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CAN YOU DIE FROM RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS(RA)?

WHAT IS RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS(RA)?

Rheumatoid Arthritis(RA) is an autoimmune disease that can cause joint pain and damage throughout your body.
It is a chronic disease marked by symptoms of inflammation and pain in the joints.
Rheumatoid Arthritis
It can also cause inflammation of organs such as the lungs, eyes, skin, and heart.
There is no cure for RA, but medications can stop the progression of the disease  and ease symptoms.

The  joint damage that RA causes usually happens on both sides of the body.
Treatment is possible when RA is diagnosed early.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

The sign and symptoms of RA come and go, depending upon the degree of inflammation.
When the body tissues are inflammed, the disease is active and when the tissue inflammation subsides the disease is inactive.

THE SIGN AND SYMPTOMS INCLUDE;

  • Fatigue
  • low grade fever
  • muscle and joint pain
  • joint tenderness
  • joint deformity
  • loss of energy
  • rheumatoid nodules
  • loss of joint function
  • limping
  • stiffness
Muscle and joint stiffness are usually seen in the morning and after periods of inactivity. This is called morning stiffness and post sedentary stiffness.
It usually inflames multiple joints and affects both sides of the body.
  • Early rheumatoid symptoms may be subtle.
  • The small joints of both the hands amd wrists are often involved.
  • The small joints of feet are also involved which can lead to painful walking specially in morning.
  • Symptoms in children with rheumatoid arthritis include limping, irritability and poor apetite.

 CAUSES AND RISK FACTORS;

The cause of rheumatoid arthritis is unknown.
It is beleived that the tendency to develop rheumatoid arthritis is genetically inherited.
Environmental factors are also seen sometimes to play some role in causing RA. Scientists have reported that smoking, tobacco, exposure to silica mineral and chronic periodontal disease increase the risk of developing RA.

COMPLICATIONS

Since it is a systematic disease, its inflammation can affect organs and areas of the body other than the joints.
  • Arthritis related inflammation of the glands of the eyes and mouth can cause dryness of these areas and is referred as Sjogren's syndrome.
  • The lung tissue itself can also become inflammed and scarred and sometimes nodules of inflammation (rheumatic nodules) develop within the lungs.
  • Rheumatoid disease can reduce the number of red blood cells and white blood cells.
  • Rheumatoid arthritis is associated with an increased risk of heart attack.
  • Nerves can become pinched in the wrists to cause carpal tunnel syndrome

DIAGNOSIS

There is no singular test for diagnosis. The diagnosis is based on clinical presentation. 
Such as;
  • Presentation of the joints involved.
  • Morning stiffness and characteristic of joint swelling.
  • Presence of blood rheumatoid factor and citrulline antibody.
  • Presence of rheumatoid nodules and radiographic changes.

TREATMENT

  • There is no known cure of RA.
  • The only goal of tretament is to reduce joint inflammation and pain, maximise joint function, prevent joint destruction and deformity.
  • Combination of medicines, rest, joint strenghthening exercises, joint protection may help.

CAN YOU DIE FROM RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS?

According to Rheumatoid arthritis support network, a person with RA may have life span that is approximately 10 or atmost 15 years shorter than average.
Yet in many cases, people with RA have the same life expectancy as people without it, when the symptoms are well controlled.
So, a person cannot die from RA, but the associated inflammation can lead to life threatening complications.

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