Arthritis Rheumatoid

What is rheumatoid arthritis? Symptoms and treatment

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a disease that is accompanied by chronic inflammation of the joints and joints. This form often develops in infectious diseases of a bacterial nature. People over 40 years of age are at risk. Disease code according to ICD - 9: M13-M19; according to the international classification of diseases 10 - M05-M15.

Most often, the disease affects people over 45 years of age, when the immune system is depleted. In addition, it goes to the knees, cervical spine and hands. It occurs most often in women—about 80%. If symptoms are present for three months, then the pathology has already reached a serious stage. At the last stage, the patient becomes disabled. In most cases, rheumatoid arthritis is transmitted from mother to daughter (by inheritance). If a person is infected only once, then most often the disease becomes chronic. Men are less likely to suffer from this disease (about 20% of cases). The syndrome also often manifests itself as bone tissue deformities. Treatment for this type of arthritis should be comprehensive, including physiotherapeutic procedures, drug therapy (drug), surgery and proper nutrition.

Arthritis is a general name for a range of joint diseases that have a variety of causes. Among such diseases is rheumatic arthritis or rheumatoid disease. Let's take a closer look at its features and reasons for its development.

What is rheumatoid arthritis? Arthritis literally means inflammation of the joints. This diverse disease is considered rheumatic arthritis. It is also called Hull's disease. Some researchers attribute the development of the disease to an infectious agent that leads to damage to connective tissue. It is believed that the result is a protective inflammation that exerts local control of infection. Such inflammation plays a significant role in maintaining the life of the patient, while at the same time maintaining an active infectious process. The severity of the disease depends on the activity of tissue inflammation and immunity parameters. It can affect any of the major joints in the body, but most commonly affects the arms and legs.

What symptoms are characteristic of rheumatic arthritis? The main symptoms of arthritis are pain and swelling around the joints. The pain can be of varying severity and vary depending on physical activity. It can bother you regularly, severely limiting a person’s activities. A person may also experience discomfort in nearby joints or bones. Movement may be limited for a variety of reasons, such as pain and inflammation. Swelling, in turn, can significantly affect the functioning of the joint and make movement difficult. In addition, arthritis may cause stiffness in movement, especially in the morning. This is due to the long-term effects of inflammation on the joints. With rheumatic arthritis, symptoms may appear gradually or increase rapidly. But in any case, within a few weeks or months, movement begins to be subject to restrictions. In an inflamed joint, the skin changes color and becomes hotter. If the skin is damaged, bruising may occur. The formation of lumps, growths, etc. is also possible. In rare cases, damage to the nerves in the joint can occur, which can lead to disruption of innervation and other complications.