What Causes Rheumatoid Arthritis? Discover Rheumatoid Arthritis Causes, Symptoms, and Diagnosis

Rheumatoid arthritis is a common disorder that affects more than 2 million people in the United States alone. The age at which this disorder attacks highly varies, but the majority of people who are diagnosed are between 40 and 60 years old.

If you are suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, you are well aware of how chronic it's and you probably have many questions. Let's examine what causes this form of arthritis, its early symptoms and diagnosis.

Autoimmune Disorder

In rheumatoid arthritis, the synovium (the thin membrane lining of the joints) is attacked by the body's immune system, which causes pain, inflammation, redness, swelling, and heat. It eventually destroys the joints if it is not stopped. A person who has this disease does not have a normal immune system response.

With a healthy immune system, the body is protected from foreign substances by antibodies produced by white blood cells. However, when this rheumatoid arthritis is present, the body's immune system tries to destroy healthy tissue because it identifies it as an invader.

Antibodies known as rheumatoid factor are supposed to regulate normal antibodies, but when there is a high level of rheumatoid factor, the person's immune system may not function correctly.

Rheumatoid Arthritis Causes

Although what causes rheumatoid arthritis has not been pinpointed by researchers, there are several factors to consider.

Gender and genetics are two possible causes. Women get this disease two to three times more than men. Many researchers agree that genes can be a factor, but having the genetic marker associated with rheumatoid arthritis doesn't always mean a person will get it, or that it will be passed down from parents to children.

Some doctors and researchers believe that infection can be another factor, but there is no proof of such a theory. Smoking can also play a role and might increase your risk of developing this disorder.

Rheumatoid Arthritis Early Symptoms

Symptoms you may experience include pain, tenderness and swelling in the joints, redness and puffiness in the hands, firm tissue bumps on the arms under the skin, fatigue, stiffness in the mornings lasting for hours, weight loss, and fever. Joints in wrists, hands, feet, and ankles tend to be affected before shoulders, elbows, hips, knees, jaw, and neck.

Symptoms may come and go, but it is time to see a doctor when swelling and pain persists in multiple joints on both sides of your body. While this disease primarily affects the joints and surrounding tissue, it can affect the lungs. Call your doctor right away if you have unexplained difficulty breathing.

The eyes can also be affected by this disease. If you have this disorder and begin to have eye pain, changes in vision or other problems with your eyes, consult an ophthalmologist. Getting treatment early can help prevent complications that might threaten your vision.

Rheumatoid Arthritis Diagnosis

The diagnosing process involves charting one's medical history, examination of the affected joints to assess the extent of damage in terms of inflammation, functionality, and deformity.

Doctors frequently request a test to measure rheumatoid factor when attempting a diagnosis. This diagnosis can be tricky because a person can have a negative rheumatoid factor test but still have rheumatoid arthritis. Another person may test positive on the rheumatoid factor but not have it.

Doctors may also request x-rays and/or blood tests for further testing. Further recommendation to a rheumatologist (a physician that specializes in the treatment of arthritis and other related rheumatoid diseases) may be made to make a more conclusive diagnosis.

Wrist Arthritis - What Could it Be?

Arthritis of the wrist may not sound like a big deal... until you need to open a door, type on your computer, or shake hands. Then you realize how much a role your wrist plays in these simple activities.

The wrist is like many other joints. It's enclosed in a synovial membrane. It consists of the ends of the radius and ulna- two long bones- that articulate with a row of eight carpal bones. The carpal bones in the wrist also articulate with the metacarpal bones of the hand. The entire wrist complex is stabilized by tendons and ligaments and encased in a synovial membrane.

When arthritis develops, the wrist complex is affected by inflammation of the synovial membrane as well as by any other problem that causes the cartilage that surrounds all the bones in the wrist to wear away.

While wrist pain may occur as the first sign of a problem, the inability to perform simple activities of daily living follows shortly.

The pain may be dull initially but then becomes sharper and more constant.

Grip strength diminishes. Inflammation progresses, then there may be pressure on the other structures that pass through the wrist such as the median nerve. This leads to carpal tunnel syndrome.

The treatment of wrist arthritis is dependent on the cause. Forms of arthritis that commonly affect the wrist include rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, gout, and pseudogout. When inflammatory forms of arthritis affect the wrist, there is wearing away of cartilage as well as damage to the supporting structures. Wearing away of the cartilage leads to misalignment and deformity as well as wrist dysfunction. Swelling and fluid accumulation may occur.

When wrist arthritis occurs, there is a benefit in that wrist involvement by arthritis generally is often a tip off to diagnosis. For instance, rheumatoid arthritis is one of the more common forms of arthritis that affect the wrist. By allowing an earlier diagnosis, early intervention can lead to remission.

Physical therapy and specific exercise may be beneficial as are splinting and anti-inflammatory medicines. Sometimes, injection with glucocorticoids may be necessary.

In advanced cases, surgery may be necessary. Surgical procedures include excision arthroplasty where the end of the ulna bone is removed. This often helps with some forms of arthritis since it allows more freedom of movement.

Joint fusion and joint replacement may be called for in extreme cases. Wrist replacement currently lasts about ten to fifteen years depending on the amount of activity.

Rheumatoid Arthritis - What Triggers Rheumatoid Arthritis?

One of the most prevalent types of arthritis afflicting people of different races and of any age is Rheumatoid Arthritis.

The disease appears earlier than osteoarthritis at anytime of a persons life from infancy to old age but it usually upsets people in their 20's to 40's. Women are more prone to acquire the disease than men although this is evened out when the men reach their 50's.

The most familiar place for this kind of arthritis is in the foot, hands, wrists and lastly the ankles. But most cases are found in the foot where more joints are put under a lot of pressure. As a joint disease, it is also symmetrical in which it affects both joints of the body involved.

An acute illness accompanied by high fever with intense inflammation of the joints could mark the start of a rheumatoid arthritis. But the cause of the disease is unknown and its existence among children known as Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis has been dubbed as a mystery.

Several views have been provided to explain the occurrence of the disease. One such view postulates that the body's antibodies, produced to fight against infection, actually attack the joints which results in swelling and redness. The cartilage and bone may eventually be damaged as the inflammation spreads to the tissues around the joint.

The study of genetics has found a certain chemical marker among those positive with rheumatoid arthritis leading to the belief that a virus or a bacteria actually triggers its development. Some say that sudden and traumatic injuries like ankle sprains would eventually have the affected joints to be vulnerable to the disease in the future. Symptoms may also develop through severe stress, obesity that aggravates most arthritic conditions and bowel disorders like colitis.

Treatment for the disease does not include its cure as there is no existing cure for it. But treatments are available to relieve pain and discomfort. Drug therapies are available to control the spread of the disease which in its severe form could affect other parts of the body. Aspirin and ibuprofen as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs may be used.

Cortisone shots or steroid injections may also be helpful to relieve intense pain. Drugs known as DMADs are also available if NSAIDs does not work. Surgery is sometimes the last resort if all the other traditional means are ineffective to ease the pain and the progression of the disease.

Among children, the disease is outgrown while older people get stuck with it for a long time. Children are afflicted around 5 to 16 years old where diagnosis is quite difficult because they could easily find ways to ignore the pain. Even if they do get treated for the disease or the disease may go away, the chances that it will come back in later years is high. Its treatment is different from that of the adult rheumatoid arthritis especially on its drug medications.

Children or adults afflicted with the disease are encouraged to do exercise to strengthen their bones and help them move but it should be guided by a therapist. Proper treatment of the disease and any other alternative plan of action after the diagnosis should be discussed with your doctor.

Osteoporosis Symptoms and Treatment

One of the dangers of recognizing the symptoms of osteoporosis is that this disease can go undetected for years before any tangible signs are detected.

The gradual onset of osteoporosis will mean that while the bones are slowly being weakened, it's not until something slightly out of the ordinary may occur to your health, that people may explore the possibility that they may have this bone crippling disease.

Signs to look out for:

• Dull pains around the muscles or bones especially in the lower back.


• Gradual loss of height or a slight stoop and change in posture.


• Early stages of the menopause.


• Taking corticosteroids over long period of time.


• An innocuous bone fracture.


• Family history.

If you feel that any of these signs are applicable to you then you should contact your local doctor.

There are two types of osteoporosis, type I and type II:

Type I is much more prevalent in women and often occurs after the menopause as the bones resorption increases - i.e they lose their substance and symptoms tend to occur from the age of 50 upwards with a loss of strength in the spine and wrists.

Type II is more common after 70 and effects women more than men although less so than type I, and is typically the result of the decline in the bones outer hard shell and the spongy tissue inside.

The most likely place type II osteoporosis will develop is in the spine, neck, wrist, hand, hip or foot, where fractures that occur at a young age without detection like a stress fracture in the foot from stepping of a bus or bruising your hip from a fall in the snow - injuries we take to be part and parcel of everyday life - are often the precursor for this ailment.

Symptoms of Osteoporosis:

When you've been diagnosed with this disease, depending on where it's present in your body, the symptoms and treatment will vary.

Osteoporosis Back & Neck Symptoms:

Dull pains may lead to sudden sharp jolts of pain in the lower back or neck as it spreads, lasting from only a few days to a few months.

Spinal osteoporosis will often lead to "dowager's hump" - a stoop. This curvature of the spine is due to the compression placed on the vertebrae and is slightly more common in women.

Osteoporosis Foot Symptoms:

When it occurs in the foot, the patient often finds the pain hard to locate as this disease can radiate quite fast at times, where most of the bones in the foot become slowly demineralized, which can cause multiple arthritic pain in the joints.

Unfortunately when this occurs, to date it's irreversible as the lattice network of the bones has become completely eroded, so treating the symptoms as opposed to instructing remission is the only option. Wearing good arched thick comfy soles with tight laces will help as a practical measure.

Osteoporosis Hip Symptoms:

Until you fracture your hip they may be few if any signs or symptoms except slight aches in the joint. Once the disease is in advanced stages then deformity of the spine, back ache and stooping are common.

Not all osteoporosis of the hip is the same though. Transient osteoporosis of the hip occurs in middle-aged women and men and is normally brought on by obesity, but it is treatable and normally only lasts 6 months to a year.

Osteoporosis Hand and Wrist Symptoms:

Once again it's the lack of bone density that should be the tale-tale signs as to whether this disease is beginning to radiate through the hand, where movement of joints in the wrist and fingers are hindered and often painful on colder days.

It's not too common for this disease to become too degenerative in the fingers, but symptoms may include dislocating your thumb or fracturing a finger. It's damage to the wrist which is more disabling.

* With regards to all forms of osteoporosis, getting a bone density test is the easiest way to assess how bad the disease is.

Below you will find what doctors in the West will and won't prescribe to treat the symptoms of osteoporosis, but your own research should be the judge of this.

Treatment of Osteoporosis:

1. Take 800 units of vitamin D per day.


2. A rich calcium daily intake if your on a high acid diet, although there is much debate today as to whether this might contribute to the spread of the disease and that it has little effect on rebuilding the bone.


3. Rich vitamin K intake through diet and supplements.


4. Magnesium supplements.


5. Change from a high acid diet to a high alkaline one which include foods like boc choy, broccoli and romaine lettuce.


6. Stop, dramatically curb drinking and smoking habits.


7. Natural joint supplements that include omega 3, 6, 9 proteins plus additional anti-inflammatory ingredients like tongkat ali and reishi.


8. HRT's: Now this is considered a highly controversial treatment. Undergo estrogen therapy, or hormone replacement therapy at your own peril as the risks to your health are high.


9. Natural progesterone: As opposed to HRT's which don't build the bone but just slow the rate of the diseases progression, natural progesterone is argued to increase your bones strength and density by stimulating the osteoblasts, cells which build bone.


10. Exercise is key - period, especially swimming, yoga and low impact sports.

Bottom line:

What doctors will often not recommend are magnesium supplements, however in the Journal of Nutritional Medicine, 1991; 2:165-178, women who took these for 9 months were able to increase their bone density by some 11%, something calcium has not been medically proven to do.

Take for example cows. How do cows grow such large strong bones to support their frame when all they eat is grass each day?

High in magnesium which is the chlorophyll of the plant and low in calcium, you put that fact up against the dietary culture of Eskimos, who consume 2000 mg on average of calcium a day, but hold the record for the highest hip fracture rate among a community globally, it would suggest that even today what doctors in the West offer as the mandatory supplemental treatment for osteoporosis is somewhat questionable.

Yes, calcium supplements are beneficial if you consume a high acid diet as this is known to strip the calcium from the bones to counter the acid content, but there's little proof that calcium instructs remission and helps rebuild the bone, rather it just most likely dampens the damage your diet is inflicting.

Either way, the above recommendations should have some if not a marked impact on dulling the joint and muscle pain and restoring fluidity to movement, while potentially repairing damage to the bone.

However if it's the arthritis and joint pain from the osteoporosis that you want relief from, then fortunately unlike the disease itself, there are supplements that can treat this.

Problems With Yeast Infections and Lupus Or Psoriatic Arthritis - Stay From Sugary Foods

Someone I know always had problems with yeast infections (and she has lupus). Now, she is perimenopausal and all the hot flashes, night sweats, and mood swings are awful. Her gynecologist prescribed the estrogen patch and she has the worst yeast infection she has ever had. She was prescribed diflucan, and it still isn't gone completely. She knows about the bad foods, probiotics, and helpful herbs and she has been doing everything she can to get this under control. Insomnia and lupus is difficult to deal with on a daily basis, but this infection is not tolerable at all.

My sibling has psoriatic arthritis, which is very similar to lupus. But, doctors have told me that almost all people with chronic diseases have high candida and bacteria levels. They also said that we mostly all have hyperventilation problems, too. It means that we do not breathe correctly and get dizzy very quickly when exercising. We are supposed to breathe from our stomach instead from our chest, but that is another story anyway.

He has tried these anti-candida herbs/supplements for several years, which doesn't seem to really help but only make my symptoms worse. You are probably just like him. If you eat a lot of sugary foods, you feel so severely tired. He feels drunk and so tired whenever he consumes too much yeast, sugar, or carbs. He also talks loud like a drunk.

The things that work for him are: staying away from sugary foods, eating less, and eating more vegetables. If you stick with that, then you will have enough energy to do your things. It is very hard to resist eating those yummy tasting foods that bad for us sometimes, but you got to try to stick with it. We also have a liver that is working overtime to try to cleanse our body. Our immune system disorder puts more stress on the liver, so eating the dark leafy vegetables helps to clean out the liver better and give you more energy. Eating good foods and eating less is very important for us.

The Benefits of Aloe in Pain Relief For Arthritis

Although arthritis won't really kill you, it can literally cripple you. Arthritis causes a lot of limitations and cuts back even the most undemanding activities such as bathing, walking or dressing up. Because of intense pain in the joints, arthritis can be quite debilitating. Added to that, it's also a recurring disease.

Arthritis affects many thousands of people every year and statistics show that one in every three adults over 40 suffer or will suffer from arthritis as they age. Arthritis has no specified age or gender parameter since arthritis can develop even in infants, but most sufferers begin to experience symptoms when they near their fifties, with more than 50% occurring before the age of 65. The sad thing about arthritis is that it can be debilitating both to the body and to one's finances. It is estimated that arthritis can cost a single person a whopping $150,000 in medical or support treatment and lost wages during his or her lifetime.

The two most common types of arthritis that afflict the greater percentage of the population are Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis. Osteoarthritis is a condition that results from normal wear and tear of the knees, hips, or ankles since they bear much of the weight in the body. Arthritis also invades the shoulders and other highly mobile joints in the cervical and lumbar spinal regions. Like grease on joints and gears in a mechanical structure, synovial fluid maintains lubrication and ease of movement within our joints. It is also responsible for the overall health of the cartilage surrounding the bone interface. Synovial fluid inevitably shrinks with age and cartilage undergoes wear and tear with heavy use, eventually causing the bones to grind against each other. This grinding action is what causes arthritis pain and the difficulty in movements.

Rheumatoid Arthritis on the other hand is a condition brought about by the assault of anti-bodies on the synovial lining of the joints. Although these anti-bodies are produced by our own immune system, genetics, certain infections or environmental factors can trigger immune system upsets and cause destruction of the synovial membrane and the cartilage. Inflammatory conditions such as swelling, stiffness and pain manifest as a result of this. Rheumatoid Arthritis affects any age group, and this type of immunologically induced arthritis is also prevalent in other systemic illnesses such as Lupus and Scleroderma.

Symptoms of arthritis are not permanent - the disease is said to be active when inflammation is present and that period is known as a "flare". When the symptoms go away, it is said that the disease is "in remission". Remission can be accomplished through treatment or may occur spontaneously and may last for months or even years.

Conventional treatments for arthritis include the use of anti-inflammatory drugs and steroids to relieve its painful effects. Typically, these come in the form of cortisone injections or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or what is commonly known as NSAIDs. These types of treatment bring pain relief, unfortunately they don't repair the damaged tissues - hence relief is said to be merely symptomatic.

NSAIDs and steroids are also known to produce adverse effects. Most prominent of these are osteoporosis and some thinning of the skin. NSAIDs are also observed to increase the incidence of stomach ulcers.

No cure for arthritis has been discovered yet, but there is growing evidence that tissue repair and replacement can delay disease progression. In fact, this has been the focus of controversial stem cell replacement studies over the years. Whether or not stem cell replacement will eventually emerge as the cure for arthritis, it is a welcome relief to know that natural substances are available to relieve arthritis pain and discomfort, and slow progression of the disease - without the side effects.

One of the best known natural substances for its anti-inflammatory properties is Aloe Vera. Aloe generally provides analgesic relief and it has demonstrated positive results at immune system stimulation to speed up cell replacement and growth. Aloe Vera contains basic sugars which are also found in every cell of the body - it is rich in nutrients that include vitamins E, C, and the B series, as well as iron, manganese, calcium and zinc. Aloe Vera also contains essential amino and fatty acids needed by the body.

Possibly more than its nutritional benefits is the ability of Aloe Vera to help the body regenerate cells and repair damaged tissue. A breakthrough formulation combines aloe with glucosamine and chondroitin, two joint supplements that are building blocks of cartilage found within joints. Glucosamine increases fluid maintenance in the cartilage, while chondroitin, an ingredient of cartilage tissue, takes charge of drawing in fluids and nutrients. As we age, the body's capacity to produce these natural elements of healthy cartilage is diminished, thus leading to painful joint conditions. Combined with Aloe Vera which aids in tissue repair and cell regeneration, natural relief for arthritis without the side effects may simply be found in a glass of naturally occurring substances!

Natural Remedies For Psoriatic Arthritis

Around 2% of Caucasians in the United States fall victim to this skin disease. Psoriasis causes skin to become red and scaly and although it can affect any part of the body, it usually seeks out the elbows, knees and scalp. In Europe, some people go to the famous Dead Sea in Israel to find relief. Psoriatic arthritis develops in people that have psoriasis and the ratio is about 2%. The symptoms of this particular form of arthritis are similar to that of rheumatoid arthritis. Most people come down with this disease between the ages of 35 to 45, but of course, there are exceptions.

This form of arthritis is usually caused by psoriatic lesions, which are typical of psoriasis sufferers. These lesions keep re-surfacing once the arthritis has started. For more clarity, think about certain body parts: if you have psoriasis in your nails, for example, you could develop the arthritis in your hand. So basically, this form of arthritis is usually found near a body part affected near where the skin has broken out. On the good side, the flare-ups are usually mild and are not regular.

Although, this is certainly a serious condition, treatments are many and varied. Often doctors recommend certain medications with success. On the other hand, others turn to natural therapies to get pain relief.

If you want to look at natural therapies, then a trip to your local health store might be a good idea. Usually they are very helpful and can give good advice. Another idea would be to visit a naturopath who specializes in arthritis. You can also do research yourself - on the problem to understand it further and also to seek out information about natural remedies.

One of the main remedies you can take is Omega 3 fatty acids as they can really help calm down your symptoms and relieve pain as well as slow down damage to the joints.

Other possibilities include borage, evening primrose, tumeric curcumin and bromelain.

All these can be obtained in supplement form so they are easy to ingest. As with any form of the disease, diet is important as certain foods can trigger outbreaks.

Also, it is important to talk to your doctor to obtain his views. Psoriatic arthritis sufferers do have a lot of options to help alleviate their pain.