Photo Credit: by healthsame, flickr.com
Let’s talk about RA (Rheumatoid Arthritis) and why you don’t want to miss important early warning signs. Imagine waking up and your joints are so stiff that it makes even simple tasks seem impossible. The cause? It could be Rheumatoid Arthritis.
RA is a chronic inflammatory condition in which your immune system begins to attack your joints, classifying it as an autoimmune disease. Why does it happen? That’s still under investigation. According to the CDC, about 19% of U.S. adults have been diagnosed with some form of arthritis. But here’s the kicker: if left untreated, RA can lead to long-term, irreversible joint damage and disability. That alone underscores why catching this disease early—and treating it promptly—is absolutely critical.
RA Uncovered: Who Gets It and Why It Matters
Let’s take a deep dive into RA, what it is, and who’s at risk. So, what do we know? It is a chronic inflammatory disease due to our immune system’s attack on our joints. Left undiagnosed and untreated, it can lead to destruction and erosion of our joints, often leading to long-term disability. It classically presents with
• Multiple painful, swollen joints
• Morning stiffness
• Fever
• Weight loss
• Fatigue
Morning stiffness, or stiffness of the joints that often takes 20 minutes or more to resolve when you wake up in the morning or have been sitting still for a while, can often feel debilitating. Typically, the small joints of the hands and feet are affected. Although far more uncommon, RA can affect other parts of our body as well, including our lungs, heart, and kidneys. Taken together, though, involvement of organs other than our joints, such as our bones, muscles, heart, kidneys, blood vessels, and lungs has been reported in up to 40% of patients afflicted with RA.
So, who’s at risk? It is reported that women are far more affected than men in a 3:1 ratio. There is also evidence that genes play a role, as current data supports a higher risk of RA in relatives of those already afflicted by the disease. Incidence of RA often peaks between the ages of 65 and 80 years old. It has also been found to be most common in Australasian, Western European, and North American regions, and far less common in East/Southeast Asia and North Africa/the Middle East. Certain lifestyle factors have also been implicated to increase your risk of developing RA, including poor diet, smoking, and lack of exercise. Thus, this underscores the importance of decreasing risk factors we can affect and staying attuned to the early warning signs.
How Do We Detect RA?
So, once we’re suspicious, how do we catch it? Whenever you suspect you may be developing some form of arthritis, it is important to immediately seek medical care with your primary care provider. They can then order blood tests and imaging to support a potential diagnosis of RA. Once suspected, your doctor, in addition to ordering blood tests and imaging studies, will refer you to a specialist called a Rheumatologist. They will follow up on your blood tests and imaging and counsel you on the many treatment options available for treating RA. As mentioned, it is extremely important to begin diagnosis and treatment early to avoid any joint erosion and potential long-term joint disability.
What Are The Treatment Options?
As mentioned, it is critical to catch and begin treatment of RA early to stop the progression of the disease and prevent any permanent joint destruction. Initial treatment often begins with medications within a class called disease-modifying-antirheumatic drugs, or DMARDs. Specifically, the DMARD often used to initiate treatment is Methotrexate. If you have a flare of your RA, to temporarily control this acute inflammation, your doctor may start you on NSAIDs such as Naproxen or a steroid such as Prednisone. Over time, if your disease worsens despite the use of DMARD medications, your doctor may elect to add on other medications called biologics, which can directly target specific components of our immune system that are leading to this attack on our joints.
A Biologic medication that may be added by your doctor includes Adalimumab. It is extremely important to note that all of the above medications should only be taken at the direction of your physician, usually a Rheumatologist, especially due to their potential side effects, including their effect on your immune system, which needs monitoring by a Rheumatologist.
The Importance of Lifestyle Habits
As was mentioned, poor diet and exercise are known risk factors of developing RA and are thus termed “modifiable” risk factors. Control what you can control. Follow a healthy lifestyle and diet, and introduce regular exercise to preserve the mobility of your joints. It was also noted above that there is a strong association between RA and cigarette smoking. Thus, if you do smoke cigarettes, talk to your doctor about your options for quitting to reduce the effect of this risk factor not only on the development of RA but also its damaging effects on your overall health as well. If you do develop RA, it is not uncommon to feel alone and isolated from your peers who are not dealing with this disease. Please seek help and support, as you are not alone. There are therapy and support group options to support you through this disease process. Taking care of yourself involves mind, body, and spirit.
Don’t Wait – Inflammation Won’t
Recognizing RA early can truly change the trajectory of the disease. When patients wait, joint damage and disability become more likely. That’s why I urge you—if you have any lingering joint pain, stiffness, or swelling that won’t go away, don’t delay. Talk to your doctor. Ask for a referral. Catching it early is the key to preventing irreversible damage and preserving your quality of life. Managing RA isn’t just about taking pills—it’s about adopting a healthier lifestyle, being proactive, and never ignoring your symptoms. RA can be a lifelong condition—but with early treatment and the right support, it doesn’t have to define you.
References:
https://www.uptodate.com/contents/clinical-manifestations-of-rheumatoid-arthritis?search=rheumatoid%20arthritis&source=search_result&selectedTitle=3~150&usage_type=default&display_rank=3
https://www.uptodate.com/contents/initial-treatment-of-rheumatoid-arthritis-in-adults?search=rheumatoid%20arthritis%20treatment&source=search_result&selectedTitle=2~150&usage_type=default&display_rank=2#H1488242
https://www.uptodate.com/contents/treatment-of-rheumatoid-arthritis-in-adults-resistant-to-initial-conventional-synthetic-nonbiologic-dmard-therapy?search=rheumatoid%20arthritis%20treatment&source=search_result&selectedTitle=3~150&usage_type=default&display_rank=3#H7011196
https://www.uptodate.com/contents/epidemiology-of-risk-factors-for-and-possible-causes-of-rheumatoid-arthritis?search=rheumatoid%20arthritis&source=search_result&selectedTitle=30~150&usage_type=default&display_rank=31
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