What is Rheumatoid Arthritis?

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disorder that can affect more than just your joints.

In some people, the condition can damage a wide variety of body systems, including the skin, eyes, lungs, heart and blood vessels.

What are the signs and symptoms of Rheumatoid Arthritis?

Early rheumatoid arthritis tends to affect your smaller joints first — particularly the joints that attach your fingers to your hands and your toes to your feet.

The possible signs that may help you out are:

• Tender, warm, swollen joints
• Joint stiffness that is usually worse in the mornings and after inactivity
• Fatigue
• Fever
• Loss of appetite

Immediately contact your doctor if you notice any such signs.

What are the causes of Rheumatoid Arthritis?

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease. Normally, your immune system helps protect your body from infection and disease. In rheumatoid arthritis, your immune system attacks healthy tissue in your joints. It can also cause medical problems with your heart, lungs, nerves, eyes and skin.

Doctors don't know what starts this process, although a genetic component appears likely. While your genes don't actually cause rheumatoid arthritis, they can make you more likely to react to environmental factors — such as infection with certain viruses and bacteria — that may trigger the disease.

Certain chronic conditions also may increase your risk of Rheumatoid Arthritis, including diabetes and heart disease.

Diagnosis of Rheumatoid Arthritis

To diagnose diabetes, your doctor will review your personal and family medical history, perform a thorough physical evaluation.

Some tests that are normally done are as:

• erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR, also known as sed rate)
• C-reactive protein (CRP) level, which may indicate the presence of an inflammatory process in the body.
• rheumatoid factor

What are the complications of Rheumatoid Arthritis?

A few of the comorbidities you may face with rheumatoid arthritis are:

• Left untreated, rheumatoid arthritis may lead to Heart Problems,lung diseae,infection .Tell your doctor if your signs and symptoms aren't improving despite treatment for Rheumatoid arthritis.

Prevention of Rheumatoid Arthritis

Preventing and treating illnesses that can become the risk factor for Rheumatoid arthritis is the best way to curb out it's complications. Make sure to change a few of your lifestyle habits and do regular physical exercise (not intense one). Talk to your doctor and take the help of a dietician who can suggest a decent diet to avert Rheumatoid arthritis. A diet is a healthy component of Rheumatoid Arthritis treatment in Ayurveda!