Rumatoid arthritus - rheumotoid arthritis (rheumatory arthuritis)

Rumatoid arthritis is a condition where the immune system releases an attack on the own body, particularly the joints. Signs of rheumotoid arthritus includes joints swelling and becoming  painful from rheumatory arthritis.

	Rumatoid arthritis

Rheumotoid arthritis symptoms - signs of rheumatoid arthritis

A typical sign of rumatoid arthritis is when inflammatory cells, sent out by the immune system, attacks the synovium in the joints (that is the lining) with special "killer" cells, or rather a mix contining neutrophils, lymphocytes and others designed to combat a threat that doesn't exist. Instead, it destroys the synovium where it thinks the threat is located. These cells are combined in a complicated pattern and interaction by which they produce very damaging (to the joints) cytokines.

The joints are always where the main effect is of a rumatoid arthritis. Rheumotoid arthritus is a systemic disease which by definition can affect several organs such as eyes and lungs.

Rumatoid arthritis (or shorter: RA) causes symptoms such as stiffness and pain in the joints, swelling etc - which over longer term may reduce the functionality and the flexibility of the joit.

Treatment of rheumotoid arthritis

With rumatory arthritis in the active stage, the patient will experience stiffness in joints that is worse in the morning at which time it can last one or a couple of hours and in some severe cases throughout the whole day. If the diagnose is other arthritic disease, the symptoms will usually be completely different which means that this symptom is particularly well suited for diagnosing rhumatory arthritus (rheumatiod arthritis). Other symptoms that can be used in the diagnose are when minor joints are affected more than the larger joints, something that often indicates rumatory arthritis.

As the diagnosis of rhumatoid arthritis is what is know as a clinical diagnosis, it means that in order to establish it, there must be signs of swollen joints and also that these should be primarily the minor joints. The rheumatoid factor should also be tested and as this is usually established in 80% of the patients it can be a useful sign, although it is also found in perfectly healthy people - as many as one in twenty will have this and without any rematoid arthritus. Testing for the rhuematoid factor is not required unless there are symptoms like joint swelling or pain as this is always the first symptom. When the disease has been present for around six months or longer, it is possible to use X-ray examination of the minor joints (hands, feet) and search for joint damage which is a clear symptom of rumatoid arthritis.

What are the causes of rheumatoid arthritis?

Rheumetoid arthritis is caused by the patients own immune system in where the cells start to attack perfectly healthy joints. This is a typical case of an autoimmune condition. The erroneous action of the cells in trying to fend of the non-existent threat and thereby damaging the joints, especially the synovium (lining) is triggered by things we don't fully understand yet, but we can suspect that at least one part of the explanation is hereditary. Once the synovium is attacked with cytokines created by the attacking cells, it starts a slow breakdown that will eventually cause an irreversible damage, swelling and pain from the arthritus.

As new research has been able to establish new facts recently, we are getting closer to an understanding on why the immune system is triggered into this misguided attack and how it could possibly be prevented. Some first results here are the TNF-blockers (tumor necrosis factor blocking medicines). These have been created to jam the signaling from the immune system to the cells attacking the joint and causing the rhematory arthritis symptoms.

Rumatoid (reumatoid) arthritis - different types

• Osteoarthritis, is the most frequently found arthritis form. This type of RA harms the cartilage present in the joints and will eventually cause a severe amount of reumatoid pain and reduction of joint flexibility.
• Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease in where the inflamation starts in the minor joints, slowly spreads even to the major joints and as it is irreversible and progressive, it is a very disabling and serious condition.
• Gout, almost always a male disease. Usually caused by a disturbance in the body chemistry. Gout, just as rheumotoid arthritus, tends to attack the small joints first, like the toes. Dietary change and morern drugs works well in combination in order to keep the disease at bay.
• Ankylosing spondylitis is a condition affecting the spine in where the spinal bones eventually start to grow together as a result of an original inflammation.

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