Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic disorder where inflammation can damage joints and several other parts like lungs and blood vessels. The disease causes painful swelling that affects the lining of the joints, resulting in bone erosion and deformed joints. Read on to know more.

Causes
The immune system, under normal conditions, fights and protects the body from infection and disease. Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disorder where the immune system attacks healthy tissues in the joints.

Symptoms
Rheumatoid arthritis in its early stages affects smaller joints like those connecting fingers with hands and toes with feet. The symptoms spread to joints of wrists, ankles, knees, elbows, shoulders, and hips. Generally, the disease progresses in the same joints on both sides of the body. Common symptoms include the following.

• Warm, tender, and swollen joints
• Fever, fatigue, and loss of appetite
• Stiffness in joints that worsens in the mornings and after periods of inactivity.

Diagnosis
The early symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis resemble those of many other diseases. And there are no single blood tests to confirm its onset. So, rheumatoid arthritis can be challenging to diagnose in its early stages. Your physician will check your joints for redness, swelling, reflexes, warmth, and muscle strength during a physical exam. Diagnostic tests may include the following.

• Blood Test: Rheumatoid arthritis often causes an increased Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR) or C-Reactive Protein (CRP) levels in the blood. This is indicative of the onset of the inflammatory process in the body.
• Imaging Test: X-rays are advised to assess the progression of the disease in the joints. Further testing like MRI and ultrasound helps to determine the severity of the disease.

Treatment
The disease does not have a cure. But remission is possible when treatment begins early with medications. The type of medications for rheumatoid arthritis management will depend on the severity and the time rheumatoid arthritis has been present in the body.

• Steroids: Corticosteroids are prescribed to relieve symptoms and reduce medications gradually. These medications, like prednisone, slow down joint damage while reducing pain and inflammation.
• NSAIDs: Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) are prescribed to reduce pain and inflammation. Medications like ibuprofen may have side effects like heart problems, stomach irritation, and kidney damage.
• DMARDs: Disease-Modifying Antirheumatic Drugs (DMARDs) are prescribed to slow down disease progression and prevent further damage. DMARDs include medications like leflunomide but may cause side effects like lung infection and liver damage.
• Biologics: Biologics are a new type of DMARDs that are effective when taken in conjunction with other DMARDs. Possible side-effects are a heightened risk of infections.
• Targeted Synthetic DMARDs: These include medications like tofacitinib prescribed when DMARDs and biologics are not effective in treating rheumatoid arthritis. Their side effects include blood clots in the lungs and heart-related ailments.
• Surgery: Surgery may help people with advanced arthritis, facing decreased mobility, unbearable pain, and deformed joints. Surgery generally includes joint replacements as the most common form of treatment.

Natural remedies
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic disease without any cure. However, discomfort and progression can be stalled. For quick relief, apply an ice pack over inflamed joints to reduce swelling, numb the pain, and relax muscle spasms.

Foods to consume
A healthy diet consisting of foods rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties like yogurt, raw vegetables, and those cooked with spices like turmeric can help.

Preventive measures
A routine of mild and regular exercise like yoga and aerobics, and stress management can go a long way in reducing inflammation, pain and improving the quality of life.

A combination of several approaches can help relieve symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis and its progression. Consultation with a physician can help arrive at the best possible strategy for treating rheumatoid arthritis.