Rheumatoid Arthritis is a serious illness
This post is a reaction to the many times I have heard “At least it’s nothing serious.” Well, some things about Rheumatoid Arthritis are downright serious. So, I want to place a warning to my readers that today I am utterly serious. For once, I have found something that is not a joking matter at all.
A few months ago, I read an old interview with Mrs. Daniels about her mother who had RA. The author said that she had “died of Rheumatoid Arthritis.” Mrs. Daniels mom is not the first, of course. My own grandfather’s life was cut short and RA apparently was part of that.
To write faster, I will shorten Rheumatoid Arthritis to AR
Let’s look at a few RA facts: http://bit.ly/RAsolutions
You do not need to read the all links to understand my point, but even though it was tedious, I wanted to provide them for anyone who may need to begin a particular search. And they prove my point, too.
Rheumatoid Arthritis can attack the spine. When the C-1 vertebra is affected, pressure on the spinal cord can lead to paralysis or death. Inside of the larynx are the Cricoarytenoid joints (the vocal cord joints) which bring the characteristic hoarseness of RA. Both the swelling and the nodules can interfere with ability to breathe. Sometimes, a tracheotomy is required. Here is a discussion of this.
Rheumatoid Arthritis of the pericardium (heart lining) interferes with heart function. There are also nodules and inflammation of the muscle itself. RA can attack the lungs in a similar way to the heart, inflaming the lining, or causing nodules. The pleurisy and the scarring both can be life threatening. Rheumatoid Arthritis patients sometimes die from infections because the treatments suppress the immune system.
Heart attack and heart disease risk is much higher. And much less recognized. RA causes inflammation and blockages of arteries. Rheumatoid Arthritis is associated with a shortened lifespan. Some reasons, like constant inflammation, are obvious. Others are not yet known. Studies show that the mortality gap is not improved by treatments.
More widely known is the greater risk of cancer for RA patients. Some attribute this to the treatments used, but this is uncertain. There are dozens of other lesser known complications of Rheumatoid Arthritis which can contribute to early death including involvement of blood vessels, nerves, and other vital organs.
Some of these problems are rarer than others, especially with mild disease. Some of them are fairly low in incidence when measured separately. However, taken together, there is reason for concern. Risk increases with the severity of the disease; RA patients with a severe form of Rheumatoid Arthritis are more likely to see one of these in their future. http://bit.ly/RAsolutions
Maybe we do not talk about this because we do not want to dwell on fearful things. Maybe it is because we are too busy with learning to walk on knee replacements or trying to get our insurance to pay for the shots.
No one can assure you what will happen with RA since disease progression varies, possibly due to genetics. But the goal of treating RA is the same for everyone: to interfere with the disease process. Slow progression, delay disability, and extend life.
You Can Get The Solution Here =) http://bit.ly/RAsolutions
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