What is Rheumatoid Arthritis ?

Rheumatoid Arthritis an auto-immune chronic inflammatory disease that basically affects  various types of joints of the body, that results in pain, swelling, redness, and stiffness in the joints.

 It actually affects/attacks the immune system’s healthy cells by mistake, causing inflammation, redness, pain, and swelling in the affected parts of the body. 

It mainly attacks the joints, like many joints at once.

Rheumatoid Arthritis affects joints of areas like-

• Hands
• Wrists
• Knees

 In this disease the lining of the joint gets inflamed, causing serious damage to the tissues of the joint. This tissue damage can cause chronic or even long pain, lack of balance, and deformity.

Rheumatoid Arthritis can also affect other tissues present throughout the body and create havoc in major organs like the lungs, heart, and eyes.

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6 Types of Rheumatoid Arthritis Sign & Symptoms 

• Pain or discomfort in more than one joint,

• Stiffness or inflexibility/rigidity in more than one joint

• Tenderness with swelling in more than one joint

• Weight loss

• Fever

• Fatigue or Weakness

RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS CAUSES ?

• It is actually an Autoimmune-generated response in which the body’s own immune system attacks its healthy disease-fighting cells. 
• The specific causes related to rheumatoid arthritis are not known actually, but some factors can increase the risk of developing this disease.

6 Types of Risk Factors Rheumatoid Arthritis

Factors that spike the risk of rheumatoid arthritis are-

• Age- It can start at any age, but the likelihood increases with age. The onset of RA is highly seen in adults in their sixties or seventies.
• Sex- New cases of the disease are actually three times higher in women as compared to men.
• Genetics- People born with specific HLA genes are more likely to develop RA. This genes-HLA (human leukocyte antigen) class II genotypes, can also make arthritis worse.
• Smoking- Cigarette smoking increases a person’s risk of developing the disease and can make this disease even worse.

• Early Life Exposures/physical abuse- Some early life exposures or physical abuse can increase the risk of developing the disease in adulthood.  For instance, one research suggests that children whose mothers smoked had double the risk of developing the disease as teens or adults.
• Obesity- Being an obese or overweight person can increase the risk of getting or developing  the disease Research indicates the role of obesity also found a direct relationship between obesity and rheumatoid arthritis and it states -the more overweight a person is, the higher his or her risk of developing the disease.

 8 Complications of Rheumatoid Arthritis

• Low bone mass/Osteopenia/Osteoporosis –It can increase the risk of osteopenia which often progresses to osteoporosis — its a condition that weakens the bones and makes them more prone to fracture.
• Rheumatoid nodules formation – These bumps of tissue are commonly formed around pressure points like elbows, joints. However, these nodules can also form anywhere else in the body, including organs like the heart and lungs.

• Dry mouth and eyes – Patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis are much more likely to develop or are prone to Sjogren’s syndrome, a disorder or a syndrome that decreases the amount of moisture in the mouth and eyes.

• Viral or bacterial Infections – This disease Rheumatoid arthritis and many of the medicines used to treat it can impair out the immune system, further leading to an increased infection rate.
• Body composition – The direct proportion of fat to lean body mass is often higher in people who are suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, and even more common in those who have a normal body mass index.
• Cardiovascular issues – Rheumatoid arthritis can increase your risk of hardened, clogged, and blocked arteries, and also inflammation of the sac that encloses your heart.
• Respiratory Disorders – Patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis have an increased risk of inflammation and yes scarring of the lung or respiratory tissues, which can lead to progressive symptoms like shortness of breath.
• Lymphoma/ Lymphatic system cancer – Rheumatoid arthritis increases the risk of lymphoma, which is actually a group of blood cancers that develop in the lymphatic system.

Rheumatoid arthritis Diagnosis

Rheumatoid arthritis is basically diagnosed by examining symptoms or it can be like conducting a physical examination just to review the physical observable symptoms and doing radio-graphical X-rays and pathological lab tests. 

-It’s actually best if rheumatoid arthritis is diagnosed early—within 5 to 6 months of the onset of Rheumatoid arthritis-related symptoms—so that patients with this disease can begin their treatment to stop/slow disease progression (for example, damage to joints, inflammation, pain, and swelling, etc).  

-Effective treatments, particularly treatments specific to suppress or control inflammation, can help reduce the effects of Rheumatoid arthritis.

Best Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis Gurgaon 

FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE IS ACTUALLY A  HOLISTIC AND A SYSTEM BASED APPROACH WHICH TREATS CERTAIN PATHOLOGICAL, METABOLIC AND AUTO IMMUNE DISORDERS BY TREATING THE ROOT CAUSE OF DISEASE .THE FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE DOCTORS (FM DOCTOR IN DELHI, INDIA)  IN INDIA LIKE DR. ANJALI HOODA AT LIVENUTRIFIT WELLNESS LIMITED, INVESTIGATES THE COMPLETE MEDICAL AND SURGICAL HISTORY THE PAST ILLNESS AND FURTHER ANALYSIS THROUGH DIET AND MINIMAL OR NO MEDICATIONS.  DR. ANJALI HOODA’S FORMULA IS TO EDUCATE  AND MODIFY THEIR PATIENT’S LIFESTYLE THROUGH A SIMPLE CONCEPT- ‘’FOOD IS THE MEDICINE’’. SHE’S ACTUALLY THE BEST FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE DOCTOR IN INDIA.

DISEASES TREATED THROUGH FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE  ARE- DEPRESSION, MIGRAINE, AUTO IMMUNE DISEASE, RHEUMATOID ARTHIRITIS, ANXIETY, CELIAC DISEASE, INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE, INFLAMMATORY BOWEL SYNDROME, PCOD/PCOS,VITILEGO ETC.

Diet

Some Best and Worst foods linked to the disease are-

Although there’s no rheumatoid-specific diet, an inflammatory protocol like consuming anti-inflammatory foods like- fruits and vegetables, whole grains, olive oil, and fish can help you better overall.

We should aim to eat a healthy balanced diet that includes-

• Lots and lots of whole grains, fruits, and veggies, like this combination should make 2/3rd of the plate.

• Consuming low-fat dairy products, and lean meats, this combination should make up 1/3rd of the plate.

• No or litte amount of trans or saturated fats,

• Little or no sugar, alcohol

Best Food Rheumatoid Arthritis

• Omega 3- These omega 3-rich sources help soothe pain related to rheumatoid arthritis as Omega 3 has natural chemicals that act as painkillers.
• Omega 3 helps in lowering the inflammation level in the body.
• Since rheumatoid arthritis is closely linked to cardiovascular issues, low inflammation can maintain triglycerides and LDL ratios, hence maintaining heart health. Fish like-Salmons, herring, sardines, mackerel, tuna, nuts, canola oil, and seeds are rich sources of omega 3.
• Beans- Actually they’re packed with fiber, and antioxidants, which help maintain levels of C- REACTIVE PROTEIN (CRP) a cardio-marker that indicates inflammation.
• Foods like broccoli, green leafy veggies like beans, bok choy and  Brussels sprouts, kale and and chard, all these are foods are anti-inflammatory foods that lower inflammation.

• Berries like blueberries, raspberries, cranberries, and cherries have antioxidants like anthocyanins that help cut down inflammation.
• Citrus fruits like orange, grapefruit, and lime all are rich in antioxidants and Vitamin C that help hold off inflammation.
• Green tea contains polyphenols, the These polyphenols are basically antioxidants which in turn help hold off the inflammation caused by rheumatoid arthritis, also green contains a compound known as EGCG- epigallocatechin-3 that stops synthesis of molecules that may lead to joint damage.
• use olive oil
• Turmeric/Curcumin is something that holds inflammation by acting as an anti-inflammatory food.
• Prevents swelling and pain.

Worst Foods or Foods that needs to be avoided Rheumatoid Arthritis

Red Meats and Dairy Products

• As these things are rich in saturated and trans fats, that can cause inflammation in the body.

Fried Junks, Fast Foods or Processed Items:

• All these are again major source of trans fats, 
• As there shelf life is increased by adding hydrogen into it, they may trigger inflammation throughout the body.

Salt, Sugar and Alcohol:

• Too much salt intake may hold conditions of this disease in the body and restrict salt.
• Sugars like fructose or sucrose release chemicals like cytokines that may kick-start the inflammation in the body.

 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

   1 – Explain Rheumatoid arthritis.

Ans. It’s an auto-immune chronic inflammatory disease that basically affects the joints o the body that results in pain, swelling, redness, and stiffness in the joints.

 It actually affects/attacks the immune system’s healthy cells by mistake, causing inflammation, redness, pain, and swelling in the affected parts of the body. 

This Disease mainly attacks the joints, like many joints at once.

   2- Explain signs and symptoms of Rheumatoid arthritis.

Ans. Signs and symptoms of Rheumatoid Arthritis are:

• Pain or discomfort in more than one joint,
• Stiffness or inflexibility/rigidity in more than one joint
• Tenderness with swelling in more than one joint
• Weight loss
• Fever
• Fatigue or Weakness

   3-What are the main causes of Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Ans. Rheumatoid Arthritis is actually an autoimmune-generated response in which the body’s own immune system attacks its healthy disease-fighting cells and the Causes  are unknown.

  4- What are the foods that needs to be excluded in the diet of the patient suffering from this disease.

Ans. Red Meats and Dairy Products

As these things are rich in saturated and trans fats, that can cause inflammation in the body.

Fried Junks, Fast Foods or Processed Items:

All these are again major source of trans fats, 

Inflammation might trigger.

Salt, Sugar and Alcohol:

Too much salt intake may hold conditions of  this disease in the body in the body and salt intake less than 1500 gm per day.

Sugars like fructose or sucrose release chemicals like cytokines that may kick-start the inflammation in the body.