By: Natasha Archary
Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a chronic auto-immune disease that affects the joints. Basically, the condition means a patient’s immune system is attacking healthy cells in the body which causes painful swelling or inflammation.
Usually affecting multiple joints at once.
The assumption is that arthritis is a condition that only affects old people. However, RA is one of those illnesses that does not discriminate and people as 25-years old are diagnosed with the condition.
While there is no cure for RA, the condition can be managed so sufferers can lead a relatively pain-free life. A number of celebrities live with RA including Paula Abdul, Kathleen Turner and golfer Kristy McPherson.
Rheumatoid Arthritis vs Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis is a degenerative condition that is often the result of wear and tear of joint cartilage over time. Osteoarthritis is a gradual condition that often affects people from the age of 45-years.
RA is a lot more aggressive and can affect people from the ages of 30-60 years, however children can also be vulnerable to it. In fact, children born to mothers with the condition are at greater risk of RA.
Signs and symptoms
There are early warning signs to watch for with RA and it’s easy to confuse the symptoms with over exertion, a sprain, plain old fashioned fatigue or flu.
- Fever
- Fatigue
- Swelling
- Morning stiffness
- Joint pain
- Decrease in range of motion
- Dry mouth/ thirsty all the time
- Dry eyes
- Loss of appetite/ weight loss
- Numbness or tingly sensation on the hands and feet
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Diagnosis and treatment
You will need to do a full blood count to test for RA or any other forms of arthritis before you’re correctly diagnosed. It falls into the same category as Lupus. Life insurances do cover the illness under the life-threatening illness banner.
Once diagnosed, you will be referred to a rheumatologist. You regular family doctor will not be able to manage your condition as efficiently as a specialist.
After an assessment of how mild or severe your condition is, your doctor will prescribe you a three or six month course of treatment. Regular anti-inflammatories will not be as effective and you will need something like Coxflam and a supplementary steroid like Prednisone to bring down swelling and improve mobility of joints.
In order to treat RA, low-grade chemotherapy medication will be required. The most commonly used form of treatment for RA in South Africa is Methotrexate.
Mild though it is, there are a number of side-effects from the drug which includes, nauseas, liver and kidney conditions and it may affect your chances of conceiving a baby and carrying to term.
What is it like living with RA?
Painful. There will be days when you feel like you can run a marathon and are as fit as a fiddle. Then there are days when the RA flares leave you feeling like an un-oiled tin-man.
Moving feels impossible and you will need to invest in some wrist, ankle and knee braces to stabilise the most commonly affected areas.
The toughest part about being diagnosed with a chronic condition is coming to terms with a lifetime of medication. It is advisable to get screened for Rheumatoid Arthritis if you have really painful or swollen joints that did not occur from injury.
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