6 Early Signs of Rheumatoid Arthritis You May not know

Rheumatoid arthritis is a serious condition affecting a lot of people in the world today and causing joint pain. This conditions comes about when the body sees its own cells as foreign material in the body and thus attacks the body’s own cells around the joints. This causes a lot of pain around the joints and if not dealt with promptly, this disease causes a lot of joint pain and affect quality of life while limiting life expectancy. One of the things to note about rheumatoid arthritis is that it strikes at any age and can cause a lot of pain if not adequately dealt with. To adequately deal with the disease, it is important to note some signs and symptoms of joint pain which point to rheumatoid arthritis to get the best quality of life.

One of the most common signs and symptoms of joint pain which is caused by rheumatoid arthritis is one or more fingers which are swollen at the knuckles. This is mainly seen at the middle of the knuckles of the hands. This is most commonly seen in both hands. The swelling is tender and soft as opposed to being bony in nature. It is also common to feel a warmth being emanated from the joint which has reddened.

The other common symptom of rheumatoid arthritis is swollen knuckles which have been so for the last six weeks or more without any clear reason why the swelling is occurring. In some people, there is pain in the knuckles without any swelling and there is no clear explanation why the swelling has come about. In some people, large joints may be involved such as the knee joint, ankles, elbows and shoulders but there is swelling and joint pain in at least two of the said joints.

Feet are also a common target of rheumatoid arthritis and more so the base of the feet.  Many people with rheumatoid arthritis complain that they feel as if they are walking on small balls under the foot, especially early in the morning when one gets out of bed.

Another common signs and symptoms of joint pain is that you may notice bumps on the elbows. There is also a general body illness with most people complaining of feeling under the weather. There have been cases where flu-like symptoms have been recorded as well as low-grade fevers. Nodules forming under the skin is also one of the common signs and symptoms of joint pain caused by rheumatoid arthritis. These nodules are referred to as rheumatoid nodules.

In rheumatoid arthritis, there is also a common feeling of joints being stiff for well over an hour, especially in the morning. It is also hard for people with rheumatoid arthritis to make a fist. There is also some tenderness recorded at the top of the fist. In the case where elbows are involved, it is quite painful to have them outstretched. It is important to note that if the hip joints are painful, then this should be as a result of osteoarthritis and not rheumatoid arthritis. This is reported as pain in the hip or the groin area.

When the various signs and symptoms have been looked at to gauge whether it’s a case of rheumatoid arthritis, the only confirmatory way of gauging and getting the desired joint pain relief is through a blood test. This is the surest way of knowing the specific arthritis case you suffer from. This is done through a lab test which will have been ordered by your own medical practitioner after ascertaining the aforementioned issued listed previously.

For one to enjoy joint pain relief, there are various tests that are carried out for an effective rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis. These include the measurement of rheumatoid factors in blood and another for testing inflammation. If rheumatoid factors and inflammation factors are seen in the blood, then a case of rheumatoid arthritis is confirmed.

When a confirmation of rheumatoid arthritis is done, it is advisable that you sit down with them and have a candid talk about the treatment options, their side effects and how best to lead a normal life with the condition.  As always, the earlier a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis is done, the better it is as it allows for quick resolution. If too much time is taken before the diagnosis, permanent joint damage can occur. Though rheumatoid arthritis does not have a cure as yet, it is quite important to make use of the available medication to stop the spread of the condition and manage the pain and damage the disease may have caused.

References

https://medium.com/@daisygrace/3-powerful-drinks-to-treat-arthritis-and-joint-pain-cb5271a14c9b#.bsq67xm0w

http://www.examiner.com/article/twenty-proven-vitamins-and-minerals-that-are-effective-for-joint-pain

6 tips for traveling with Rheumatoid Arthritis

Traveling is wonderful. You get to see your friends and family or you may even be traveling to an exotic location. Although it can be extraordinary it can also be difficult. Whether you are traveling by car, plane, or train each come with a high amount of stress. You may have to deal with traffic, airport security, or the hassle of making it to your train before it departs without you. When you add dealing with arthritis traveling can be a pain. However, all hope is not lost. Even though the sign and symptoms of arthritis can vary from person to person there are some tips for traveling that are universal for arthritis. Continue reading for a few things that will help ease your journey when you are traveling.

1. Make sure you have packed all of your medication
This may sound like a no-brainer but you would be surprised at how many people leave their medication at home on accident. Much like forgetting to pack your toothbrush, it can be easy to forget your medication because you get so used to it being at home within your reach every day.  If you don’t have your medication with you, it will be a very uncomfortable trip. Before you start packing, you should make a checklist on a piece of paper, your tablet, or your phone. Just make sure you write down everything that you need, including your medication, and check it off as you pack it in your suitcase according to your sign and symptoms of arthritis.

2. Travel as lightly as you can
When you have arthritis packing well is a huge step to limiting the amount of discomfort that you experience on your trip. When you have arthritis any excess stress and weight that you put on your body will only serve to worsen your discomfort. You need to figure out how to cut down on the amount of things that take with you. Focus on the basic necessities first. Things that you absolutely cannot go without. After you have all of your basics down, then start adding in things that you just want in your suitcase. This will keep you from weighing down your suitcase and your body with things that you just don’t need. Plan out every outfit to the socks and the shoes that you will wear. You will be grateful for you light load when you are pulling your suitcase through the airport or train station, or when you are packing your trunk.

3. Stay hydrated
You may have heard people say that you need to make sure that you drink water in order to make up for the dry air on planes, but you should also ensure that you don’t become dehydrated because it can worsen your joint pain. When you travel you have so much going on and so many things that you are trying to juggle at once that you can easily forget to drink water. On top of that you may also be perspiring which can cause you to become dehydrated more easily.

4. Get up and move as much as you can manage
Two extremely common symptom of arthritis is stiffness and pain in the joints. Something that makes stiffness and pain more severe is stillness. If you are traveling in a car you could be sitting in the same position unable to stretch your legs out for hours at a time, especially if you are in the driver’s seat. If you are going on a road trip take frequent stops along the way at rest stops or attractions to give yourself the chance to stretch out your body. When you are on a plane or train you have a bit of flexibility and you should get up and walk around the cabin as long as it is safe for passengers to move about.

5. Don’t forget to exercise when you reach your destination
You shouldn’t forget to keep your body moving when you arrive at your destination. When you’re on vacation it can be easy to take a break from life and all of the things that you may not enjoy doing very much but staying active is a crucial part of limiting the amount of pain and discomfort that you experience from arthritis. It doesn’t matter if you don’t work out for as long as you do when you are at home. Just get some form of exercise, even if it’s just going on a walk to explore.

6. Try to travel during a less busy time
If you can travel when it isn’t so busy. Plan ahead and don’t leave things to the last minute. The less time that you spend on the road or at the airport or train station in lines the less stiff and achy you will be when you arrive at your destination.

In Conclusion
Traveling with arthritis doesn’t have to be a vexing ordeal. Take note of these easy tips before you hit the road on your next adventure!

Is it true that Women's Rheumatoid Arthritis Risk could be cut by Beer?

Yes, a new study suggested that having a beer a few times a week might help women to avoid rheumatoid arthritis pain.  Why and how just read it out to know!!!

According to the Arthritis Foundation and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) statistic that about 1.5 million Americans have rheumatoid arthritis. To this ratio women get RA 2.5 times more often than men do. The onset of RA in women is between the ages of 30 to 60 year.

Dr. Bing Lu, an assistant professor of medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston concluded that-" long-term, moderate alcohol drinking may reduce future rheumatoid arthritis development in women" in his research.

In this study, the risk of RA is reduced by 21 percent if you have few alcoholic drinks during the week, and this ratio goes to 31% if women drink moderately for example two to four beers per week.

This research is published in Arthritis & Rheumatology issue.

What they did to conclude this??

Dr. Bing Lu and his researchers tracked the drinking habits of women in two large studies-

1. The Nurses' Health Study.
2. The Nurses' Health Study II.

In The Nurses' Health Study which began in 1976 included 121,000 registered nurses and in the Nurses' Health Study II included 121,000 registered nurses and which began in 1989.  These two group data were analyzed in two factors. First after every two years that data about their health and lifestyle is collected and the second one every four years data about diet, including alcohol consumption was analyzed.

After this analysis they concluded that beer really help women to ease their RA pain! But concentrated on "Long-term moderate alcohol drinking"

Along with this studies output, Lu also said that he and his group can't explain why beer helps, but it is true. He also said that this study is only done on women not on men, thus he has no idea about the effect of beer on men.

For this his statement was-""We don't know for men, but rheumatoid arthritis is primarily a woman's disease."

This new study reminded the other researcher's studies done on this subject.

Dr. Len Horovitz, an internist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City has also said that "There is a correlation between alcohol and a reduced risk of rheumatoid arthritis over time" in his study.

Another one Dr. Daniel Arkfeld, an associate professor of clinical medicine at the Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles said that-"Prior studies have linked moderate alcohol intake with lower rheumatoid arthritis risk, but added that none had focused on beer specifically"

Dr. Daniel Arkfeld said one reason to verify this study that-"It's possible that alcohol may work to boost levels of estrogen, which is protective against rheumatoid arthritis"

Thus winding up occasional moderate beer drinking is good for you Women's!! But be in touch with your doctor.

Facts to know about joint pain

 

Your body is connected to each other and that connection is known as “joints”.  You never feel this connection until something happens in your joints. This something can be pain, swelling, inflammation when you get hurt by some accident or this can also be due to some other problems in joints such as arthritis.

 

If you suffer from these problems you are not alone in this world. It is estimated that more than 50 million Americans have arthritis or have some or the other kind of joint problem. We can classify this joint pain fact into two sections and have thing discuss with you:

Having pain in joints due to some injuries:

Injuries affect ligaments, bursae, or tendons surrounding the joint, which then leads to joint pain. Due to this internal damage to joints parts it lead to pain, inflammation, swelling and tenderness in joints. Sometimes these types of injuries make the skin color to get changed as blood is accumulated in the nearby tissues.

This type of injuries if treated well, will not again create problem in future, but if left untreated can lead to infection and internal wear and tear in joints and leads to tumors in joint.

If you have pain in your joints due to injuries, then you have to first follow the basic step of RICE.

• R- Rest: If you give proper rest to you joints, it will never again hurt to in future. Sometimes due to staining your joints the small problem to pain becomes a, life time pain.
  
• I-Ice: Try to ice you joints. Keep ice cubes in a cotton cloth and wrap it will. Then have 10-15 minutes of ice massage on your joints.
  
• C-Compress: Compress your joints.  It will help your joints to heal early.
  
• E-Elevate: This will help the swelling to get minimized.

Along with this you have to follow your doctor’s advice and take the medicines on time.

     Having pain in joints due to arthritis:

Arthritis is defined as a complex musculoskeletal disorder that leads to internal wear and tear of synovial fluid and cartilage around the joints. It is not just a disease when you get old but the fact is that every 2 person out of 10 in Americans have arthritis.

There are many types of arthritis form, but most common diseases that make up arthritis are:

•   Osteoarthritis (OA):  Called as a progressive degenerative joint disease.
  
•   Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA): Causes extreme inflammation of the membranes lining the joint.
  
•   Juvenile Arthritis (JA): Commonly found in children below the age of 16 year.

Depending upon the type of arthritis, treatment is followed. You have to first consult a doctor; he will examine you and then decide a proper treatment for you. Still the basic treatment includes:

            Medication: It helps to ease the pain and inflammation in your joints. It helps to prevent the further infection in joints. For example corticosteroids or disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs are given to RA to suppress your immune system.

            Surgery: Joints are replaced with an artificial one, but this is the last option when all the other treatment fails.

            Physical Therapy: This is the first and last line defense army of your joints. When your pain is started it’s the first thing to go with this therapy and is continued it till it can be done with ease. 

Preventing joint pain:

If you have pain, then pain can be minimized but for preventing pain you have to take care that your joints don’t get hurt.  Stay healthy and stay away from injuries. This joint pain fact is applicable for both the type of pain- Pain due to injuries or Pain due to arthritis.

 Before ending this one last point that if you have family history of arthritis then it’s wise enough to get yourself diagnosed if pains in joints are unexplainable.