I Can Still Lead A Normal Life
With earlier diagnosis and more effective, tailored treatments available, it is now possible for more people with RA to lead a more normal life.
This makes it especially important for people living with RA to have regular and open conversations with their doctor to discuss personal goals and their options.
References
You Need To Take Another Nap You Cant Still Be Tired
âPeople need to understand that the fatigue associated with RA can be just as bad or even worse than the pain,â Courtnay says. âMy immune system is in overdrive and constantly fighting itself, so it takes a toll and makes me tired all of the time. I have to take time for myself every day to lay down and rest so I can make it through the day.â
Exercise Helps Build Back Lost Muscle
As RA develops, the body loses muscle tissue and strength. This loss is noticeable at every stage of the diseaseat diagnosis, when RA is active, and even when RA is in remission.7 Body weight may remain stable or even increase,8 suggesting that while muscle tissue decreases, fat tissue increases.
Adding exercise to a treatment plan can:
- Build muscle tissue. While muscle tissue accounts for about 45% of body mass in healthy people, it typically accounts for less body mass in people with rheumatoid arthritis.4 Exercise helps increase muscle mass.
- Improve joint function. Muscles move our joints. Exercise to build muscle tissue can improve how well your joints work .
- Protect joints. Muscles support joints. Building muscle helps protect joints from damage and injury.
Strength exercises may involve equipment, such as weights or resistance bands. Exercises that use body weight, such as squats and certain yoga poses, can also build muscle strength.9
See Tai Chi and Yoga for Arthritis
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Im Selling And Knowing You Have Ra I Thought Of You
This is a friendship-breaker for Kramer, who cites several coffee dates that turned into sales pitches. âThis one burns me up,â she says. âItâs tough to share your RA story. So when friends begin selling a product and come back to you, using a vulnerability, it really makes you feel used.â
Lundberg says she gets product-hawking emails. âIâm on top of taking care of my RA,â she says. âAnd Iâve tried many things. Itâs stressful enough living with this disease, and dealing with my medications and my personal treatment plan with my doctor. … People with no clue telling me what to do is very irritating.â
Its Not Just Arthritis
“Too often, people hear âarthritisâ and think minor aches and pains,” says Dina Neils, 30, a CreakyJoints.com blogger living in California. Neils was diagnosed with RA 18 years ago.
âThe truth is, living with RA means you will most likely be on a variety of medications for the rest of your life,â she says. âYou may need multiple surgeries or joint replacements, too.â
A lot of misunderstandings happen when people donât know the difference between osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
Osteoarthritis, the most common form of arthritis, is typically caused by wear and tear. It’s more common as people get older. Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disorder that can set in at any time in a personâs life.
âIâve had so many people say, ‘Oh, arthritis? Getting older sucks, doesnât it?’â Chamorro says. âThatâs really irksome.â
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Nows The Best Time To Have Ra
Yes, treatment has improved in the past decade. Dr. Matteson says that RA patients who are on the right medication and who do not develop serious disease outside of the joints, such as in the lungs, have virtually a normal life expectancy. Still, that doesnt make it easy. “It is frustrating when, in response to telling someone you have RA, they say that now is such a great time to have RA,” says Nash. “I feel like the best time to have RA is never.” Although outcomes are much better, RA is still a lifetime burden, particularly for those who get it young. It means extra decades of managing the disease.
Osteoarthritis Vs Rheumatoid Arthritis In Hands
Osteoarthritis in hands is the most common form of the condition, caused when cartilage in the joints starts to break down and cause pain, stiffness, and inflammation. It primarily affects older people, while RA is most common in people ages 30 to 50. RA in the hands also causes pain, stiffness, and swelling but will come with other symptoms as well, since the disease affects your entire body.
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Spell And Check Your Pronunciation Of Rheumatoid Arthritis
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Click on the microphone icon and begin speaking Rheumatoid Arthritis.
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Here Are 4 Tips That Should Help You Perfect Your Pronunciation Of ‘rheumatoid’:
- Break ‘rheumatoid’ down into sounds:++-say it out loud and exaggerate the sounds until you can consistently produce them.
- Record yourself saying ‘rheumatoid’ in full sentences, then watch yourself and listen. You’ll be able to mark your mistakes quite easily.
- Look up tutorials on Youtube on how to pronounce ‘rheumatoid’.
- Focus on one accent: mixing multiple accents can get really confusing especially for beginners, so pick one accent and stick to it.
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A Pill Or Diet Wont Cure Me
âAfter I was first diagnosed, people would come up to me and say things like, ‘You should go gluten-free!’ or âYou should try krill oil,â like that would fix everything,â Searles says.
In reality, âcutting out gluten and most processed foods has eased my symptoms, but RA is a genetic disease. No lifestyle change will ever make it just go away,â she says.
Mistakes People Make When Talking About Rheumatoid Arthritis
Sometimes, its better to say nothing at all.
None of us says all the right things all the time. Im constantly working on ways to improve my communication.Half the battle is being aware of what to say or not and how to say it. Tone and delivery are often almost as important as the message and the intent.There are things that make certain discussions more delicate or sensitive, but that doesnt have to mean more awkward.
Through living with illness, Ive found that people sometimes just dont know what to say or how to talk about it in a meaningful, engaging, and compassionate way. So heres a quick primer on the mistakes to avoid when youre discussing rheumatoid arthritis .
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Morning Stiffness Is A Recognized Characteristic Of Ra Youre Not Being Lazy
I know a lot of people who have a hard time getting up when the alarm clock goes off. Thats people without RA as well as people with RA. For people without RA, it is mostly a consequence of not getting enough sleep. For people with RA, morning stiffness is an actual characteristic of the disease. While the exact cause of morning stiffness in RA is not known, it does seem to be associated with inflammation.
Morning stiffness leaves you feeling like you cant get up flattened, as if hit by a truck. The joint stiffness and body aches are intense and cruel and typically last more than an hour. So, if you have RA, you are not just trying to grab a few extra winks, nor being lazy your body isnt cooperating.
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When Will You Be Cured
âThis really bothers my wife,â Phillips says. âSheâs often asked, âWhen will he get better?â Her response is always the same — never. In fact, just for fun, sheâll say, âHe has three chronic diseases, heâs not getting better.ââ Phillips has had diabetes most of his life and more recently was diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis, a type of arthritis type that affects your spine.
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Have You Tried Exercising
Cathy Kramer, whoâs 53 and lives in Naperville, IL, says this oneâs super jarring. âI could barely lift my teacup to my mouth when a dad in our playgroup went into a long speech on if I would only work out — which I did when I could — my joints would move with a lot more ease.â His comments seemed to put down other things she was doing. âAt that time, I was literally trying everything,â she says.
Exercise Lowers The Risk Of Heart Disease
People with rheumatoid arthritis are 48% more likely to develop heart disease than the general population.10 RA inflammation is thought to damage the heart and blood vessels.
Exercise reduces the risk of heart disease by:
- Lowering inflammation that can damage the heart and blood vessels
- Burning excess fat, which may contribute to heart disease
No matter what, exercise is a great way to fight heart diseasewhether RA has been diagnosed or not.
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A Nap Isnt Going To Make Me Feel Less Tired
âTired doesnât begin to describe how I feel if Iâm having a bad day or bad week,â says Barbara Searles, author of Kick Pain in the Kitchen. She was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis 5 years ago.
Chronic fatigue affects 89% of people who have the condition, and it can sap their strength, Rosian says. She tells her patients with RA to be realistic about how active they can be when fatigue sets in. She also suggests they share how they’re feeling with their friends and family members.
âYou can say, ‘When I say Iâm having a bad day, itâs like having the flu and a fever of 102. I may seem fine, but I am really struggling,’â Rosian says.
But if you have RA and youâre constantly exhausted, it can be a sign that your treatment isnât working, and you should see your rheumatologist right away, she says.
Rheumatoid Arthritis Flare Prevention
While there is no known way to keep from getting rheumatoid arthritis, there are plenty of steps you can take to prevent complications and help lessen the impact of a flare.
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Quit smoking. A Swedish study of 34,101 women reported that even light cigarette smoking is associated with increased risk of RA in women and that quitting may reduce the risk.
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Maintain a healthy weight to ease pressure on your joints. If you are overweight, you may want to consider a weight-loss plan, as excess pounds c:n put unnecessary stress on your joints. Consider working with a dietitian to help build a personalized diet or program that targets your specific goals for managing your RA.
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Eat a healthy diet. While there is no prescribed diet for RA, aim to avoid foods that cause inflammation, like packaged snacks,and include foods that promote bone health and immune function.
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Start or keep up with an exercise routine. Research shows that exercise can help alleviate RA symptoms and even improve day-to-day functioning. It can also make you more flexible, help you sleep better, and boost your endurance.
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Stress less. Research published in Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases found a link between having a major psychological stress and having more active RA disease. Incorporating effective stress-reduction techniques like deep breathing, mindfullness, and therapy, could be a huge benefit to your treatment protocol.
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Things People With Ra Want You To Know
Rheumatoid arthritis is often called a âsilent disease.â Why? Unlike many other illnesses, you canât always tell when a person with RA is feeling their worst.
Thatâs just one of the things people with the condition want you to know, whether youâre newly diagnosed with RA or someone close to you has it.
We asked people with the disease to speak out. Hereâs what they had to say.
Heart And Blood Vessels
People with RA are more prone to atherosclerosis, and risk of myocardial infarction and stroke is markedly increased.Other possible complications that may arise include: pericarditis, endocarditis, left ventricular failure, valvulitis and fibrosis. Many people with RA do not experience the same chest pain that others feel when they have angina or myocardial infarction. To reduce cardiovascular risk, it is crucial to maintain optimal control of the inflammation caused by RA , and to use exercise and medications appropriately to reduce other cardiovascular risk factors such as blood lipids and blood pressure. Doctors who treat people with RA should be sensitive to cardiovascular risk when prescribing anti-inflammatory medications, and may want to consider prescribing routine use of low doses of aspirin if the gastrointestinal effects are tolerable.
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Treatments For Rheumatoid Arthritis In Hands
There are several ways to treat RA in your hands, from medicine to inexpensive home treatments. Talk with your doctor about oral and topical anti-inflammatory medications that may help and surgical options. You may also want to change your diet or purchase some inexpensive items that could help, such as arthritis gloves.
Remedies Now Target Inflammation As Well As The Ache
by Barbara Stepko, AARP, February 1, 2019
En español | We all know what its like to wake up in the morning with an aching back or stiff knees. But for those with chronic inflammatory arthritis, a disease in which our immune system starts attacking healthy cells by mistake manifesting in widespread pain and red, swollen, inflamed joints the discomfort is very different. The distinction has to do with the pervasiveness of the experience, says Nortin Hadler, M.D., emeritus professor of medicine and microbiology/immunology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Without medicine, people with rheumatoid arthritis or psoriatic arthritis are lucky to feel good ever during the day. It is remittent: There are good days, and there are bad days.
Getting the disease under control with drugs, such as disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs or biologics, can significantly reduce the pain. But while medication these days is very effective, its not completely effective, says Nancy Shadick, M.D., a rheumatologist at Bostons Brigham and Womens Hospital and an associate professor at Harvard Medical School. Youre dealing with the intermittent flares or some ongoing pain or disability.
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Paying For Your Medicines
If you have rheumatoid arthritis, you’re likely to need repeat prescriptions of medicine to keep your condition under control.
Rheumatoid arthritis is not listed as a medical condition that entitles a person to free prescriptions in England.
But you may be able to get your medicine for free if your condition falls under the category of “a continuing physical disability which means the person cannot go out without the help of another person”.
You’re also entitled to free prescriptions if you’re 60 or over, or if you receive either:
- Income Support
- income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- income-related Employment and Support Allowance.
If you are not entitled to free prescriptions, you may find it cheaper to buy a prescription prepayment certificate .
This is effectively a prescription “season ticket” that covers all your prescriptions over a 3- or 12-month period.
Read more about help with prescription costs to see if you’re entitled to free prescriptions.
Further information
Dont Say: Youre Probably Just Stressed Out Stress Kills
Research remains inconclusive as to what role stress plays in the onset of rheumatoid arthritis. Some studies confirm the link others, like a recent Dutch study, found no correlation between psychological stress and early signs of joint pain. Rheumatoid arthritis is thought to be caused by a number of factors, such as genetics, infection, or environmental factors like smoking, but nobody knows for sure yet.
When it comes to RA flares, stress can be a factor among a host of other triggers, but it doesnt operate in a vacuum. So when people tell Briana Redulla, 33, she needs to relax to help control her disease, it really bugs her, especially because she lives in Hawaii, one of the most chill places on earth! Lets not blame the victim, shall we?
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Let Me Know If I Can Do Anything
This clearly isnt the worst thing you can say to someone with RA. You want to help, and thats the message you’re conveying. However, it can be difficult for someone to ask for assistance on top of controlling RA.”A lot of people dont understand how limiting chronic pain is,” says Nash. Instead, Nash says, specific offers, like helping with grocery shopping or bringing a meal, are more meaningful than an open-ended one that puts the burden on the patient to fulfill.
Dont Say: Just Rest Up And Youll Feel Better
Wrong! insists Stefanie Foster Freeman, a holistic health coach and author of Lifes a Journey, Are You Packed? Living and Thriving with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis. You definitely dont want to stiffen up. Moving actually helps my joints to feel better. Every patient has different limits when it comes to exercise, but the research is pretty clear that for most people with RA, its important to move as much as possible to maintain flexibility, get good sleep, and keep that heart healthy.
My doctor told me Id never run a marathon, and hes right, Im not going to run a marathon.
Though my friend called me bloated at dinner, she didnt know that I work out four to five times per week and do intense HIIT training. I cant run or jump but I modify the circuits and do as much as I can. Other RA patients find Pilates, walking, swimming, tai chi, weight lifting, or even cross country skiing, to be easiest on the joints. How RA patients choose to exercise is between them and their doctor.
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