Monday, January 28, 2013

Rheumatoid Arthritis and Nursing Care


Rheumatoid arthritis is a horrible disease, it can strike you at any age, it is always delivering disease flare-ups and often followed by remission. It can strike numerous joints at one time which can always cause permanent deterioration and deformity.

It is a disease that always gets worse after a period of time and leads to painful swelling and permanent damage in the joints of the body particularly the wrists, feet, fingers, ankle and so on.

The injured tissues cause reddening, swelling and pain in the particular area. Apart from inflammatory joints, this disease can even hit one's internal organs such as lungs, eyes and heart. It is therefore a systemic ailment that often produces excruciating intolerable pain.

A burning pain in the joints that last for one month or more at a stretch indicates Rheumatoid Arthritis. You should take some action,however,if the pain travels to your sacroiliac joints of lower back or to the upper spine, the disease is other than this one.

Early treatment for rheumatoid arthritis is very important. for the prevention of a worse state of affairs. Some years ago, many rheumatoid arthritis patients were disabled within the first two to three years of this disease. It is a known fact that some people are more susceptible than others to the joint damage and disability associated with the disease. For this reason, not all patients require an aggressive treatment.

When the rheumatoid arthritis is moderate to severe, drugs like Trexakk, Arava, Enbrel, Humira, Remicade and Rheumatrex may be prescribed. when Stronger, newer drugs, such as Orencia and Rituxan are needed to patients who don't respond well to the above drugs.

A very important thing is taking a healthier approach towards your lifestyle which will also ease the effects of rheumatoid arthritis. This includes losing weight and not smoking, as well as eating a balanced diet filled with fruits, vegetables, protein, low-fat dairy, vitamin C and calcium.

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