| There is no known cure for rheumatoid arthritis. To | | | | * Ethnicity: All races and ethnicities can be affected. |
| date, the goal of treatment for rheumatoid arthritis is to | | | | * Environment: There is no specific environmental |
| reduce joint inflammation and pain, maximize joint | | | | factor that causes the disease. |
| function, and prevent joint destruction and deformity. | | | | * Diet: There is no specific diet or food that causes the |
| Treatment involves early intervention in chronic joint | | | | disease. |
| inflammation and soft-tissue swelling. The optimal | | | | * Infection: There is no known specific infection that |
| treatment requires a comprehensive program for the | | | | causes the disease. |
| patient. This disease usually affects the peripheral | | | | THE PROBLEM |
| joints like hands, feet, wrists, and knees and the | | | | The current theory is that a person who is genetically |
| surrounding muscles, tendons, ligaments, and blood | | | | predisposed to rheumatoid arthritis encounters a trigger |
| vessels. It can also involves internal organs like the | | | | (infection, toxin, chemical) in the environment that starts |
| lungs and heart. An autoimmune disease means the | | | | an abnormal immune response, an autoimmune |
| body tissues are attacked by your own immune | | | | process. The disease occurs when white blood cells |
| system. Ultimately, this leads to joint destruction, | | | | leave the blood stream and attack the lining of the |
| functional disability, and decreased quality of life. | | | | joints. |
| There are many types of arthritis. Some scholars | | | | Fortunately, there is natural healing and natural cure in |
| consider gout as also one of the major type. Many | | | | order to alleviate the pain associated with the disease. |
| types of arthritis may affect different areas of the | | | | Removing acidity from your blood to reach an alkaline |
| body. As mentioned above, the swelling or | | | | level is well advised. A good ph level can only help. A |
| inflammation is the general reaction of the body. During | | | | study by the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm has also |
| this reaction, all the protective blood cells rush to the | | | | found that people who drink five glasses of wine a |
| affected area to fight against the cause of the | | | | week halve the risk of rheumatoid arthritis. |
| problem. They clear the damaged cells and repair the | | | | STATISTICS |
| hurt tissues. Once the treatment won the war against | | | | The prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis in the U.S. is |
| the causative factor, the inflammation goes away and | | | | about 1% which means that it affects 2.1 million |
| area comes to its normal size with normal color. | | | | Americans. There are 3 new cases per year per |
| -RISK FACTORS | | | | 10,000 persons. The disease most often starts |
| * Smoking: Rheumatoid arthritis is associated with | | | | between the ages of 25 and 50; peak onset is |
| long-term smoking. | | | | between 35 and 50. It is 3-5 times more common in |
| * Stress: Persons suffering from the disease have a | | | | women and 4 times more common in smokers than |
| higher incidence of stressful life events in the 6 months | | | | non-smokers. If one twin has it, there is a 15-20% |
| preceding onset of the disease as compared to the | | | | chance the other twin will develop it. You deserve a |
| general population. | | | | better life with less pain. Some natural products are |
| * Genetics: HLA-DR4, a genetic marker, is associated | | | | available in the treatment for rheumatoid arthritis and |
| with increased chance of having the disease. | | | | can relieve your joints. |