaders.
A chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease develops when your immune system mistakes your healthy joints and tissues for foreign bodies. It then leads to intermittent or chronic inflammation throughout your body.
Skeletal system
If you developed RA, the first symptom that you are more likely to experience is having inflamed, painful, and stiff hands and feet. Eventually, the tenderness and swelling, as well as tingling or burning sensations in your joints, may spread across your body. While symptoms can come and go, you may be in more pain most especially in the morning for at least 30 minutes or more for at least six weeks.
As your RA progresses, your muscles, tendons, and ligaments deteriorate. Your cartilage and bones get weakened and damaged, and your joints can get deformed, resulting in a limited range of motion. You may develop bunions, hammertoes, and claw toes. In addition, you are at a greater risk of developing carpal tunnel syndrome and osteoporosis.
In short, this disease will make it difficult for you to move properly, causing you major discomfort and difficulty in completing your daily activities that could affect your overall quality of life. To slow down the progression of RA, make sure to consult a doctor and seek better healthcare as soon as you experience the first signs of the disease.
Respiratory system
Aside from affecting your immune and skeletal systems, RA can also damage your respiratory system. It can lead to coughing, chest pains, and shortness of breath. That is because you are more susceptible to having inflamed lung linings, damaged lung tissues, and other respiratory illnesses.
Conclusion
Rheumatoid Arthritis is a disease that not only causes you swelling and pain in your joints but also impacts your ability to move and the way you live in general. If you happen to experience the symptoms mentioned above, don’t hesitate to seek medical attention right away. Doing so will slow down the progression of RA and treat its symptoms.
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