Rheumatoid arthritis is one of the most common inflammatory diseases. It is more typical for women and the elderly. The reasons for its occurrence are not known exactly.
In persons suffering from this type of atrialfailure of immunity. In particular, for some incomprehensible reason, she perceives healthy tissues as foreign agents and fights against them. Affects joints (most often knees, feet, elbows, hands, fingers) and surrounding tissues.
How to recognize that you have rheumatoid arthritis?
Treatment should be prescribed to you by the doctor after the symptoms are confirmed, and it will be established that you really have this disease.
Symptoms of developing rheumatoid arthritis:
- weakness;
- fatigue;
- temperature increase;
- loss of appetite;
- inflammation of the salivary glands;
- Pain and inflammation in the joints.
Over time, joints are deformed, andstiffness in motion. The pain is 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 quite dense to the touch. Most often they appear a little 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 the radiography of joints, their ultrasound, MRI, a general blood test, etc. It is advisable to carry out the diagnosis in the early stages of the disease in order to start treatment as soon as possible.
How to cure rheumatoid arthritis?
Most likely, it will have to be treated forall life. To do this, you will need medicines, trips to physiotherapy and physical therapy, and in some cases even surgical intervention. In case the disease is detected at an early stage, active treatment can delay the destruction of joints for a long time.
What medications should you take if you have rheumatoid arthritis?
Treatment may include taking:
- immunosuppressive drugs, to whichare - azothioprine, mercaptopurine, methotrexate, infliximab, leflunomide and levamisole. They have a lot of side effects and therefore it is necessary to periodically take an analysis of urine and blood 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.
- means antimalarial - sulfasalazine, hydroxychloroquine. Accepted with methotrexate in the complex. Positive effect occurs only after weeks or even months.
corticosteroids. Have many side effects, but quickly relieve inflammation and reduce swelling of the joints.
- biological preparations. They can provoke a number of serious illnesses, for example, leukemia, but at the same time help significantly those with rheumatoid arthritis.
Treatment by surgery is necessary forreduction of severe pain, correction of deformed joints. Often, synovectomy is initially used - removal of the joint capsule. Joint replacement may be required. Operational intervention is desirable only in the most serious cases.
Rheumatoid arthritis: physical therapy and physical therapy
Correctly picking up exercises and increasing the volumemovements for the affected joint, it is possible to significantly postpone the loss of its functions. Do not be superfluous and such procedures of physiotherapy as electrophoresis and ultraphoonphoresis.
In some cases, to fix in the correct position of the joint is to use a special orthopedic device - orthosis.
Methods of preventing this disease have not been known to date. We need to start treatment as soon as possible - and this will help, at least, to halt its development.
