What Are The Complications Of Rheumatoid Arthritis?
Rheumatoid Arthritis is among the leading causes of disability in the United States. This autoimmune disease not only causes inflammation of the joints, stiffness, and subsequent destruction of the cartilage but also leads the patient to live a life with limited activity. Data has shown that nearly 1.5 million Americans get affected by this type of arthritis every year.
Let’s peep into what Rheumatoid Arthritis is?
Rheumatoid Arthritis is a condition where your immune system gets awry and starts attacking tissues in the joints. As a result, joints get swollen and painful. This inflammatory arthritis affects both sides of the body and over time impacts the entire body.
Research has shown that initially, this problem arises from the joint, which is typically associated with swelling. Sometimes, symptoms may include morning sickness, which gets settled as the day progresses. However, in many cases, the worst symptoms are noticed as well. If not controlled at the right time, this autoimmune disease can be life-threatening.
Diagnosing and managing the complications of rheumatoid arthritis is very important. Just make sure that you pay attention to the symptoms and avail of an arthritis cure to prevent your condition from getting adverse.
Common Rheumatoid Arthritis Complications:
Having Rheumatoid Arthritis can lead to complications in other body parts as well. Reports have revealed that nearly 40 percent of people suffering from this type of arthritis do not have symptoms involving joints.
Here are the possible complications of rheumatoid arthritis:-
Eye Problems:
Rheumatoid Arthritis may cause several problems related to the eyes. Inflammation of the thin membrane that covers the white area of the eye is common. Sjogren syndrome is also one of the complications of this arthritis where eyes become extremely dry and susceptible to infection. That’s apart, condition, such as scleritis can even put you at the risk of vision loss.
Heart and Blood Vessel Disease:
Rheumatoid Arthritis can pose serious risks to the heart. According to The Arthritis Foundation report, people suffering from this autoimmune disease are twice at risk of developing cardiovascular problems as compared to the general population. Please note that heart problems that occur in people with RA are different. Such complications include pericarditis, rheumatoid nodules, inflammation of the heart muscle, etc. The chances of stroke are also higher in people with rheumatoid arthritis.
Lung Problems:
Various lung problems are other major complications of Rheumatoid Arthritis. This painful disease can cause pleuritis, a condition where breathing becomes painful. Formation of rheumatoid nodules is usually harmless but may lead to other problems including a collapsed lung, coughing up blood, infection, etc. RA is also linked with developing interstitial lung disease.
Blood Disease:
Rheumatoid Arthritis can cause anemia. Thrombocytosis is another complication related to this disease.
Osteoporosis:
The medications used to treat this autoimmune disease have some side effects too. One such side effect is osteoporosis, which makes bones weak and brittle.
Further, people with rheumatoid arthritis are more at risk of developing type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, psoriasis, lymphoma, carpal tunnel syndrome, infections, etc.
Diagnosis and Treatment:
Rheumatoid Arthritis can be difficult to make out because many problems can give you joint pains and stiffness. So make sure that you get the right diagnosis to begin appropriate arthritis treatment for you. Although there is no cure for this condition, early diagnosing, treatment, and several other factors including lifestyle changes, medication, and surgery can limit the risk of getting this disease chronic and enable you to live a normal life.
Also, several medications and arthritis pain management techniques are available these days which can prove to be highly helpful against Rheumatoid Arthritis. So be happy and live a healthy life!
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