From the joints to the heart.. 5 ways rheumatoid arthritis affects your body

Posted by Fatima Khalil

Friday, 03 March 2023 02:00 PM

arthritis Rheumatoid arthritis is a disease that leads to painful symptoms and can affect the quality of life. It is an autoimmune disease, in which your immune system attacks healthy cells in the body and mistakes them for foreign pathogens. This causes inflammation in several parts of the body, including the joints, in this The report learns regarding how rheumatoid arthritis affects different parts of the body, according to the “Times of India” website.

Rheumatoid arthritis mostly affects the joints in the hands, wrists, and knees, as the lining of the joints in these areas becomes inflamed and swollen, causing tissue damage and leading to symptoms such as chronic pain, imbalance, and in severe cases, deformity.

If left untreated, symptoms can sometimes spread to other parts of the body, including the ankles, elbows, hips, and shoulders.

Blood vessels

Rheumatoid arthritis mainly affects the joints. However, it can also cause inflammation of blood vessels. The condition is known as rheumatoid vasculitis. It usually occurs when you suffer from rheumatoid arthritis for a long period of time, affecting the vessels of the skin, fingers and toes, nerves, eyes, and heart. According to Cedars Sinai, untreated rheumatoid arthritis can cause serious complications, including death.

nerve complications

Rheumatoid arthritis can damage peripheral nerves, which are part of the peripheral nervous system. Inflammation from this condition can put pressure on nerves, causing carpal tunnel syndrome, a condition that causes weakness and numbness or tingling in the thumb, index, and middle fingers.

Mood changes

Depression and anxiety are major psychological problems that can be associated with rheumatoid arthritis either due to a biological and cell-related mechanism or due to the psychological impact of the chronic disease on the patient.

Moreover, people with mental health conditions have been observed to be less responsive to treatment and contribute to increased disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis.

Common symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis should be noted

Because rheumatoid arthritis affects different parts of the body, it can cause several symptoms. Some common symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis include: – pain and tenderness in multiple joints – stiffness in several joints – tenderness and swelling in more than one joint – weight loss – fatigue or Fatigue – weakness

Rheumatoid arthritis is associated with inflammation in one or more joints. This, in turn, increases a person’s risk of hardening and blockage of the arteries, as well as inflammation of the sac that surrounds the heart, according to the Mayo Clinic. This can make a person more susceptible to heart conditions such as heart attack, stroke, atrial fibrillation, and heart failure.