Did you know? “Rheumatoid” is not just arthritis.
Joint pain in various areas such as wrist, finger, and ankle pain may no longer be normal joint pain. But it could be a warning sign of arthritis. or a disease called rheumatoid arthritis
This disease can occur in young people to the elderly. and can also affect daily life It can be severe enough to cause disability.
And what are the causes of rheumatoid arthritis? What are the symptoms and how to take care of yourself? So let’s get to know more about this disease.
Rheumatoid Arthritis
It is a disease of the joints caused by chronic inflammation of the synovial membrane. which is located at the joint of the bones When arthritis is inflamed for a long time ufabet https://ufabet999.app the joint is damaged. It can cause joint deformity and disability. Most of the patients are young. This is because this is the age when the immune system in the body works well. As a result, when the immune system has abnormalities, the body will be greatly affected.
Causes and risk factors
At present, the exact cause is not known. Studies have found that it is caused by the effects of various risk factors. To stimulate the body’s immune system to work abnormally. The risk factors include:
- Age: Rheumatoid arthritis can occur at any age. Can be found both in youth and elderly
- Gender: Women are 3 times more likely than men to have it.
- Genetics: If a parent has rheumatoid arthritis This will result in children being at higher risk of disease than the general population.
- Obesity: People who are overweight or obese. There is a greater chance of developing rheumatoid arthritis than the general population.
- Environmental factors Exposure to certain chemicals Causes rheumatoid arthritis, such as asbestos and silica.
- Smoking in addition to increasing the risk of disease. It can also increase the severity of the disease to be more serious than before.
Symptoms of the disease
Rheumatoid arthritis is characterized by slow pain. It may last for weeks or months. Feeling tired and fatigued Including weight loss and a mild fever. Other common symptoms of the disease include:
- There is pain, swelling, redness, warmth, and stiffness in the joints. They occur all at the same time in the body, such as the wrists, elbows, feet, ankles, knees, and neck.
- Joint stiffness It may occur after the body has not moved, such as when waking up in the morning. or sit for a long time
- Rheumatoid button It will be a soft button. That usually occurs in areas where there is frequent friction, such as the elbows, knuckles, and spine.
treatment
There is no cure for rheumatoid arthritis. But the symptoms will be alleviated so that the patient can live their daily life as normally as possible. This can be done by
- Medication consists of oral or injectable medicines for specific treatment to reduce inflammation. and medicines to help relieve symptoms such as painkillers or steroids to help prevent the patient from suffering pain.
- Surgery for cases where the joint has already been damaged a lot. Joint repair or replacement surgery helps the joint function better. reduce pain
- Physical therapy includes exercises to keep joints flexible.
Protection
Currently, rheumatoid arthritis cannot be prevented. Because the exact cause of the disease is still unknown. What you can do is Get diagnosed immediately if you feel unusual joint pain. If patients receive treatment from the beginning, they have an easier chance of stopping the disease and are less likely to have joint disability. For patient care includes:
- See a specialist doctor at every appointment. To follow up on treatment results and side effects of drug use.
- Joint exercises to restore joint and body function.
- Avoid lifting heavy objects, jumping, squatting, sitting cross-legged, and squatting because these are behaviors that risk damaging your joints.
- Control your weight so that it doesn’t exceed the limit. To reduce the weight of the knees and ankles
- Eat foods that contain calcium, vitamin D and vitamin C to nourish tissues and bones.
- When there is pain In addition to taking pain relief medicine Cold compresses may be used 3-4 times a day, 20 minutes each time.