Rheumatoid Arthritis is still a riddle to the researchers and physicians all over the world. It is now almost a common knowledge that Rheumatoid Arthritis is an autoimmune disease and rather than the common arthritis causes related with your bones and joints you get Rheumatoid Arthritis through the disorder taking place in the gross organic process within your body. What is autoimmune disease, what are clinical ways you get Rheumatoid Arthritis, what are the common symptoms and how people suffer from Rheumatoid Arthritis we will discuss here.
What is an autoimmune disease?
On account of introducing Rheumatoid Arthritis in its clinical detail we must understand the meaning and definition of autoimmune disease. Autoimmune disease is the disease concerning our immune system of the body. Our body is equipped with protective antibodies that react against harmful bacteria or alien viruses in the body to protect the body from disease, infection and consequent derogation and this inherent bodily process or protective mechanism is called immune system. Now if the autoimmune system suddenly begins to malfunction and attacks the healthy tissues of the body then it is called immune disorder and as this malfunction is automatic without anything to play a role in making it happen, this is called autoimmune disease. You get Rheumatoid Arthritis because of this autoimmune disorder and this is the precise reason why this arthritis is shrouded to a great extent in mystery and myths.
How you get rid of Rheumatoid Arthritis?
As we have seen Rheumatoid Arthritis is an autoimmune disease that manifests in the joints and muscles of the body causing various arthritic symptoms and signs of pain. Still the exact clinical causes of autoimmune disorder is unknown to the scientific community of researchers, medical practitioners and therapeutics and this is why Rheumatoid Arthritis is rumored or just falsely considered as another common arthritis like Osteoarthritis that happens through the gradual withering process of the cartilage and synovial fluid of the bones. All you know about the basic clinical fact is that you get Rheumatoid Arthritis because of a larger malfunction in the body called autoimmune disorder, but how the autoimmune disorder takes shape in the body is something that scientific and medical community is silent about.
The autoimmune disorder that causes arthritic syndromes in your bones and joint functions manifests not only in arthritis but also in other disease. As we have seen in autoimmune disorder the healthy cells of the body in various parts are attacked by the defensive mechanism of the body called immune system and in this process not only the cells of the joints and muscular skeletal tissues can suffer but the disease can attack other major organs and blood vessels also. This larger process is medically referred as Rheumatism and Rheumatism that manifests in muscular skeletal tissues and causes arthritic syndromes is called Rheumatoid Arthritis.
As we have already seen the exact clinical causes and contributory factors causing Rheumatism or Rheumatoid Arthritis is still unknown, though with researches and clinical studies on immune system and its manifestation we are gradually becoming wise on that. Presently various factors are envisaged as the causes of Rheumatoid Arthritis or Rheumatism like genetic or hereditary, environmental causes and hormonal causes.
Symptoms of Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rheumatoid Arthritis unlike other common types of arthritis largely differs in manifesting painful symptoms. While in some patients the disease can rapidly built up in arthritic syndromes in joints in some it can take a long and gradual process to develop arthritic syndromes in the joints and skeletal tissues. In many cases of Rheumatoid Arthritis it has been seen that the syndromes of pain and swelling of the joints flare up for a limited period and then it automatically goes in the phase of remission with chances of again flaring up. In majority of cases Rheumatoid Arthritis is a prolonged disease of the joints that after developing arthritic syndromes continue to have painful syndromes. Thus when you get Rheumatoid Arthritis you cannot determine how it would develop and sustain with the painful syndromes.
In Rheumatoid Arthritis the common arthritic syndromes that manifests include stiffness, pain, swelling, fatigue in making body movements. When you get Rheumatoid Arthritis typically after sitting or lying in one posture you feel severe stiffness and consequent pain in making movement of the affected limb. Especially in the morning after waking up from sleep you experience this syndrome in acute shape.
Diagnosis of Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rheumatoid Arthritis is just not a bone disease or disorder of the joints like common arthritis. Naturally the diagnosis of Rheumatoid Arthritis is not done in the way just using imaging method for detecting the arthritic syndromes in the joints and muscular skeletal portions of the body. Rheumatoid Arthritis is detected with the combination of various factors, like joint pains in various locations and symmetrical relation between them, stiffness in the joints after you wake up from sleep in the morning, blood test indicating rheumatoid factor in the blood, X-ray or other medical imaging test result suggesting rheumatoid syndromes in the muscular skeletal portions or joints in the body, etc. If you get Rheumatoid Arthritis the diagnosis may take longer than usual involving complex processes and various tests some of which we will briefly see here. Another important factor that is crucial for diagnosis of Rheumatoid Arthritis is determining whether the course of the disease is benign or aggressive.
Blood test for determining the presence of the Rheumatoid Factor or RF in the blood is important in diagnosing Rheumatoid Arthritis. People who suffer from Rheumatoid Arthritis may have a greater chance of suffering from anemia. The presence of certain antibody called citric citrulline antibody is detected through a blood test called Anti-CCP test and if this antibody is found to be present then the Rheumatoid Arthritis can be more aggressive. In Rheumatoid Arthritis or in other forms of autoimmune disorder there can be a positive presence of anti nuclear antibody which is determined through Anti-Nuclear Antibody test or ANA test.
Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis
Before entering into the discussion regarding the treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis we must understand that when you get Rheumatoid Arthritis the causes and contributing factors are just not in your hand to readily go through a preventive measure and assured path of treatment. Why the body's protective mechanism or immune system attacks the healthy cells in various body parts including joints and muscular skeletal tissues is still a mystery and remained unknown to the scientific community and medical researchers. Naturally, the gross methods of checking the syndromes and making the process of damaging joints as slow as possible becomes the therapeutic objectives of treating Rheumatoid Arthritis.
Allopathic Drugs
The treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis from the modern medical tradition of allopathic drugs is mainly of three different types. The first one is to control the inflammation or pain with non steroidal drugs, the second one is steroidal drugs and finally the third one is taming the immune mechanism of the body. All these types of drugs have their corresponding benefits and array of side effects on the body that millions of patients suffering from Rheumatoid Arthritis have to grope with day in and day out. In this regard allopathic tradition of treatment is almost helpless to control the syndromes of the disease without making any derogatory effects in the other organs and processes of the body. How the treatment and side effects of various groups of allopathic drugs for Rheumatoid Arthritis develop let us see that in few details.
NSAID:
Non-steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs or NSAID of either ibuprofen group or naproxen group works toward reducing inflammation, pain, swelling and stiffness of the joints, but equally these drugs can exert huge derogatory side effects on the functioning of multiple organs and can cause kidney damage, heart diseases and failure, stomach irritation, metabolic disorder, etc.
Steroid:
Steroidal medicines we all know works through hormonal changes or through changes in hormonal functions to various extents and as hormones have various definitive and crucial role to play for our organic functions and whole physical process, the changes in functions whatever small it is can cause immense derogatory or harmful side effects on various organs and bodily functions. When you get Rheumatoid Arthritis continued treatment may finally take the course of steroidal treatment and can render relief from painful syndromes, stiffness and also can delay the damage of your joints to a great extent, but the irreversible side effects that you have to gulp down along with these benefits are really horrible to sound. Developing obesity syndromes to diabetes to cataract in the eyes to thinning and weakening of bones, side effects of steroidal treatment are too many.
DMARDs:
Disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs or DMARDs as they are commonly referred is drugs that are used to slow the process leading to the damage of the joints and are used in Rheumatoid Arthritis treatment to save the joints and other tissues from permanent damage. But this group of drugs too does not come without severe side effects on your body. Some of the major side effects of DMARDs include liver damage, bone marrow suspension and severe lung infection.
Immuno-suppressants:
Rheumatoid Arthritis is basically the arthritic disorder stemming from immune disease or malfunctioning of immune system that instead ofperforming its normal function of attacking the viruses and harmful bacteria attacks the healthy body cells including that of joints or muscular skeletal tissues. Now the reason behind this malfunction of immune system is not known to the medical community and consequently until now the conclusive treatment of all autoimmune diseases including Rheumatism or Rheumatoid Arthritis is out of reach of medical wisdom.
Immuno-suppressants are the group of drugs that basically deal with the immune system. These drugs cannot treat autoimmune disorder but can suppress the function or inhibit the function of immune system to a great extent so that the misdirected attacks of the immune system cannot cause inflammation or damage to the joints. Through the use of these drugs the arthritic syndromes can be managed to a great extent but like all other groups of drugs this also come with a array of harmful side effects on the organic process and the body. Through the suppression of immune process the body becomes devoid of the other functional benefits of protective force and naturally this may lead to increased level and vulnerability to infection and bacterial diseases from different sources.
TNF-Alpha Inhibitor:
Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha (TNF alpha) is a particular type of inflammatory substance produced by the body that much in the fashion of antibodies attacks the bacteria and other harmful sources of infection providing protection to the body and in Rheumatoid Arthritis this helps to increase the inflammation and swelling of the joints and other muscular skeletal parts of the body. TNF-Alpha Inhibitor is the group of drug that inhibits the function of this inflammatory substance and consequently provides relief from the pain and inflammation and other arthritic syndromes. But inhibition of this inflammatory substance in the body can lead to a wide array of side effects like serious infections and even heart failure or certain types of cancer.
When you get Rheumatoid Arthritis the priority that haunts you with the manifestation of painful syndromes virtually making the body movement and simple physical activities immensely painful and nightmarish, you are easily tempted to go through a course of treatment that provides you fast and easy relief. But Rheumatoid Arthritis is a disease that has no conclusive treatment till date, at least with administering allopathic drugs of modern medical tradition. So when you are seeking fast relief from painful syndromes it can eventually lead you to huge side effects and disastrous health consequences as mentioned earlier.
Surgery
Surgical treatment is one of the popular treatment procedures for this non-curable type of arthritis, especially for patients who are acutely suffering from the disease or for patients whose damage of joint almost going to enter an irremediable stage. Through surgeries for Rheumatoid Arthritis you can be able to make joint movement or use your joints and for a time frame it can reduce the inflammation, stiffness and pain as well. Total joint replacement and repairing a joint are the two basic options of surgery or surgical treatment for ailing joints when you get Rheumatoid Arthritis. Though surgeries or surgical treatment is a too popular option considering its grave and beneficial impact in restoring the joint function, movement and reducing painful syndromes to a great extent, even successful surgeries can only expect to see the good results continuing for a limited period of time before the Rheumatic syndromes again evolves and affects the joints. Secondly, after the repair or the replacement the joints cannot risk undertaking normal workload as it used to handle years back and no doubt that with a replaced joint you are always a few notches unfit than the rest.
Holistic Approach
Did you ever think how come the modern medical science of so gigantic enterprises and rigorous scientific researches could not just break the mystery knot of autoimmune diseases that make people suffer in so many ways, including Rheumatoid Arthritis? We know that when you get Rheumatoid Arthritis in your joint you just cannot afford such discussion for then the obvious priority is to control the pain, swelling and stiffness and after that going through regular medication that would slower the process of joint damage. But in doing so either you become vulnerable to a great array of diseases and disorders for almost all your major organs or organic functions or you just take the course of surgery that providing only a time-limited and partial solution make you physically unfit. Autoimmune disease has no answer from allopathic drugs or medication and so on either way you only become vulnerable to greater health risks.
Holistic approach of treatment is completely different from the curative prejudices of modern allopathic practice of medicines. We call the use of those drugs with wide variety of disastrous side effects prejudices because when you even do not know properly the source of the autoimmune malfunction how can you just take on the syndromes? But even not knowing the root causes of the immune disorder does not stop us from trying to find conclusive medical answer to check the pain and swelling syndromes, but whether we can do this without rendering any harmful side effects or without disturbing the other organic processes in the body that is the most crucial part of our enquiry. Holistic approach combines more than one tradition of medicinal and therapeutic traditions that without disturbing the natural organic process and function works towards the relief from arthritic syndromes and betterment of joint condition.
Several non-drug treatments like yoga, physical therapy, massage, hot oil therapy of Ayurvedic tradition on the joints, certain physical exercises, ancient process of healing through controlling the air through inhaling and exhaling exercises called Pranayama, Ayurvedic detoxification and rejuvenation of the body called Panchakarma are the various methods that according to the necessity of the case of Rheumatoid Arthritis can be applied as the process of treatment. Remember, these methods are ancient and time tested as the natural remedy for many diseases and most importantly cannot render any harmful side effects. Thus holistic approach of treatment can as well be your last and beneficial resort once you get Rheumatoid Arthritis.
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