Rheumatoid Arthritis
Q1.
Rheumatoid Arthritis is an inflammatory disease characterized by the destruction of joints; its etiology is, however, unknown. It can be genetically acquired sometimes even though there’s not enough evidence to support this; the most common way it manifests itself is when one notices inflammation or swelling of joints in the knees, hands. This happens in the synovial joints; it occurs when the synovial joints become hyperplastic, i.e., an increase in the number of organic tissues in cells, causing such cells to swell and bulge outwards. This leads to a rise in synoviocytes as a result of macrophages (the primary inflammatory cells), e.g., the plasma cells, dendritic cells, the B and T type lymphocytes. Its also characterized by an increase in the level of cytokines in the areas where the disease effect, leading to inflamed synovial- this results in an inflammatory response that never goes away coupled with joint destruction. Retention of fluids occurs after that leading to impaired apoptosis; Rheumatoid arthritis causes pain in the joints, swelling of the joints, stiffness and hence retards the movement of the joints; the disease can affect anybody regardless of the race or gender or age; however it is more common in women than in men, but symptoms tend to be more severe in men than in women. This is because of the female sex hormones, e.g., estrogen increases lupus, a chemical that triggers the disease in women. This means the infection rate in men is lower compared to women- Oestrogen is low in men, hence reducing the rate of blood clotting; there is a belief that male hormones mitigate or lower the infection rate in men.
Q2.
Rheumatoid arthritis is often challenging to detect because its symptoms are similar to those of other common diseases; this makes it challenging to diagnose hence people realize it when it’s full-blown; blood tests id the easiest way to diagnose the disease; this is done in the veins by drawing blood into test tubes then conducts tests such as the R.F. test; this criterion for the presence of particular proteins that the body secretes when the body’s immune system invades specific tissues in the body; a finding of between 0-20 units/milliliter is considered normal such that any value above that range is cindered high and is an alert that one may have the disease. The surest test for R.A. is the Anti-Cyclic Citrullinated Peptide test (anti-CPP); it is done in conjunction with the R.F. test. It measures proteins like the R.F. test; a reading of 20 u/ml is healthy, while a value above that indicates that a patient has rheumatoid arthritis. The test takes a few days to get results, X-rays are also used to know the extent of the damage caused to the joints; ultrasounds are used to detect the seriousness of the swelling in the joint.
Q3.
Yes. Signs that characteristically define rheumatoid arthritis or that are common to the disease include joint tenderness; R.A. makes joints to appear tender and swollen. Another common symptom is causing bones to lose their motion. This is where the swelling in the joint hinders movement in that joint or between the affected joints. Another common symptom is where more than one joint is affected by the disease, for instance, polyarthritis is a case where many joints are simultaneously affected by R.A. However, this is less common but can be noticed in knees, hands, ankles this is common in children .another common symptom is where both sides of the body are affected by R.A.; this because normally joints are distributed similarly in the body hence can be infected simultaneously. A common sign is the loss of joint function; people suffering from this disease my lose partially or wholly the functioning of the joints; the pain, the swelling, leading to malfunction of the joints. A person may feel reluctant to move joints, e.g., walk or stretch other common symptoms or R.A. is limping, painful joints, severe swelling, bones becoming red, warm joints, and stiffness.
Q4.
Yes. The diseases that are often confused with rheumatoid arthritis are Psoriatic arthritis, Osteoarthritis, Lupus, Viral arthritis, reactive arthritis, arthritis of IBD, Lyme arthritis, Palindromic Rheumatism. These diseases often have signed similar to those of R.A. and hence can be confused with R.A., as compared in the table below.
Similar disease
Rheumatoid arthritis (R.A.)
Psoriatic arthritis -can be distinguished from R.A. using sausage-like swelling, nail changes, lower back pains.
The symptoms of psoriatic arthritis rule out R.A. in a patient because they’re distinct.
Osteoarthritis-signs are hard swellings, bony stiffness(Vinicius Domingues,2017)
Hard swelling rules out R.A., while stiffness rules in R.A. since it’s a common sign to both.
Lupus: signs include fatigue, fever, eye dryness, which is familiar to R.A.
Distinct signs are rashes (butterfly-shaped) and Raynaud’s phenomenon.
Common signs like fever, a rash often rule in R.A.
The distinct features rule out R.A.
Viral arthritis: may cause rashes and fever in children .these are common in those with R.A.
The common signs rule in R.A.
Reactive arthritis: caused by bacteria, .has signs like joint pain, swelling, etc. These are also common in R.A. patients.
Swelling and joint pain can rule in R.A.
Arthritis of Inflammatory Bowel Disease: has signs like swelling of knuckles, which is similar to symptoms of R.A.
The signs of arthritis of IBD are similar to those of R.A., hence ruling in R.A.
Lyme disease: severe swelling and joints and pains similar to R.A.
Joint pain in Lyme disease can move to another joint.
The signs of Lyme disease are similar to R.A. hence rules in R.A.
Joint pans are stationary, hence rules out R.A. in a patient.
Palindromic rheumatism: characterized by pains and swelling that last only a few days
People with R.A. experience pains and swelling that last longer; hence these rules out having R.A.
Q4.
Yes. There’s a genetic component of R.A. persons who can inherit the genes for rheumatoid arthritis;(Vivian Byker, 2019). One may have the genes, but the genes may not translate into the disease. Other variables may explain having the condition like smokers have a higher risk. According to the American College of Rheumatology, a study of twins with similar genes showed that the probability of one twin getting the disease given the other has it is only 15%-this means that there’s an 85% chance of infection because of your genetic composition. Generally, we can conclude that the likelihood of getting the disease as a result of one’s genetic make-up is very minimal.
Q5.
Often, R.A. is a treatable condition. Treatment is more straightforward when the disease detected earlier. The three methods used to treat Rheumatoid arthritis include physical therapies, administration of drugs, and surgery. Drugs include relievers, steroids, etc. most people diagnosed with the disease often live with it for 15 years with a normal healthy life. It is estimated that 33% of infected persons live long when treated earlier. Early diagnosis extends the lifespan of patients. Home remedies used to manage the disease include doing regular exercises-this improves the functioning of cardiovascular organs. Those with back pains are advised to avoid lifting weights. Dietary improvements and strictness to diet are recommended; e.g., eating foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids; regular massaging of affected areas like joints helps in reducing strain and stress on those areas, helping to ease the pain.