Rheumatoid arthritis treatment

Rheumatoid arthritis is a long-term disease that causes inflammation of the joints and surrounding tissues.Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic, systemic autoimmune disorder that most commonly causes inflammation and tissue damage in joints and tendon sheaths, together with anemia. It can also produce diffuse inflammation in the lungs, pericardium, pleura, and the sclera of the eye, and also nodular lesions, most common in subcutaneous tissue under the skin. It can be a disabling and painful condition, which can lead to substantial loss of functioning and mobility. It is diagnosed chiefly on symptoms and signs, but also with blood tests and X-rays. Diagnosis and long-term management are typically performed by a rheumatologist, an expert in the diseases of joints and connective tissues. Various treatments are available. Non-pharmacological treatment includes physical therapy and occupational therapy. Analgesia and anti-inflammatory drugs, as well as steroids, are used to suppress the symptoms, while disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs are often required to inhibit or halt the underlying immune process and prevent long-term damage. In recent times, the newer group of biologics has increased treatment options.The name is based on the term "rheumatic fever", an illness which includes joint pain and is derived from the Greek word rheumatos The suffix-oid gives the translation as joint inflammation that resembles rheumatic fever. The first recognized description of rheumatoid arthritis was made in 1800 by Dr Augustin Jacob Landré-Beauvais of Paris. rheumatoide Arthritis polyarthrite rhumatoïde Reumatoïde artritis Reumatoid artrit L'artrite reumatoide There is no known cure for rheumatoid arthritis, but many different types of treatment can alleviate symptoms and/or modify the disease process.The goal of treatment is two-fold: alleviating the current symptoms, and preventing the future destruction of the joints with the resulting handicap if the disease is left unchecked. These two goals may not always coincide: while pain relievers may achieve the first goal, they do not have any impact on the long-term consequences. For these reasons, most authorities believe that most RA should be treated by at least one specific anti-rheumatic medication, also named DMARD (see below), to which other medications and non-medical interventions can be added as needed. Cortisone therapy has offered relief in the past, but its long-term effects have been deemed undesirable.However, cortisone injections can be valuable adjuncts to a long-term treatment plan, and using low dosages of daily cortisone can also have an important benefit if added to a proper specific anti-rheumatic treatment. Pharmacological treatment of RA can be divided into disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs), anti-inflammatory agents and analgesics. Treatment also includes test and physical activity. Other therapies are weight loss, occupational therapy, podiatry, physiotherapy, joint injections, and special tools to improve hard movements (e.g. special tin-openers). Regular exercise is important for maintaining joint mobility and making the joint muscles stronger. Swimming is especially good, as it allows for exercise with a minimum of stress on the joints. Heat and cold applications are modalities that can ease symptoms before and after exercise. Pain in the joints is sometimes alleviated by oral ibuprofen or other anti-inflammatory. Other areas of the body, such as the eyes and lining of the heart, are treated individually. Fish oil may have anti-inflammatory effects. Radon therapy, popular in Germany and Eastern Europe, can induce beneficial long-term effects for rheumatoid arthritis. A survey in the United Kingdom between 1998 and 2002 found arthritis to be reported among the five most common reasons for the medicinal use of cannabis. Patients with rheumatoid arthritis do not benefit from acupuncture. Severely affected joints may require joint replacement surgery, such as knee replacement.