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Tuesday, August 13, 2013
Rheumatoid Arthritis medicine
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For the past 10 years, studies have shown that early, aggressive treatment for RA can delay the onset of joint destruction. In addition to rest, strengthening exercises, and anti-inflammatory agents, the current standard of care is to initiate aggressive therapy with disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) once the diagnosis is confirmed.Rheumatoid Arthritis Diagnosis
Rheumatoid Arthritis Diagnosis
by Rusty Ford
RA can begin very gradually, or it can strike quickly. The first symptoms are pain, swelling, and stiffness in the joints. The most commonly involved joints include hands, feet, wrists, elbows, and ankles, although other joints may also be involved. The joints are affected in a symmetrical fashion. This means that if the right wrist is involved, the left wrist is also involved. Patients frequently experience painful joint stiffness when they first get up in the morning, lasting for perhaps an hour. Over time, the joints become deformed. The joints may be difficult to straighten, and affected fingers and toes may be permanently bent (flexed). The hands and feet may curve outward in an abnormal way.
Many patients also notice increased fatigue, loss of appetite, weight loss, and sometimes fever. Rheumatoid nodules are bumps that appear under the skin around the joints and on the top of the arms and legs. These nodules can also occur in the tissue covering the outside of the lungs and lining the chest cavity (pleura), and in the tissue covering the brain and spinal cord (meninges). Lung involvement may cause shortness of breath and is seen more in men. Vasculitis (inflammation of the blood vessels) may interfere with blood circulation. This can result in irritated pits (ulcers) in the skin, tissue death (gangrene), and interference with nerve functioning that causes numbness and tingling.
Read more: http://www.arthritis-symptom.com/Rheumatoid-arthritis-symptoms/rheumatoid-arthritis-diagnosis.htm#ixzz2bumycaIC
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