Orenburg rheumatologist Alla Mironcheva told how not to confuse rheumatoid arthritis with ordinary rheumatism and whether lifelong remission can be achieved. The physician answered five basic questions about the disease. Expert quoted by newspaper “Orenburg”.
1. What are the main signs of the disease?
There are three of them:
- stiffness in the joints. A person wakes up in the morning and cannot immediately move his arms or legs. It lasts over an hour.
- joint pain. Her character is symmetrical – it hurts on the right and left, more often at night or in the early morning. Usually these are the hands, wrists, feet and ankles.
- swelling of the joints. If it concerns the hands, then these are mainly interphalangeal joints. Sometimes the temperature rises. Rashes may appear.
In order not to be confused with rheumatoid arthritis, it is enough to analyze the nature of the pain. If in the morning the knee hurts, in the afternoon – the elbow, the next day – the next joint, then this is rheumatoid arthritis. The pain is volatile and can traverse all major joints. Unlike rheumatoid arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis does not lead to joint deformity and limitation of movement. At the first symptoms, you should immediately contact a specialist. If you start treatment immediately, you can achieve lifelong remission.
2. How is the treatment at an early stage (up to 3 months from the onset of the first symptoms)?
At an early stage, immunosuppressive drugs are prescribed. They begin to operate in full force by the end of the second month. This is basic therapy. Until the drug begins to act, hormones are also prescribed.
With basic therapy, a person should be checked every month to understand if leukocytes and platelets are falling. When the condition is more or less stabilized, it is necessary to be examined once every 2-3 months. Treatment for rheumatoid arthritis is lifelong. The only thing doctors can do is to reduce the dose of the drug.
3. How is remission determined?
If everything is calm in the tests, no indicators are increased, there is no pain, stiffness, doctors do x-rays or MRI of the affected joints. If there is no progression of erosion, then remission has come. After that, it is important to continue to follow the recommendations of the doctor, eat well, do special exercises and lead a healthy lifestyle.
4. What organs and tissues are at risk?
The disease can affect all organs and tissues, especially often the vessels, lungs, bones. Patients are more sensitive to various colds. Without adequate treatment, 40% of patients become disabled within 5 years.
5. Is it impossible to provide development?
It is impossible to prevent the development of rheumatoid arthritis. The nature of chronic inflammation is associated with impaired immunity. They can be caused by many reasons: infections, stress, bad habits, malnutrition, genetic predisposition and other factors that are not yet fully understood.