Rheumatoid Arthritis

Whether you like it o not. Rheumatoid arthritis is a serious disease that has more effect on you then just pain. Rheumatoid arthritis is a disease that is caused by the immune system of the body mistakenly rejecting cartilage in the joints of the body. Cartilage is the lining that covers the bone at the joints. this lining is normally a strong and very smooth material that along with synovial fluid keeps joints moving freely. People that have RA (rheumatoid arthritis) unfortunately have the problem that this material is being attacked by their own immunize system. The immediate result is swelling pain and inflammation of joints more often then not several joints in pairs matching the opposing joints in the body. as the disease progresses the destruction if the cartilage causes chemicals to be produced that combine with the synovial fluid surrounding all healthy joints to make an even more corrosive material leading to further damage to surrounding muscles and ligaments. The joint may become malformed and will eventually become stiff and useless. In my own particular case I have found that in one particular joint ( the right elbow) Within a year of first noticing that there was serious inflammation in that joint and just grinning and bearing the pain led to the need for a total elbow replacement because the joint was destroyed. The same can happen to any joint of the body. Add to this that RA can effect other parts of the body such as Heart, eyes lungs, brain arterial and vascular systems and even the skin as well as the formation of hard and at times painful nodules under the skin over bony protrusions. To sum up Rheumatoid arthritis can make life totaly miserable and a hell for you if you dont do anything to keep the damage it does under controll. While the drugs you are forced to use also can have unfortunate side effects, they will in the main keep you in a position where you can enjoy your life in relative comfort and be reasonably functional. If you do not look after it you are likely to turn into a pain riddled deformed pretzel if you are unlucky. RA will not Kill you however it is able to make you want to kill yourself if you ignore it.

That can happen.

To know if you have rheumatoid arthritis you have to take certain tests There may be many reasons that cause pain in your thumb aside from RA. However if you have RA it has to start some where and the hands are not an unusual place for it to begin. One of peculiarity's of RA is that it usual will effect similar joints on the opposite side of the body at the same time. It is an autoimmune disease where the immune system mistakenly rejects tissue in the joints and other organs. Any one that suspect that they have Rheumatoid arthritis should have it seen to as quickly as possible because early treatment can avert or at worst postpone debilitating damage to many parts of the body.

Rheumatoid arthritis is in itself not a fatal disease, however life expectancy is often a little shorter shorter for people with RA. This does not necessarily apply to all that have RA however as there can be many organs affected, many complications and treatment related side effects can contribute to premature death.

Rheumatoid arthritis usually affects the joints, never the less it is a condition that can effect and impact on entire body. Rheumatoid arthritis is a systemic disease that can affect many of the body's organs and normal functions..

The first recognized description of rheumatoid arthritis was in 1800 by the French physician Dr Augustin Jacob Landré-Beauvais (1772-1840) who was based in the famed Salpêtrière Hospital in Paris. The name "rheumatoid arthritis" itself was coined in 1859 by British rheumatologist Dr Alfred Baring Garrod. (Source wikipedia)

Sjogren's syndrome where there is gland inflammation causing dry eyes and mouth, etc.) which is not associated with another connective tissue disease is called primary Sjogren's syndrome. When Sjogren's syndrome associated with a connective tissue diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, or scleroderma, as well it is referred to as secondary Sjogren's syndrome.

The first recognized description of rheumatoid arthritis was in 1800 by the French physician Dr Augustin Jacob Landré-Beauvais (1772-1840) who was based in the famed Salpêtrière Hospital in Paris. The name "rheumatoid arthritis" itself was coined in 1859 by British rheumatologist Dr Alfred Baring Garrod. (Source wikipedia)

The normal range for rheumatoid factor is less than 20 (this is dependent on the laboratory). The following disordersAdjustment disorder

Anorexia nervosa

Asperger syndrome

Autism

Autoimmune disorders

Bipolar disorder

Bleeding disorders

Borderline personality disorder

Copd (chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder)

Chronic motor tic disorder

Conversion disorder

are associated with an elevated rheumatoid factor:

Rheumatoid arthritis 26 to 90 percent

Sjgren's syndrome 75 to 95 percent

Mixed connective tissue disease 50 to 60 percent

Mixed cryoglobulinemiaCryoglobulinemia - of the fingers

(types II and III) 40 to 100 percent

SystemicSystemic lupus erythematosus

Systemic lupus erythematosus rash on the face

lupus erythematosus 15 to 35 percent

Polymyositis/dermatomyositis five to 10 percent

This test is not traditionally used for screening purposes as it has a low yield in healthy populations. With this elevated level, further testing is necessary to confirm a diagnosis. An elevated rheumatoid factor by itself is not enough for a diagnosis.


A rheumatoid factor blood test measures the amount of the RF antibody in the blood.
Rheumatoid Factor test may be reported in either "titers" or "units":

" A titer" is a measurement of how far a sample of blood can be diluted before RF can no longer be detected. A titer of "1:20" means that RF can be detected when 1 part of the blood sample is diluted by up to 20 parts of saline. the larger the second number in the titre the larger the RF factor.
"Nephelometry" units indicate the amount light that is blocked by the blood sample. Samples with a high level of RF are cloudier then normal, and as a result less light passes through the tube than when the RF level is low. therefore in the case of the RF test the higher number indicates the higher RF. for example. an RF level of 90 units is higher than one of 40 units.


Normal values depend on what lab is doing the tests. Results are usually available within 2 days.
Rheumatoid factor (RF) Titers 1:20 to 1:80
NephelometryUnits 14 units/mL to 60 units/mL

You should find out from your doctor to see what are normal ranges for the lab that tested your blood.

High RF often acompany

Rheumatoid arthritis. 80% of those aflicted with RA have a positive (RF) level.
Hepatitis C infection.
Other autoimmune diseases, such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), scleroderma, Sjögren's syndrome, and vasculitis.
Infectious diseases, including tuberculosis, mononucleosis, syphilis, and malaria.
Liver diseases, such as cirrhosis and chronic active hepatitis.
Infection of the heart (endocarditis).
Leukemia.

erythrocytes sedimentation rate (ESR) Westergren method(Sed Rate) blood test measures how quickly red blood cells (erythrocytes) settle in a test tube. The more red cells that fall to the bottom of a special test tube in one hour, the higher the sed rate.

When inflammation is present in the body, certain proteins cause red blood cells to stick together and fall more quickly than normal to the bottom of the tube. These proteins are produced by the liver and the immune system under many abnormal conditions, such as an infection, an autoimmune disease, and cancer. There are many possible causes of an elevated sedimentation rate. For this reason, a sed rate blood test is done with other tests to confirm a diagnosis. Once a sed rate blood test is conducted, the course of the disease or the effectiveness of treatment can be monitored.

So The problem is that an esr becomes lower by reducing the amount of inflammation in the body. which can be done in some cases by reducing infections etc. however in the case of autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis we have not worked out how to prevent the problem that causes the inflammation. and the way the inflammation is treated in this situation is by interfering with the function of the immune system which has some reasonably nasty side effects as well.

High sedimentation rates can be caused by different problems and are used as an indicator of inflammation or infection. whether it is bad or not depends on what the problem turns out to be.

Erythrocytes sedimentation rate (ESR), Westergren method,(Sed Rate) is blood test measures how quickly red blood cells (erythrocytes) settle in a test tube. The more red cells that fall to the bottom of a special test tube in one hour, the higher the sed rate.

When inflammation is present in the body, certain proteins cause red blood cells to stick together and fall more quickly than normal to the bottom of the tube. These proteins are produced by the liver and the immune system under many abnormal conditions, such as an infection, an autoimmune disease, and cancer. There are many possible causes of an elevated sedimentation rate. For this reason, a sed rate blood test is done with other tests to confirm a diagnosis. Once a sed rate blood test is conducted, the course of the disease or the effectiveness of treatment can be monitored.

The normal sedimentation rate (Westergren method) for males is 0-15 millimeters per hour, and for females is 0-20 millimeters per hour. The sedimentation rate can be slightly more elevated in the elderly and is much lower for children.

rheumatoidarthritis is an autoimmune disease that attacks joints and other tissue of the body there is no cure for it at present. Rheumatoid arthritis can lead to surgery in the form of replacement joints and repairs to the damage it may eventually do,

Poly arthritis is likely to be Rheumatoid arthritis. Poly as in more then one place Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that tends to hit in several joints at the same time, often in the same joints on opposing sides of the body. As with any form of arthritis it is beneficial to maintain strength around effected joints to give them as much indirect support as possible. there by getting more out of worn cartilage and reducing the pain that comes with damaged joints.

Nodules can happen in about 30% of RA Cases. these can either be sore or not.

I did a bit of a search on this and found that quite a few people with lupus problems do have problems with nodules. And that they are often described as Rheumatoid nodules. However I also found some info on (Papulonodular mucinosis in systemic lupus erythematosus) To which There is a link in the related links below. Also see the link to ("Rheumatoid" Nodules in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus)

There are claims that Cinnamon and Honey help with Rheumatoid Arthritis. To get more info on this go to the related link (Cinnamon and Honey for Arthritis)below.

There is not a great deal that you can do to reduce inflammation through diet. There are herbs and spices like garlic cummin and so on that have some anti inflammatory property but they are just not very strong at least not enough to deal with diseases like Rheumatoid arthritis.