How to treat rheumatoid arthritis

The cause of rheumatoid arthritis is not fully understood, but we know that the disease begins after a failure in the immune system. Triggers can be infections (mumps, measles, influenza), respiratory disease, prolonged stress, hypothermia or excessive sun exposure. Rheumatoid arthritis may begin after the transferred hepatitis b, herpes zoster and after injuries of the joints.

Rheumatoid arthritis mostly affects the knee, wrist, ankle, elbow joints and the small joints of the hands. The disease develops long and secretly. Gradually in the body accumulate antibodies that cause tissue damage joints. When they accumulate a large number of, they begin their destructive effect on the joints. The joints become inflamed, over time, deform and are unable to work normally.

Symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis pain in affected joints, morning stiffness that lasts less than an hour. Usually joints are affected symmetrically, in 20% of patients found rheumatoid nodules (lumps skin in the elbows). Also may be concerned about General weakness, slight fever, lack of appetite, poor sleep.

In the later stages can affect the heart, kidneys, blood vessels and other organs. If the arthritis does not begin to heal in time, it leads to the destruction of joints and disability of the patient. Treatment of rheumatoid arthritis deals with a rheumatologist. To determine the extent of joint damage is assigned to an x-ray or MRI, also is the biochemical and General blood analysis.

Treatment of rheumatoid arthritis is quite difficult, prolonged, and often lifelong. Drugs that allow you to completely get rid of the disease that currently does not exist. Treatment is aimed at reducing the intensity of the disease, inhibition of its further development, alleviating symptoms and preventing complications.

Treatment should be prescribed only by a doctor used non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for pain, hormonal therapy, and basic medications (taken regularly) and immunosuppressants. The importance of the treatment is physiotherapy (magnetotherapy, laser treatment, electrophoresis), with the exception of the warming procedures. Also prescribe massage and therapeutic exercise.

In the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis necessarily carried out prevention of osteoporosis and restoration of disturbed calcium balance. Assigned diet with its high content of milk products (especially cheese, cottage cheese, milk), nuts, and calcium in combination with vitamin D.

With persistent or recurrent disease is intra-articular administration of drugs, sometimes assigned to surgical treatment - removal of diseased parts of the joint that can slow the progression of the disease.