Is Rheumatoid Arthritis Hereditary, and can the onset of this disease be prevented or delayed in any way? Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the mobile joints. It appears to be an autoimmune disorder, meaning that the body’s own immune system produces antibodies, which attack its tissues. This results in inflammation and pain in varying degrees. It should not be confused with Osteoarthritis, which is caused by the ‘wear and tear’ of joints (Lahita, 2001). Signs and symptoms RA can be very difficult to diagnose since it can often mimic symptoms of other diseases and illnesses or flare and fade intermittently. However, the symptoms may present as hard to heal injuries, numbness in the hands (which is often diagnosed as carpal tunnel syndrome), foot trouble, eye problems, painful and/or swollen joints, deformities and contractures of joints, morning stiffness or nodules that grow under the skin near painful joints (Worth, 2008). Melissa Conrad Stöpler and William C. Shiel state that when the disease is active, symptoms tend to include fatigue, loss of appetite and fever (Stöppler & Shiel, 2013). All of the above findings are supported by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons who state that the symptoms of RA include pain and stiffness in a joint, even when it is not being used; nodules; foot pain and symptoms throughout the body e.g. fever, appetite loss and lack of energy (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, 2007).Further symptoms may also involve chest pains when breathing, dry eyes and mouth, sleep difficulties and burning and itchy eyes paired with discharge (Baruchin, 2012). To confirm the diagnosis of RA, medical professionals require certain criteria to be met. The American College o... ... middle of paper ... ...factor (and other susceptibility genes) is higher amongst relatives than non-related individuals, and amongst certain ethnic groups. Their convincing research weighs very strongly in favour of the primarily hereditary nature of RA, with environmental factors only serving as “triggers” for the onset of the disease. With regards to the prevention or delay of the onset of the disease, if individuals who are aware of RA cases in their preceding generations, were to have themselves tested for the presence of the HLA factor (and in the future, for the other susceptibility genes) in their genetic make-up, they could largely delay, or possibly prevent, the onset of RA by simply changing their lifestyle and following certain preventative measures. Thus, in conclusion, RA is highly likely to be hereditary and the onset of the disease can be delayed and possibly prevented.
There are various methods of diagnosing Raydaund syndrome. Cold water emersion is one method. In this method, patients’ hands are immersed in cold water to observe any clinical features. Another mode of diagnosis looks at medical conditions that are associated with Raynaud syndrome, such as CTD, scleroderma, and lupus. A third technique includes physical examination of the ulnar and radial vessels, nail folds in the capillaries, presence of digital inflammation, sclerodactyly (sleroderma, hardening of the skin, of the fingers and toes), or telangiectasia (chronic dilation of groups of capillaries
Rheumatoid Arthritis: A common form of inflammatory arthritis. It is a chronic disease that causes inflammation of joints, pain and loss of function in the joints, as well as inflammation to other body organs. It is an autoimmune condition of unknown origin, where the antibodies are formed against the synovium8.
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory and an autoimmune disease that occurs when the immune system mistakenly attacks the body’s tissue (Rheumatoid arthritis, 2017). This disease affects the entire body, which is called a systemic (means entire body) disease. Arthritis is derived from the word part arthr-, which means “joint,” and -itis, which means “inflammation,” so altogether it means “inflammation of the joints.” It creates inflammation that causes the tissue that lines the inside of joints (synovium) to thicken. About 1.5 million people in the U.S. are affected. It affects all races, but it affects three times as many women than men (What is Rheumatoid Arthritis, n.d.). Overtime, rheumatoid arthritis causes painful swelling that can potentially result in bone erosion or joint deformity, which leads up to physical disabilities. RA can affect more than just your joints, but can spread to body systems, skin, eyes, lungs, heart, blood vessels, e.t.c (Rheumatoid arthritis, 2017).
Amanda’s RA continue to worsen as time progresses. At the age of 44, Amanda had to switch from a full time to part time shift to better cope with RA flares. This is an example of Paul Baltes selective optimization with compensation model (Baltes, Staudinger and Lindenberger, 1999). Amanda made a loss-based selection where she choose to work part time instead when full-time work is becoming too overwhelming for her. She also tried to optimise the situation by exploring and finding new hobbies like gardening.
Arthritis affects people of all age groups. More than 100 types of arthritis are known. Among these osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis having the highest incidence. One of the major causes of chronic debilitation in industrialized nations is Osteoarthritis which results from damage to the joints, which may be due to trauma, infection, or age-related wear. Rheumatoid arthritis is encountered less frequently than osteoarthritis and is estimated to affect around one per cent of the world’s population. Amongst patients of Rheumatoid arthritis, women are three times more likely to be affected by this condition than men. This condition is caused by an inflammatory process where the body starts attacking itself. Rheumatoid arthritis also affects several joints, with inflammation sometimes seen in and around the lungs, the heart, the eyes and the skin. The most commonly reported complaint by arthritis patients is pain. The pain might be from the joint itself and be a result of inflammation, damage from the disease, or through daily wear and tear. Muscle pain is also common and is caused by having to force movements against stiff and painful joints. Although range of movement in the affected joint may be limited and uncomfortable, physical exercise has been shown to benefit those with arthritis. Physical therapy has been shown to significantly improve function, decrease pain in the long term and delay the need for surgery in advanced cases. The majority of arthritis cases occur among theelderly, however the disease can occur in children as well. Over 70% of the population that get affected by arthritis in North America are over the age of 65 (4). The disease occurs more commonly in females than males in all races, age groups, and ethn...
Lewis, Ricki, (2014), Human Genetics, 11th Edition, Chapter 12. Gene Mutation. [VitalSource Bookshelf Online]. Retrieved from
The disease can either be active or in remission depending on whether the tissues are inflamed or not. There are no systems when Rheumatoid Arthritis is in remission. When it becomes active again, it is called a flare and all the symptoms come back. The main symptoms are: fatigue, loss of appetite, fever, aches in the muscles and joints, and stiffness. The stiffness usually occurs in the morning or after resting for a long time. The joints can also go red, swell and be painful because the joint lining is inflamed which causes extra synovial fluid to be produced and the joint lining tissue to get thicker. The early symptoms usually are in small joints of the hands and wrists, and they are pain and stiffness...
Bibliography: Arthritis Foundation, Understanding Arthritis (1986); Kelley, William N., et al., eds., Textbook of Rheumatology, 2d ed., (1985); McCarty, Daniel F., ed., Arthritis and Allied Conditions, 11th ed. (1988); Moll, J. M. H., Rheumatology in Clinical Practice (1987).
From generation to generation diabetes has continued to claim lives on my mothers side of the family. From recent memory my great grandmother, aunt, and three cousins have had diabetes. Once a trait like diabetes enters your family it is passed down through genetics but it is also not guaranteed that all your family members will get it. You may be asking yourself what exactly diabetes is, what it does to your body and is their a cure? This disease affects us in many ways than one, as I will introduce to you.
Peterson, G. M. Lessons from familial cancers. Mid-Atlantic Cancer Genetics Network Newsletter. Fall 1999. http://www.macgn.org/nl13e.html.
...es of developing these diseases. While a family history provides information about the risk of specific health concerns, having a family history of certain medical conditions doesn’t mean that you will develop the same conditions. Disease is not imminent, by developing lifestyle changes your health can be controlled and risk lowered by changing behaviors that increase your chances.
Patients with RA experience symptoms such as stiffness in the joints. The joints then have a limited range of motion. “ Morning stiffness is one of the hallmark symptoms of RA”(WebMD). The inflammation is caused by fluid that enters the joints and it becomes puffy, it can also cause redness and warmth which can be very painful. The small joints of the hand wrists, and feet are more commonly affected . the knees, ankles,shoulders hips and elbows may be involved as well but they are more common in early disease(Medicinenet.com) Rheumatoid arthritis signs and symptoms may vary in severity and may even come and go. Periods of increased disease activity, called flares, alternate with periods of relative remission when the swelling and pain fade or disappear. Over time, rheumatoid arthritis can cause joints to deform and shift out of place.
Since the gene for HD is dominant, there is a 50% chance of a sufferer's
Arthritis occurs when the body incorrectly identifies its own tissue as foreign matter and attacks it. Arthritis includes a set of more than eighty autoimmune diseases. Arthritis attacks connective tissues and joints. It causes stiffness, pain, inflammation, and swelling of the joints. Some kinds are crippling, but rarely leads to death. There are many different kinds of arthritis, the main ones being Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid arthritis; others include gout and ankylosing spodylitis.