...Human NutritionProfessor Chitra Wendakoon | Rheumatoid Arthritis | By Daniel Schramm | Schramm 2/24/2013 | What is Rheumatoid Arthritis? Rheumatoid Arthritis is an autoimmune disease that we do not get from a virus or human contact. The disease is our own body’s immune system turned against its self. Your immune system is an assembly of cells and organs intended to safeguard your body from external intruders. Your structure comprises the spleen, lymph nodes, tonsils, bone marrow and white blood cells. All these work collectively to fight off germs and infections that can harm you or make you sick. When your immune system is not working properly, it sees your own body as an enemy which it attacks, therefore generating a potential illness with an auto immune disease such as Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA). There are several types of auto immune diseases that can upset the body; more notably, the heart, lungs kidneys, brain as well as the joints. Since the 1930′s researchers have been exploring the link between diet and arthritis. We continue to hear claims that special diets, foods and supplements may help to cure or alleviate symptoms of arthritis, but most claims are unproven. Many experts speculate that claims of nutritional remedies and cures with food or dietary supplements are related to the “placebo affect”. The placebo effect is the patient’s perception of improved symptoms and well-being, resulting from new therapy, regardless of evidence for actual...
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...as the “wear and tear” arthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis (Shiel, 2014). Many believe that the treatment of arthritis is limited to splinting, applying cold packs, and anti-inflammatory medications, but there is another type of treatment on the rise that can include multiple additional benefits on top of relieving pain; incorporating exercise into the daily lives of those with arthritis. With unique exercise...
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...Rheumatoid Arthritis or “RA” is an autoimmune disorder where the immune system mistakenly attacks its own body tissues. This disease affects the lining of joints causing pain and swelling. Eventually the swelling can lead to bone erosion and joint deformity. RA can happen to anyone at any age, but the majority of people who have to endure this disease are women over the age of 40. Pathophysiology Rheumatoid Arthritis is a joint attacking disease, but RA can attack any organ in the body. There is no unique test to diagnose RA, doctors look at signs and symptoms of the patient. Infectious agents have long been suspected as potential triggers of RA. Some external triggers, such as smoking, infection, or trauma could even affect the joints. Even though the cause of RA is unknown, these triggers may be a slight cause when diagnosing RA. Ultimately, inflammation and exuberant proliferation of the synovium leads to destruction of various tissues, including cartilage, bone, tendons, ligaments, and blood vessels. Destruction of these lead to very painful joints. Clinical Manifestation Since there is no test to diagnose Rheumatoid Arthritis, doctors look at signs and symptoms. They usually include fatigue, malaise, generalized stiffness, and generalized arthralgias or myalgias. (Rheumatoid Arthritis. Mayo Clinic Staff. (2014, October 14). Patients often complain of morning stiffness when having RA. This stiffness can also be called, gelling. The severity of symptoms can vary from...
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...Abstract Since joint destruction begins within a few weeks of symptom onset in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), early diagnosis and treatment are crucial to decrease impairment of physical function and halt disease progression. A delay in therapy of as little as 3 months has demonstrated to cause irreversible joint damage. Treatment plans for RA includes pharmacological as well as non-pharmacological modalities. Treatments for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have involved a variety of single agent and combination therapies with a goal, to slow disease progression and bone destruction. The research indicates that not all drug combinations are equally effective in all patients with RA. To more accurately distinguish how to best manage early RA, and because treating RA within 3 months of diagnosis appears crucial for improved outcomes, this paper review studies that compare combination to mono-therapies in RA. Introduction Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is considered to be an inflammatory arthritis (Gardner, 2010). It is a disease that is chronic and characterized by diffuse inflammation and degeneration of the connective tissues, often characterized by joint stiffness in the morning that lasts at least 30 minutes but can range to several hours (Gardner, 2010). Pain improves with activity as fluid accumulated in the joints during inactivity is forced back into the system through the lymphatics. RA has a different cause from Osteoarthritis (OA). It is considered to be...
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...Rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune condition, is a chronic inflammatory poly-arthritis (involves 5 or more joints). It causes premature mortality, disability, and compromised quality of life in the industrialized and developing world. Although the causes are unknown, RA is believed to be the result of a faulty immune response. RA can begin at any age and is associated with fatigue and prolonged stiffness after rest. There is no cure for RA, but new effective drugs are increasingly available to treat the disease and prevent deformed joints. In addition to medications and surgery, good self-management, including exercise, are known to reduce pain and disability. The natural history of RA varies considerably with at least 3 possible disease courses: 1. Monocyclic- One episode which ends within 2.5 years of initial diagnosis and did not re-occur. This may result form early diagnosis and/or aggressive treatment. 2. Polycyclic- The levels of disease activity fluctuate over the course of the condition. 3. Progressive- RA continues to increase in severity and is unremitting. EPIDEMIOLOGY The prevalence rate for RA is 1 % with women affected 3x more often than men and it can first develop at any age, although the onset is uncommon under the age of 15. The risk of first developing the disease appears to be greatest for women between 40 and 50 years of age and for men somewhat later. The incidence of RA is in the region of 3 cases per 10,000 people annually....
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...Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disorder. This autoimmune disorder causes the immune system in your body to attack the tissues around the lined synovial membrane of your joints. Currently, there is no known cause of rheumatoid arthritis. Researchers are trying to determine if one’s genes, environmental factors, or a specific virus or bacteria causes rheumatoid arthritis. A person can have certain symptoms that can lead to a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis. Two of the common symptoms are the one’s joints are swollen and are stiff throughout the day. Bumps under one’s skin, in which the bump is actually tissue, is also another common symptom. Fatigue, fever, and weight loss are three other symptoms that people with rheumatoid arthritis have, but the patients do not always associate those symptoms with having rheumatoid arthritis. Even though there is no cure for rheumatoid arthritis, there are several medications that can be taken to help alleviate the symptoms....
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...Introduction to Rheumatoid Arthritis Treatment Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic condition that can change a course of a person’s life. During the last decade there has been significant changes and progress that has been made to treat rheumatoid arthritis. These treatment advances have played a major role in slowing the progression of the disease, and improving quality of life. It is a progressive and painful condition in which the body’s immune system attacks its own tissues, especially a thin membrane that lines the joints called the synovium. It is disease that can have a devastating effect on a person, and it is really necessary for health care workers to recognize its symptoms, provide education and give treatment to slow down the progression of this distressing disease. The article Nursing Considerations for Infusions Therapy in Rheumatoid Arthritis Verus Malignancy by Nicole Furfaro and Philip J. Mease was published in 2008 in the Journal of Infusion Nursing. The article is about the different treatment available for rheumatoid arthritis especially the drug rituximab. It discusses the effects of the medication and important factors infusion nurses need to monitor and be aware of while administering this drug. Another article Treatment of Early Rheumatoid Arthritis by Karim Raza, Mike Salmon and Christopher Buckley was published in 2005 in the Journal Therapy. This article discusses the importance of early treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and compares different studies...
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...Rheumatoid Arthritis is a progressive autoimmune disease. The cause is not known. It is an incurable disease. This disease has flareups and remissions stages. Different factors can cause the flare ups such as stress or environmental factors. The affected joints do not have to be symmetrical. Lots of different joints all over the body can be affected. Mostly the smaller joints, such as the knees, feet, hands which has warmth, erythema and swelling. An autoimmune disease means the body is attacking itself. If the body doesn’t recognize itself the immune system starts to attack the lining of the joints or what is called the Synovial membrane when the immune system is in overactive state. When the body attacks itself it damages the connective tissue. This...
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...Rheumatoid Arthritis Rheumatoid Arthritis is an autoimmune inflammatory variant of the arthritis. In the disease for reasons that no one really knows or comprehends, the body’s immune system which is designed to attack against foreign cells and objects that may be dangerous to one’s health actually attacks the host’s body, and more specifically the synovium in the joints of people. The synovium is a thin membrane that lines the joints of the body, covering them to ensure comfortable and fluid movement. When the synovium is now attacked, fluid from the synovium and other cells build up in the joints to cause an intense pain through an inflammation that can be systemic, or meaning that it may travel and occur throughout the entire body. The surrounding cartilage is destroyed and the tendons and ligaments that hold the joints together to give it its shape lose their strength respectively, and cause the joins to look misaligned. Doctors remain clueless as to what starts the process; however, they believe that genetic factors are extremely likely. While the actual genes themselves do not cause RA, it is theorized by many alike that they make you more susceptible to the environmental factors which may include specific bacteria and viruses that in tune may trigger the disease. Rheumatoid Arthritis is a chronic disease, which means it is incurable and it can only be managed effectively. Most people that have RA do not experience consistent pain or other symptoms of the disease. Instead...
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...Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a musculoskeletal and autoimmune disease, which causes the body’s immune system to target and attack primarily its own joints and joint linings (Brodwin, Tellez, & Brodwin, 2009, p. 124). Since RA is a systematic disease, it affects the body as a whole, and is not limited only to joints. The inflammation and pain can spread from the joints, into the cartilage, connective tissue, and ultimately into adjacent organs (Cush, Kavanaugh, & Stein, 2005, p. 323). After the initial diagnosis of RA, there are three classifications that RA can develop into. The first is called Monocyclic RA, which means that an individual is afflicted with a single episode of inflammation, lasting up to five years, and then enters remission....
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...Rheumatoid Arthritis, also known as RA, is an autoimmune disease of the joints that affects more than 1 million Americans, as reported by the Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. It’s classified as an autoimmune disease because it’s caused by the cells that line the joints, known as the Synovial cells. This influx of immune cells in the joints results in inflammation that can lead to pain, stiffness and a loss of function. Symptoms of RA include joint pain, swelling, and stiffness, general physical symptoms such as fatigue and muscle pain, complications from advanced Ra include joint damage leading to deformity and limited range of motion. Other symptoms include weakness, flu-like symptoms, and worse joint stiffness after sleeping or prolonged...
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...Rheumatoid arthritis arises when a when immune cells mistakenly attack healthy tissue that line the inside of joints. Inflammatory response results causing debilitating damage. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) can affect anyone, regardless of age, sex, or nationality. It is about two to three times more common in women than men.1 It is most common between 40-60 years old, though the disease usually starts between 20-40 years old. It is estimated that 1-3% of American have RA. Genetic and environmental, smoking, factors possible contribute to developing this disease.2 Common symptoms include; chronic joint inflammation, difficulty moving joints, stiffness after being sedentary for prolong periods, fatigue, fever, and hard bumps under the skin around affected joints. RA is caused when the immune attacks healthy cells, possibly due to...
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...According to the CDC, arthritis affects over 52 million American adults, with an estimated 67 million projected to have activity limitations by the year 2030 (CDC, 2015, para. 2). Arthritis the inflammation of one or more joints, resulting in symptoms that include stiffness and joint pain that often worsen with age. “Arthritis” is the general time for a musculoskeletal ailment, but there exist several types of arthritic conditions. Of these, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a common autoimmune form of the disease associated with progressive disability, systemic complications, early death, and socioeconomic costs (McInnes & Schett, 2011, p. 2205). The purpose of this discussion is to provide a disease process and management overview of rheumatoid...
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...About 1.3 million people in the U.S., have rheumatoid arthritis (Mann). Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disorder that affects many joints, including the hands and feet. Over time, the inflammation may cause bone erosion and even joint deformity. Once diagnosed, people may experience stiffness, swelling, and even tenderness. As people age there are many chronic diseases that can be diagnosed. This one in particular is normally due to smoking and even over exercising (Warner). If caught early, Rheumatoid arthritis can be treated. Many people should be aware of the pathophysiology, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, treatment, prevention, risk factors, and even the current and future outlook. People should always be aware...
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...Arthritis is broadly defined as painful inflammation of the joints, however there are approximately 100 different types of arthritis, including osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and psoriatic arthritis. Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease that is the most chronic joint condition and affects approximately 33 million people. It results from the overuse of joints, is associated with aging, may be the consequence of demanding sports where may be injured, or obesity (Guilak, 2011). Osteoarthritis is most common in joints that bear weight, such as the spine, hips, knees and feet. Symptoms associated with osteoarthritis are localized pain while symptoms such as feeling ill and fatigue or tiredness are typically not present as other...
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