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Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is an Autoimmune disease. It is a chronic, systemic inflammatory disorder that may affect many tissues and organs, but mainly affects the joints.
697 Questions
What are the side effects associated with using dong quai?
Considered safe as used in traditional Chinese medicine. May cause minor gastric upset, increased sensitivity to sunlight. Studies find that the herb may stimulate breast cancer, yet suppress growth of prostate cancer.
What are the side effects associated with using boswellia?
Appears to be well tolerated. In rare cases it can cause diarrhea, nausea, and skin rash.
Can rheumatoid arthritis be transmitted by saliva and kissing?
No Ra is an Autoimmune disease and it is not contagious. It is usually passed on genetically.
What is the procedure of an MRI on the legs for a person with Rheumatoid Arthritis?
Go to the related link( Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)) below for more information on this subject.
What is effect when erythrocyte sedimentation rate is increased in children?
ESR is an indicator that there is inflammation in the system some where. This inflammation can be the result of an infection or some autoimmune disorder like Rheumatoid arthritis.
When a sedimentation rate-westergren is 36 what does that mean?
The normal sedimentation rate (Westergren method) for males is 0-15 millimeters per hour, females is 0-20 millimeters per hour. The sedimentation rate can be slightly more elevated in the elderly.
When your sedimentation rate gets higher then normal it is an indication that there is a problem with inflammation somewhere in your body. This method will only tell you that there is inflammation and will not tell you what the cause f the inflammation is. In the case of Rheumatoid arthritis it is one of several tests and observations used to finally come to a diagnosis.
What does a high rheumatoid factor and high RDW CV and high PLT mean?
means a sign of inflamation level in body
Is high ANA titer an indication of disease progression in rheumatoid arthritis?
The acronym ANA stands for anti-nuclear antibody. When your doctor suspects you may have an autoimmune disorder, he or she will test for the presence of anti-nuclear antibodies in your blood.
To perform the ANA test, serum from your blood specimen is added to microscope slides which have commercially prepared cells on the slide surface.
If your serum contains antinuclear antibodies (ANA), they bind to the cells (specifically the nuclei of the cells) on the slide.
A second antibody, commercially tagged with a fluorescent dye, is added to the mix of patient's serum and commercially prepared cells on the slide. The second (fluorescent) antibody attaches to the serum antibodies and cells which have bound together. When viewed under an ultraviolet microscope, antinuclear antibodies appear as fluorescent cells.
If fluorescent cells are observed, the ANA test is considered positive. If fluorescent cells are not observed, the ANA test is considered negative.
The ANA titer is determined by repeating the positive test with serial dilutions until the test yields a negative result. The last dilution which yields a positive result (flourescence) is the titer which gets reported. For example, if a titer performed for a positive ANA test is: 1:10 positive 1:20 positive 1:40 positive 1:80 positive 1:160 positive 1:320 negative
The reported titer would be 1:160.
Generally, an ANA titre of 1:80 or higher is considered positive.
At least 5% of the population has a positive ANA titre with no disease activity.
For those with disease activity, the ANA titre does not indicate the absolute amount of disease activity (e.g. one person with an ANA titre of 1:640 may have very little disease activity, while another with a titre of 1:320 may have significant disease activity). The ANA titre must be evaluated in the context of the individual.
The ANA test by itself is not specific for any disease. Your clinical presentation, as well as tests for additional antibodies, complements and factors in your blood will also be used to determine what condition, if any, is present, and how to treat it. Source(s): http://arthritis.about.com/od/diagnostic… webmd.com medhelp.org
When performing a sedimentation rate the wintrobe or westergren tube is filled to the level marked?
20mm
Do mustard greens help rheumatoid arthritis?
There is no evidence that a specific diet has any effect on RA. however as RA is an autoimmune disease there is a possibility that allergy's (which may well be different in different individuals) may have an effect on the system. Eating specific foods on the other hand may also prove to be helpful to different individuals this is however something that needs to be sorted out by the individual concerned.
How to Get a Good Night's Sleep with Rheumatoid Arthritis?
If you have rheumatoid arthritis (RA), you might be surprised to learn that you need more sleep than other people, about 10 hours a night or eight hours with two naps, according to experts at Johns Hopkins University. The swollen joints, pain and stiffness that come with RA, however, can make falling asleep and staying asleep difficult. Sufferers usually wake up at least once a night to stretch or even soak in a hot bath in an attempt to relieve stiff, painful joints. Follow these tips to get a good night's sleep despite your RA:
Start with a good mattress.With rheumatoid arthritis, you must strike a balance between a firm mattress to support your aching joints and one that doesn't put pressure on sore areas. A good balance is combination of a firm mattress and an egg-crate or memory-foam topper. Also consider two attached twin mattresses so that you and your partner don't waken each other during the night.
Take a warm shower or bath before bed.If you're used to taking a shower first thing in the morning, switch it to evening. The warm water helps to loosen joints and relieve swelling.
Stretch before going to bed.Perform slow, gentle stretching exercises before bed to prevent wakening in the middle of the night with stiff joints.
Switch the timing of your pain medication to bedtime.Being immobile during sleep causes joints to stiffen. Take your pain medication about hour before bed so it will take effect right when you want to sleep.
If other medicines keep you awake, take them earlier.A few disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) keep some people awake. Read the list of possible side effects, and if sleep loss is among them, try taking them earlier in the day.
Keep your disease under control.Rheumatoid arthritis is a disease that must be managed medically. Modern medicine has come a long way in developing medications and surgery to control RA, but it takes close supervision by a rheumatology specialist. Your doctor will probably prescribe a combination of symptom-relieving and disease-modifying medications.
Consider a pain patch.Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications now come in a prescription patch that you can use daily without the risk of stomach ulcers that come with the pill form. Simply apply patches to your most painful joints, and leave on all night.
Back swollen at tailbone with pain?
Recently I have occured what you have recently described. I made an appointment with my GP straight away and got x-rayed. Turns out that I have fractured my coccyx(tailbone). Its cause pain to carry, lift and to take part in any active activities. If you even have pain when you sit down for to long I would advise you to go to your local doctor. Therefore I was told that this will take at the least, 6 weeks to heal.
What happened when rheumatoid artharities become 185?
Not necessarily anything Rheumatoid factor exists in about 80% of people that have RA however its level does not necessarily coincide with the severity of the disease or whether the disease is there at all.
What are the side effects associated with using senna?
Stomach cramps, diarrhea, gas, which can be severe if the herb is over used. Overdose: fainting, dehydration, electrolyte disorders leading to cardiac disorders. Take the lowest effective dosage and more . . .
Can aspirin affect the sedimentation rate-westergren test?
It has been claimed that therapy with aspirin or other non steroidal anti inflammatory agents may decrease the ESR, this has however been been disputed.
Yes, you will feel pain if you have a herniated or bulging disc in your back. You may feel the pain in your arm, leg, or back. You will also experience numbness and tingling and weakness.
Do the have a injection for Rheumatoid Arthritis?
There is no definitive injection for Rheumatoid arthritis. There are certain drugs that are used in the treatment of the symptoms of RA such as the disease modifying drug methotrxate.
Does tattoos cause joint pains?
Not normally there is a slight chance that an infection can bring on the symptoms of some forms of arthritis.
What type of painkillers can be taken with radio-methotrexate?
I take metha trexate and am able to take just anything I like within reason. Codene, aspirin, paracetemol.
How common is it to be misdiagnosed with fibromyalgia instead of rheumatoid arthritis?
Apparently it is not unusual for this to happen. If you would like to see more information on this subject go to the related link (Misdiagnosis of Fibromyalgia) below.
What should a person being treated with anti rheumatic drugs do in the case of Swine Flu?
There are a number of different actions depending on what drugs are involved Go to the related link below(Advice for rheumatic patients concerning swine flu H1N1) for advice on this from the Australian Rheumatology Association, go to the related link below.
If you are undergoing treatment with a immune suppressant there is an extra risk of contracting an infection, therefore it may be wise to consult a doctor.
Can rheumatoid nodules be hard not soft and not necessarily on a joint but still on the bone?
Yes it can as a mater of fact I had a problem with one about 2 inches below the elbow just where I put my arm when I type. Luckily it has just about disappeared now.
An antirheumatic is a drug which prevents or counters rheumatism.
