Specialists in arthritic disease are often asked if OA is an inherited disease. People with OA are concerned about the possibility of their siblings developing the same problem or about their chances of “passing” the...
In a worst-case scenario, a joint affected by OA can become stiff and painful. These symptoms result from the loss of the smooth, gliding surface that undamaged cartilage provides. As the disease progresses, the cartilage...
The cause of OA is elusive in most cases. Nevertheless, physicians have noticed that certain groups have a higher rate of OA than others. You may find that you belong to one or more of...
OA can affect a variety of joints in the body, including the spine. Like OA of the hips and knees, OA of the spine (sometimes called spondylitis) is a degenerative disease. The spine is made...
Cartilage is a type of dense connective tissue. It is a tough, semitransparent, flexible tissue that is composed of cartilage cells (chondrocytes) and tough fibers that are surrounded by a dense material made of fats...
OA is a disease of the joints. It predominantly affects the cartilage that lines the bones of the joint. Cartilage is the dense rubbery tissue that covers the ends of bones in a joint. In...
Despite extensive research, scientists still do not know what causes OA. It is theorized that some type of cartilage damage starts a destructive process that, in genetically susceptible people, results in OA. While the cause...
Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic condition that affects the joints. It occurs more frequently as we age. Of the more than 100 different types of arthritic conditions distinguished, OA is the most common, affecting more...
Influenza infections can take a more severe course in people with RA. These infections are minor annoyances in the young and healthy, but can result in hospitalization and even death in elderly persons or individuals...
The pneumococcal vaccine is a preparation of biological material that is injected into your body and causes your body to form antibodies to pneumococcus (plural = “pneumococci”) bacteria. Whenever you are exposed to a particular...
Given that RA is a disease that can affect mobility and strength, home modifications can make your life much easier. Some home modifications are simpler to make than others. For example, moving from a multilevel...
Alternative medicine and complementary medicine are terms that are often used interchangeably. We will follow this practice in this text. Alternative medicine comprises a mixed group of practices that target hygiene, diagnosis, and treatment of...
I've heard that I can have my blood “filtered” to treat my rheumatoid arthritis. Is that possible? Yes, there is a device that treats RA by “filtering” the blood—the so-called extracorporeal immunoadsorption protein A column....
Rheumatoid arthritis is an inflammatory process that affects the synovium, and its symptoms generally respond to the various anti-inflammatory medications that constitute the armamentarium of the rheumatologist. Sometimes, however, RA-induced changes to the structural or...
Mechanical stress on inflamed joints can worsen the pain and increase the damage that arthritis causes. While medication can help to decrease the inflammation associated with RA, reducing the stress on your joints can help...
Fatigue is a common symptom of RA and can be a difficult problem to manage. To improve fatigue, it is important to find out why you are fatigued. Your doctor can help by taking a...
When a physician is evaluating a person with joint pain and swelling, he or she may use x-rays to determine whether the arthritis has caused damage to the bones of the joint. Radiographs, as x-rays...
C-reactive protein (CRP) is found in the bloodstream of people who have an inflammatory condition such as RA. This protein is made in the liver and its production increases when inflammation is present in the...
Testing positive for the CCP antibody test does not automatically mean that you have RA. A CCP test can be positive in other rheumatic diseases, such as systemic lupus erythematosus, Sj?gren's syndrome, scleroderma, and cryoglobulinemia,...
A newer blood test used to help diagnose RA is the citrulline antibody test, more formally known as the cyclic citrullinated peptide (CCP) antibody test. It may also be referred to as anti-citrulline antibody, anti-cyclic...
No one test can “prove” that a person has RA, or any other autoimmune disease for that matter. Instead, RA is diagnosed only after your doctor has performed a full history and physical exam and...
Antinuclear antibodies (ANA) are proteins found in the bloodstream of some people who have RA or other diseases. Doctors test for these antibodies to help make a diagnosis of RA and other autoimmune diseases such...
My doctor orders a complete blood count several times each year. Do I need to get this test so frequently? A complete blood count (CBC) is an excellent screening test. It helps the doctor diagnose...
A complete blood count (CBC) is a measurement of the components of the blood. This test can help your doctor both diagnose disease and monitor the safety of any treatments administered for a disease. The...
The sedimentation rate (“sed rate”) is not a perfect test, and using it can pose a challenge for physicians. An elevated sed rate is understood by physicians to be neither sensitive nor specific for RA....